4 ms·

In my opinion, you should just behave like your emails are public record. This is the best way of approaching that technology.

jacobr1 11y ago
This is more about protecting yourself from incoming phishing attacks than your outgoing mail.
Esau 11y ago
That's what I do as email is more akin to a postcard than a letter. If that makes someone uncomfortable, then they should choose another medium.
- mgbmtl 11y ago
  This is what GMail is doing: making sure that sending an email is like sending a letter (instead of a postcard). TLS email is not 100% secure (private, authenticated, etc), but not 100% insecure either. Verifying TLS for email is an easy step in making email a bit less insecure, and it requires no intervention from users. If you need something secure, then yes, go for GnuPG or other forms of end-to-end encryption (if only I could name a few).
  - ams6110 11y ago
    Yes, TLS protects the information in transit but it does not prevent a malicous intermediary from reading or altering your mail. Sort of like an envelope could be opened at the post office, read, and then resealed before you get it. You need gpg or s/mime to guard against that.
  - dhimes 11y ago
    When I saw the HN headline, I thought they were going to start enforcing the PGP encryption. I think I had a small medical event...
- a3_nm 11y ago
  > they should choose another medium Which kind of medium do you have in mind? If you want a federated communication medium in wide use that doesn't require you to use proprietary software or a centralized server, there isn't much choice. This is why I'd say it's a worthwhile endeavor to make it possible to communicate securely and privately with email.
waffle_ss 11y ago
But if your emails can be MitM'ed then the text of your emails (the public record) may not actually be what the sender wrote.
headstorm 11y ago
I wholly agree regarding email hosted in the United States, especially for any emails stored over 180 days on servers you don't own (see Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986).
fixermark 11y ago
That has traditionally been the best way of approaching that technology, and is oftened noted as one of the biggest flaws in the technology. Securing email end-to-end is a solid step in the right direction towards making it work better for end-users.
asquabventured 11y ago
Not only email[full stop] all your comments[full stop] on anything electronic. #chillingeffect Welcome to 2016

jacobr1 11y ago

This is more about protecting yourself from incoming phishing attacks than your outgoing mail.

Esau 11y ago

That's what I do as email is more akin to a postcard than a letter. If that makes someone uncomfortable, then they should choose another medium.

mgbmtl 11y ago
This is what GMail is doing: making sure that sending an email is like sending a letter (instead of a postcard). TLS email is not 100% secure (private, authenticated, etc), but not 100% insecure either. Verifying TLS for email is an easy step in making email a bit less insecure, and it requires no intervention from users. If you need something secure, then yes, go for GnuPG or other forms of end-to-end encryption (if only I could name a few).
- ams6110 11y ago
  Yes, TLS protects the information in transit but it does not prevent a malicous intermediary from reading or altering your mail. Sort of like an envelope could be opened at the post office, read, and then resealed before you get it. You need gpg or s/mime to guard against that.
- dhimes 11y ago
  When I saw the HN headline, I thought they were going to start enforcing the PGP encryption. I think I had a small medical event...
a3_nm 11y ago
> they should choose another medium Which kind of medium do you have in mind? If you want a federated communication medium in wide use that doesn't require you to use proprietary software or a centralized server, there isn't much choice. This is why I'd say it's a worthwhile endeavor to make it possible to communicate securely and privately with email.

waffle_ss 11y ago

But if your emails can be MitM'ed then the text of your emails (the public record) may not actually be what the sender wrote.

headstorm 11y ago

I wholly agree regarding email hosted in the United States, especially for any emails stored over 180 days on servers you don't own (see Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986).

fixermark 11y ago

That has traditionally been the best way of approaching that technology, and is oftened noted as one of the biggest flaws in the technology. Securing email end-to-end is a solid step in the right direction towards making it work better for end-users.

asquabventured 11y ago

Not only email[full stop] all your comments[full stop] on anything electronic. #chillingeffect Welcome to 2016