how to "protect" your privacy with emails?

[anfor68]

so far I've setup a POP3/SMTP with naver.com

 

(and yes it is a korean website)

 

through Outlook 2007 and this also worries me because I now feel paranoid about my privacy with the Snowden, etc.

 

anyway the questions I want to ask is how do you encrypt my emails for free if there ever is one free service, and if the encryption is too expensive, can I "make" my own encryption?

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

[anfor68]

The topic of email encryption is a massive one, there is lots to learn and always potentially security holes. The best way to have secure email is to host your own mail server. but even then you don't know that the destination is secure anyway. You could look into PGP encryption, or simply encrypt each message in a file by a third party program then attach the message as an attachment inside the mail. There are alternatives to e mail though. Bitmessage is a good one, or direct communication through IRC. For me, as long as I'm in an SSL session on a PC I know is clean I'm happy to use any old email service. In the end though traditional email just isn't that secure simply because of how its designed.

 

I see... thanks for the help!

 

Couple of questions though. As for the PGP services, does the receiver HAVE to have a PGP service?

It's kinda confusing for me to understand.

 

My understanding of PGP service is that the sender uses a PGP service to encrypt the message, send it to the receiver with a public PGP key of my service, and the receiver uses HIS PGP service to decrypt the message with my public PGP key.

 

Also, does using Bitmessage also mean that the receiver has to use the service to decrypt the message and I cannot read what I wrote AFTER the message was sent?

 

And lastly, is there any way to encrypt incoming messages without the sender using PGP or Bitmessage?

So it'll be like sender sends a message to me, and the message is encrypted once the message is sent to my email, and when I open the message, it is decrypted using a password or something?

 

I know it's a lot of questions, but I want to learn more about data encryption.

 

Thanks!

[neon]

I see... thanks for the help!

 

1. Couple of questions though. As for the PGP services, does the receiver HAVE to have a PGP service?

It's kinda confusing for me to understand.

 

2. My understanding of PGP service is that the sender uses a PGP service to encrypt the message, send it to the receiver with a public PGP key of my service, and the receiver uses HIS PGP service to decrypt the message with my public PGP key.

 

3. Also, does using Bitmessage also mean that the receiver has to use the service to decrypt the message and I cannot read what I wrote AFTER the message was sent?

 

4. And lastly, is there any way to encrypt incoming messages without the sender using PGP or Bitmessage?

So it'll be like sender sends a message to me, and the message is encrypted once the message is sent to my email, and when I open the message, it is decrypted using a password or something?

 

I know it's a lot of questions, but I want to learn more about data encryption.

 

Thanks!

 

1. yes, otherwise how would they read the message

2. no you encrypt the message you're sending with the recipients public key and they decrypt it with their private key, it also means 'you' cannot decrypt the email when sent like that.

3. n/a for me, I don't know anything about bitmessage

4. that would be completely pointless it would only inconvenience you, your email account password protects people around you from reading your email when you use webmail, an email client that allows you to set a password before it opens would achieve the same thing, but I don't know if one of them exists.

 

email encryption is mostly just an inconvenience until a simple solutions reaches critical mass, and most people are really not bothered about encrypting their weakly shopping list or where to meet for lunch.

[anfor68]

1. yes, otherwise how would they read the message

2. no you encrypt the message you're sending with the recipients public key and they decrypt it with their private key, it also means 'you' cannot decrypt the email when sent like that.

3. n/a for me, I don't know anything about bitmessage

4. that would be completely pointless it would only inconvenience you, your email account password protects people around you from reading your email when you use webmail, an email client that allows you to set a password before it opens would achieve the same thing, but I don't know if one of them exists.

 

email encryption is mostly just an inconvenience until a simple solutions reaches critical mass, and most people are really not bothered about encrypting their weakly shopping list or where to meet for lunch.

 

 

Thanks a bunch again for the answers!!!

 

now I have a better understanding of encrypting emails!!!