This issue seems so simple to me but to my complete amazement it is not. I have looked at many tools but they have a few fundamental problems.
I like tools like PGP because they have a high level of security and have very integrated solutions for many of the email clients. They also have an architecture that has been implemented by other providers and opens a huge opportunity for growth. That said, in order to use PGP both sides have to have the PGP software installed. Are most common users going to have this installed? No.
As a “solution” to that, many of the encryption software packages have the ability to create self-decrypting files that you can send and then the person doesn’t need the encryption software. These tools create an exe file that can be sent and will decrypt the payload with a specified passphrase/password. This is great except that the majority of email servers and services will reject attachments of exe files because of course they are executable on the other end and could be viruses or trojans.
It seems that this situation is fairly complicated and has not really been solved yet. I am seeking a solution to this problem and I am open to your feedback.
How do you secure your email data when you send it?
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