Safe Encrypted E-Mail Isn't That Safe!

[Xann]

Quote

The Internet’s two most widely used methods for encrypting email—PGP and S/MIME—are vulnerable to hacks that can reveal the plaintext of encrypted messages, a researcher warned late Sunday night. He went on to say there are no reliable fixes and to advise anyone who uses either encryption standard for sensitive communications to remove them immediately from email clients.

Arstechnica

 

[villakram]

8 hours ago, Xann said:

Arstechnica

 

Some caution.

The real issue is the way various programs are written to talk to html-land. There is no publicly known vulnerability to proper PGP and/or S/MIME and I believe a number of email clients have already patched this.

[limpid]

What @villakram said.

However, all email should be considered unsafe, particularly if you don't understand how to encrypt outside of the mail tool you are using.

I'm currently explaining this at work to AON and Lloyds who think that you can make email secure with some finger waving and technobabble.

[villakram]

2 hours ago, limpid said:

What @villakram said.

However, all email should be considered unsafe, particularly if you don't understand how to encrypt outside of the mail tool you are using.

I'm currently explaining this at work to AON and Lloyds who think that you can make email secure with some finger waving and technobabble.

Of course you can. Just come up with some cool sounding name - War-room, protecting your communication ... etc., etc., and bill them for every gullible dollar they have. Knock together a quick shell script and go learn how to play golf and smoke cigars.