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Mail security is achievable if users at both ends use Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) or Gnu Privacy Guard (GPG), two mostly-interoperable programs which allow the creation and sharing of encryption keys, and the encryption and decryption of files and messages.
Their use requires both sender and recipient to plan ahead a little bit. In order for another user to encrypt a message to you, you must first generate a key pair. Of these, one is a "secret" key which you must protect and keep safe. The other is a "public" key which can be distributed widely.
The public key can be used by anyone to encrypt a message such that it can only be decrypted with the secret key and the associated password.
The secret key can be used with its password to sign emails or other documents to prove they originated with the owner of the secret key. This can be validated by anyone using the public key.
There exist many plugins for common email clients to place this capability
at your fingertips. See the GnuPG site for copious information on the topic and links to applications to help you get started.
For some of the history
behind PGP, it's evolution and relationship to GnuPG, click here.
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