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<DIV><SPAN class=605551716-18032003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Yea, I
know. I can't read them either. And the weird part is that it seems
to be a flip of the coin how they come through. I replied to a message,
got that blue symbol. Replied again got the readable version.
Replied again got the blue symbol. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=605551716-18032003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=605551716-18032003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Not
good.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>John W. Colby<BR>Colby
Consulting<BR>www.ColbyConsulting.com</FONT> </P>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
accessd-admin@databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin@databaseadvisors.com]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Charlotte
Foust<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, March 18, 2003 11:05 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
accessd@databaseadvisors.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: [AccessD] Digital
signature / certificates<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=554440216-18032003><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>These I can read. The ones that come through with a little blue
information icon are unopenable because it says "Your Digital ID name cannot
be found by the underlying security system." I'm using Outlook XP on
WinXP. All the latest patches.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=554440216-18032003><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=554440216-18032003><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Charlotte Foust</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> John W. Colby
[mailto:jcolby@colbyconsulting.com] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, March 17, 2003
8:21 PM<BR><B>To:</B> AccessD<BR><B>Subject:</B> [AccessD] Digital signature
/ certificates<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Trying this again. If anyone can read this,
please at least one such person respond. If anyone can't read
this... uh... don't bother responding.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><grin></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Digital certificates are essentially a digital
signature as well as a public key / private key pair. The digital
signature tells the person receiving a signed email that the email comes
from you and hasn't been altered. The certificate that is contained in
any signed message also contains a public key belonging to the sender.
By opening the email, right clicking the From line, and adding the person to
your contacts, the certificate from that person, including the public key,
is stored in the contact info. Obvious this isn't going to work as
expected with the list since the message is retransmitted. In fact I
have no idea what is going to happen in this case, we shall just have to
wait and see.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>That public key from the contact can then be used
to encrypt email and theoretically an attachment as well. Since the
public key is stored in the contact record, it is used for the encryption,
and the message (and attachments) can only be decoded by the matching
private key. I.e. automatic digital signature and easy to use (though
not automatic) encryption of messages. Since your friend's certificate
is stored with his contact info on your computer, any email and attachments
sent to him can be encrypted using his public key.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>I say easy to use though not automatic encryption
because in order to encrypt a given message you have to go to the properties
of that message and select encryption. There is however an option to
encrypt all messages. I assume that if the contact selected as the
recipient has no certificate, no encryption takes place, so it appears that
maybe a totally automatic / always on encryption scheme can take place with
any contacts that you have received and stored a certificate for.
However... I tested this... if you send an encrypted message to a contact
with a certificate in your contact book, and CC a contact without a
certificate, the message is encrypted. You are warned that the person
without a certificate will not be able to see the message (because it is
encrypted) and that does indeed happen.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyway, I have always wanted to have this
capability. I have contacts with clients that should be kept
confidential, for example transferring BE databases that contain customer
data to me for my work at my home office etc. The ability to encrypt
these things is or should be important. I understand that there are
now laws that state that if you transmit people's SSNs across the internet
you must take specific precautions or you are breaking the law. I
haven't seen this law, but I know that certain insurance companies I deal
with are starting to get touchy about sending data files to me with the SSNs
in them. Perhaps this security will help in these
situations.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>I thought you guys might be interested in what I
have figured out. First of all there is a company that provides FREE
personal email certificates. Most such companies charge a small fee
for them.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.thawte.com/html/COMMUNITY/personal/index.html"
target=_blank>http://www.thawte.com/html/COMMUNITY/personal/index.html</A></FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>In order to get this you have to fill out a form
with your address, phone and one personal ID number - SSN, Drivers License
Number or Passport Number. Basically after following the process you
are sent an email to the email address you provide them that contains a
"ping" hotlink that you have to click on which then tells them you received
the email and you are then issued the certificate.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know that free
certs are available, are reasonably easy to obtain, and reasonably easy to
get working.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>John W. Colby</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>Colby Consulting</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial
size=2>www.ColbyConsulting.com</FONT> </P>
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