OT Email Encryption

$tinky · Mar 1, 2008

Does anyone know of a good email encryption software? I spent some time this past week with a computer guy who was trying to help me recover some data I lost on my jump drive.

We were discussing what I did and how I did it and he scared the bejesus out of me as far as email communications go. He recommended www.pgp.com but you have to use microsoft outlook for that to work.

I just have a basic gmail/hotmail/yahoo email and I want something that provides some security.

Im sure this will get zero replies, because a week ago i would not open a thread with this title but i'm gonna give it a shot anyway.

Mods if you need to move it to the computer department go ahead, then I'll really get some great replies.

MIMS · Mar 1, 2008

Do you want the people receiving the email to be able to decrypt it?

$tinky · Mar 1, 2008

yeah maybe with a password or phrase or something i guess. i'm not much of a computer person so I really don't know how it is supposed to work.

docmercer · Mar 1, 2008

hushmail.com

MIMS · Mar 1, 2008

$tinky said:
yeah maybe with a password or phrase or something i guess. i'm not much of a computer person so I really don't know how it is supposed to work.

I'm asking because if you set up an enterprise solution you will need to be able to distribute a key to everyone you plan to email

MIMS · Mar 1, 2008

ktvvegas said:
hushmail.com

"You'll immediately be able to communicate securely with other Hush users, and you can access your Hushmail account from anywhere in the world."

Great if that's the only people you want to email

MIMS · Mar 1, 2008

My question is this: What would be the point of setting up encryption? What exactly are you trying to protect?

$tinky · Mar 1, 2008

What I'm trying to protect is the information in my emails. Who I'm trying to keep from reading it is anyone other than the person who its addressed to.

I'm paranoid now that the government or any hacker type that wants to bad enough can get read everything you email.

Am I wrong?

MIMS · Mar 1, 2008

$tinky said:
What I'm trying to protect is the information in my emails. Who I'm trying to keep from reading it is anyone other than the person who its addressed to.

I'm paranoid now that the government or any hacker type that wants to bad enough can get read everything you email.

Am I wrong?

Well, yeah, email is sent as plain text, but the problem is (and why email encryption isn't standard) that you can't just encrypt an email and send it to someone because they will then just have a file that reads "323#@#RSLKJ@#(1219#** #*@(("

So if you want to encrypt email between your family and friends, you need to get them all to sign up for the service above or something like it. But you can't send safe emails to someone who isn't on that system.

To be honest, I wouldn't worry about it. Are you really sending stuff over email that is going to interest the government?