All emails I have ever sent were sent as plain text. Like postcards, everybody on the way to the addressee could easily read and store them. This worries me. I know privacy is something of the past, but encrypting email is possible, at least in theory. However, I wonder whether it is practical enough.

Is there anybody who has experience with email security? Is it easy to set up? And can you still send and receive email from all you friends and acquaintances?