[Cryptography] Email is securable within a coterie [was: Email is unsecurable]

[ianG]

On 25/11/13 13:07 PM, StealthMonger wrote:
> ianG <iang at iang.org> writes:
>
>> But, there are other reasons...
>
>> For example, consider traffic analysis or metadata or mass surveillance...
>
>> Then, look at the design of email...
>
>> Then, webmail...
>
>> Then, the assumptions of email...
>
>> Hence, I've concluded that email is unsecurable.
>
> None of these objections apply to mail within a coterie (as most email
> is) where the parties agree out of band to suppress non-essential
> headers and to properly use anonymizing remailers and message pools.



I entirely agree that if you put all that in place, it will work.  Mail 
is theoretically securable.

What I would question is whether we can agree on how to get to that 
place (IETF committees, PHB v. Dark Alliance, S/MIME v. PGP, etc etc), 
and whether it is cost-effective, given alternatives.  E.g., Coteries in 
Skype or OTR/Jabber, etc.



iang