anyone know anythign about email encryption?

[bootNumlock]

I have a client that wants us to encrypt their email-- i haven't got a clue where to start and honestly doubt that we can do that here anyway...

any thoughts?????

[sequill]

Check out
http://www.pgpi.org/
http://www.pgp.com

I set up a web form on a unix account that sent gpg ( pgp+gnu) encrypted emails using an application called soupermail http://soupermail.sourceforge.net/

It was a pain starting from zero knowledge about it. It's still all a blur.

[keidsjedo]

Server-side or client-side encryption?

You can only reliably encrypt email that originates from your client (outgoing email). Incoming email cannot be controlled. Once incoming email hits the server, you could do encryption, but it's only encrypted from the mail server to your client. Anytime before that the encryption depends on the originating sender. Did I thoroughly confuse you?

Sequill's suggestions were good. PGP is a good place to start. Their freeware version is only for non-commercial use and doesn't come with email plug-ins. However, it would let you try things out a little. There are a few third-party email plugins available if you look around the 'net a bit.

[dpyers]

If you have to encrypt email that originates from a windows server form, ASPEmail works with the ASPEncrypt - both components are installed here.

Edit: - Not sure if @mail supports any encryption.

Actually, I believe @mail does. You can generate GPG keys and whatnot, probably for PGP or similar. Encrypting the email itself is probably the best way to go, and this is handled client-side.

Securing connections can't be counted on too much, ie, you send your message to the mail server with a secure link, no problem there. However, when the message is passed from your server to the destination mail server, the link is probably unsecure. And it may or not be secure between the end-client and his server, depending on what he's doing. Still a good feature to offer for name alone

[bootNumlock]

so is any of this technology for the client sending from their machine with outlook through our (vortech) mail servers?? sorry, but i kinda feel like an idiot about this stuff....

[Curt]

Originally Posted by bootNumlock02

so is any of this technology for the client sending from their machine with outlook through our (vortech) mail servers?? sorry, but i kinda feel like an idiot about this stuff....

Quick answer: Yes, this should work fine for your client.

I'm pretty sure there are no specific mail server requirements. The user encrypts the email locally on their own computer, and the recipient decrypts it locally as well. The SMTP protocol and any mail servers in between should just pass the message through, regardless of content. Theoretically, I guess it's possible that servers could be config'd to not allow encrypted messages, but I've never heard of anyone doing that.

[dpyers]

Both the sender and the recipient have the key need to have the key. Ideally, you wouldn't send the recipient the key through email though. You'd pop it on a floppy and mail it to them.

[mresell]

Pegasus supports pgp and others it also has it's own builtin encryptor. But you do get into passwords etc. Because it comes builtin it is easy to use tho. A secure tunnel helps for passwords, but if they feel they need encryption server or client you will have to have keys or passwords so another level of people keeping up with that. I find most people seem to have issues with passwords.