Advice for sending secure information via email

[ellevan]

Daughter in Korea on wireless network wants me on wireless network to send her credit card information.  The physical card did not arrive until after she left for Korea so she needs all of the info from the card because she was blocked from signing in to the account since she forgot her security question answers...I don't want to just put the numbers in an email, would it be secure if I put them in a PDF or if I scanned the card and sent that as a PSD?  She needs to pay the bill and they won't let her in, I also want her to check the balance so I know how close we (I) am to getting it paid off before another disaster.

Thanks...she doesn't have a phone so I can't call her, I could Skype with her some time over the weekend if we set that up and if you think that is the most secure way.

[GrandPaGardener]

How about sending the information split over several emails.....

You could enbed the infor within some text... Like it's 6622 this AM. Will be going to store around 432120. ETC

Put security code in seperate email! could do it backwards. i.e. 0829 send 9280 then tell her to reverse it!

[ellevan]

I could try that, I thought sending PDF's was secure...we send all of our tax information that way to our accountant every year and it includes everything anyone would need to steal our identity, not that anyone would WANT to unless they were really stupid.

[Lip Service]

Unfortunately mail is not secure and that also include attachments PDF or otherwise.
Granpa's suggestions are very good because even though a single email message can be intercepted, it is not likely that all messages would be, just don't send all the emails at the same time.

There is a way to create PDF or zip files with a password, but you will need to communicate that password before hand for example to your accountant.

[ellevan]

Thanks, I am sending the emails one at a time over the next hour or so and I will intersperse some other emails in between.  I have to get to work so I can't spend all day on this, I am sure that would surprise my daughter.  Appreciate the help.  

[Lip Service]

Tell her also to delete these emails once she gets the information she needs from them, just in case someone gets into her account in the future, they would not be able to have that information
There are ways to keep confidential information on the web but email is not a good way to do it

[ellevan]

I did that, I told her to document the information and delete the emails, thanks again.

[Pete48]

Elle....

you can send it as a pdf, but I would suggest that you "password protect" the pdf file, and then Skype with her and tell her the password to unlock the PDF file.  Alternatively, you can send her a separate email with the password in the email.  Just don't email the pdf and the password in the same email!

:)

Another option is something like Dropbox, (the "cloud") or Google Drive (used to be called Google Docs, I think) where you can upload a file like a MS Word document that contains the password to the pdf file, and you and your daughter are the only 2 on the planet who know the Google password to the Google drive (or Dropbox - they're separate products, but have similar functions) that contains the document.

You could even use Google's own text editor to create a "Word" document "up there", so you don't need a Microsoft product to do that.

Lots of options.

One more - write a password on a piece of paper, take a photo of it and upload to photobucket or Flickr or wherever you keep your photos.

Pete

[ellevan]

I sent it in several different emails and told her to delete them as soon as she got them (after she records the stuff).  We only Skype on HER schedule and it is so erratic that I was afraid the payment would be late, I think it's due on the 7th.  I transfer the money to her every month so she can pay it off asap.  Hopefully everything will be alright.