On Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:04:11 -0600 Dale <rdalek1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Chris Walters wrote: > > On 1/19/2012 11:57 AM, Frank Steinmetzger wrote: > >> On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 12:53:07AM -0600, Dale wrote: > >> > >>> While on this subject, sort of. Who on here as their email set > >>> up to encrypt and decrypt emails? I want to test some things OFF > >>> LIST. > >> > >> Well, if you had signed your mail, then I could write you > >> encrypted. :) > > > > This is a test. Enigmail has been trying to use a revoked and > > expired key to sign my messages, lately. > > > > Chris > > > > > I have a question now. I got a message from Paul Hartman and replied > to it, off list, and it was encrypted and I hope my reply was too. My > question is this. How do you make a email that only the sender and > receiver can read? As a example. I'm talking to a Doctor or a lawyer > and I don't want anyone but that person to see the email. How do I do > that? Can that be done. > > The message that I am repying to appears to be something, encypted > maybe, but I think anyone on this list that uses the tool can read it. > Am I correct? > > I'm trying to get a full understanding of this thing. Ya'll know how > I am. lol Well we first need to be accurate. It's not a case that only you and Paul can read the encrypted mail. It's a case that only a machine holding the necessary private key can decrypt it, and then the mail can be read in plain text. Not quite the same thing as what you said, as private keys can be stolen. If Paul encrypted the mail using your public key, then only the private key you hold can decrypt it. Similarly, if you encrypt a mail to Paul using his public key, then only Paul's private key can decrypt it. There's no known way to decrypt a mail like that without the single private key needed (this works exactly like https traffic to your bank). I feel very confident saying "no known way" as cracking that puzzle has been the Holy Grail of maths prizes for 40 years and no-one has announced success. Seeing as mathematicians are a vain lot, and the one that accomplishes this feat with be showered with honour and glory for all time (making Einstein look like a child), it's a safe assumption that it hasn't been done yet. To check if the mail was encrypted, simply tell EnigMail to not decrypt it. It will show as gobbledegook, then only the recipient can decrypt it (as long as the private key stays safe). To make this all work, you need to share public keys with each other. But you don't need to do it in secret as the public keys are, well, public. So you stick them on a key server where the other guy can retrieve them and away you go, profit!!! There's a few other steps you should do to establish trust in the public key (they can be forged) but that's beyond the scope of explaining how the keys work. The answer to your question is then yes. I suppose next you'll be wanting to know what fields to fill in in your specific mail app to enable it your end, right? -- Alan McKinnnon alan.mckin...@gmail.com
