Re: Used to run my own mail server 6 or 7 years ago, but stopped
That's just what Google wants you to think, so it can access of all your data and use them whatever it likes... and keeping it and others away is one of the main aims of these articles.
Sure, running your own server requires some time, it's not a "fire-and-forget" solution (although many tasks can be automated) - but unless your domain is hillaryclinton.gov, there a good chance attacks are never sophisticated one, no one wastes a zero day (or other sophisticated resources) to attack a server with little or no interest for him. And if he's interested, he will have good chances to break into your Google account - they have been broken and will be broken, don't worry.
Sure, spammer and the like may be interested in some server easy to exploit, but today botnets are far more useful than open relays because far more difficult to block. And there's little chances as well being DoSed unless you make someone angry. Most attacks are automatic ones looking for known vulnerabilities in little maintained servers, or badly configured ones.
But serious bugs in the mail software itself - which is pretty stable today - there's less risks than, say, HTTP and web applications, which may have a fairly larger number of potentially exploitable bugs due to their more complex nature. Running a web mail software atop the mail server opens IMHO more issues than running the mail server alone.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
