"Nelson B. Bolyard" wrote:
>
> Bob Lord wrote:
> >...
> > How common is it for someone to want to reply to signed emails using
> > encryption only (no signing)? What are some common usage scenarios?
>
> One scenario is:
>
> People want to send info about a new virus or other security vulnerability
> to a place like CERT. They want the data to be encrypted. The authenticity
> of the data isn't at issue. The sender may even wish to remain anonymous.
Yes! There should be no requirement for the sender to have a
certificate, just to send an unsigned encrypted message.
> Another scenario [actually true for me] is:
>
> My relatives are all concerned that someone else might be able to read the
> email they send me. They aren't willing to buy their own certs, and
> apparently aren't worried about email sent to them being readable.
> I bought a personal S/MIME cert, and sent signed emails to my relatives.
> They still cannot send me encrypted emails.
>
Why don't they generate self-signed certs?
Or why don't YOU generate certs for them to use, easily verified by your
local MUA?
That's what we've been doing with sendmail TLS.
> > How might we enable the behavior you mention without requiring the user
> > to think too hard, and without storing the email in the clear?
>
> I suggest: Don't require that the user have her own cert to send an
> encrypted email, unless she is cc'ing herself. As for the sent folder,
> put up a dialog that says
>
> "Since this message is encrypted and you don't have a certificate,
> you won't be able to read the encrypted message in your Sent folder.
> Save it anyway?
> [Yes] [No] [Help] [Get a cert]"
>
> or maybe
>
> [Save unencrypted message] [Don't save] [Help] [Get a Cert]
>
Better yet, the MUA should just automatically generate a local
self-signed cert before saving the message in the Sent folder. Then,
it would be there for the future -- no muss no fuss no bother.
There's no need to save the message unencrypted.
--
William Allen Simpson
Key fingerprint = 17 40 5E 67 15 6F 31 26 DD 0D B9 9B 6A 15 2C 32
