Many years ago we found that leaving emails in Affiliate Programs un-encrypted to be a real hazard. A program using MPA3 was hacked via another script placed on the MPA3 server of the client, and as a result their db got accessed.
The hackers wanted the email lists of both the affiliates as well as the members who had joined their paysites ? and the result was obvious.
To avoid such abuse, in case of a potential hacking incident, we have a firm belief that your email lists inside of the program/db MUST be encrypted. It is only in this way you can protect both your affiliates as well as your members from being exploited. As an affiliate you should check to see if the program you are promoting is using MPA3.
This is not always obvious, as MPA3 programs have the ability to look different from program to program, so be sure to ask the affiliate rep. if they are using MPA3. And if not ? tell them that they should do it to protect yourself and the members you send the programs way. Anyone/program owners that wants the strongest encryption possible can request private/public key encryption for the emails. We highly recommend it.
It is not just you, the affiliate, that is affected ? it is also the members you have worked so hard to get to sign up for the program you are promoting. If the hard earned members you get to sign up for a program is spammed after signing up ? rest assured that they will be even harder to get to sign up for another site again later.
So to summarize ? MPA3 has for many years encrypted the emails stored within an affiliate program to best protect the program owners from loss in the event of a security breach.
