The word quarantine comes from the Italian quaranta giorni, meaning “forty days.” During the 14th century, ships arriving in ports like Venice from plague-affected regions were required to anchor offshore for 40 days before passengers could disembark. This practice, formalized during the era of the Black Death, aimed to prevent infectious diseases from spreading into the city. The 40-day isolation period was believed sufficient to reveal symptoms of illness.
Over time, quarantine came to mean separating people, animals, or goods that may have been exposed to contagious disease.
In the IT world, the concept remains strikingly similar. When an email is flagged as suspicious—perhaps containing malware or phishing links—it is placed in “quarantine.” Instead of reaching your inbox, it is isolated in a secure digital holding area until reviewed or deleted.
Whether at sea or in cyberspace, quarantine is about one simple principle: contain first, confirm later.
