Which step in the email process ensures the integrity of the email content?

The step that ensures the integrity of the email content is hashing. Hashing is a technique that takes input data, such as the content of an email, and processes it through a mathematical algorithm to produce a fixed-size string of characters, typically known as a hash value or checksum. This hash value acts as a digital fingerprint of the original content.

When an email is sent, a hash value of its content can be generated and transmitted alongside it. Upon receiving the email, the recipient can generate a hash of the received content and compare it to the original hash value. If the two hashes match, it confirms that the email content has not been altered or tampered with during transmission, thus ensuring its integrity.

While sending, receiving, and storage all play roles in the overall process of email management, they do not directly provide a means to verify that the content has remained unchanged. Hashing specifically addresses the need to ensure the integrity of the email by offering a reliable way to confirm that the content is identical to what was originally sent.