4 ms·
Side reminder that it's not just HTTPS and its CAs system (of which world governments are already a subset, by the way): https://blog.filippo.io/the-sad-state-o
by FiloSottile 11y ago
Side reminder that it's not just HTTPS and its CAs system (of which world governments are already a subset, by the way): https://blog.filippo.io/the-sad-state-of-smtp-encryption/ https://blog.filippo.io/the-sad-state-of-smtp-encryption/
- tptacek 11y agoSMTP email is simply. not. secure. If you need your messages to be protected from world governments, don't rely on SMTP for your security. There's an argument that DNSSEC might make a marginal dent in protecting email from for-profit criminal enterprises. I don't believe it will, but let's stipulate that it does. It accomplishes that by setting up a new PKI whose roots are de jure controlled by the Five Eyes governments. How can that possibly be worth the gain?
- FiloSottile 11y agoI don't know about you, but I'd be VERY happy about a world where the established mail protocol (wether we like it or not) is not passively eavesdroppable (STARTTLS being enough here) and where active attacks are hard, noisy and provable (enter DNSSEC+DANE). How would exactly have Tunisia stripped STARTTLS [0] if mail servers did DNSSEC+DANE to get pinned TLS certificates? [0] http://conferences2.sigcomm.org/imc/2015/papers/p27.pdf http://conferences2.sigcomm.org/imc/2015/papers/p27.pdf
- tptacek 11y agoI am not worried about attacks from Tunisia. I am worried about GCHQ. DNSSEC deters marginal threats at the cost of encouraging serious threats. That's not a good tradeoff.
- sarciszewski 11y ago> I am not worried about attacks from Tunisia. Why not? > I am worried about GCHQ. I don't contest this part.
- tptacek 11y agoAt least with respect to web security, even people in Tunisia can avoid Tunisian intercept just by not using Tunisian services. But virtually no one can avoid .COM.
- sarciszewski 11y agoOh. I was expecting something like, "I have secret knowledge that Tunisia's government employs less skilled attackers than the UK's."
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- yuhong 11y agoTo be honest, HSTS worked for HTTP pretty well, and it is not like mail servers are not commonly connected to either.