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<DIV><SPAN class=146340918-18032003><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>My outlook won't even let me reply to the ones with the blue
symbol. It wants nothing to do with them. Pretty good security at
that! NOBODY can get in, even the author. <vbg>
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=146340918-18032003><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=146340918-18032003><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Charlotte Foust</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
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<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> Tuesday, March 18, 2003
8:19 AM<BR><B>To:</B> accessd@databaseadvisors.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE:
[AccessD] Digital signature / certificates<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<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>
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<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>
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<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>
<P><FONT face=Arial
size=2>----------------------------------------------------</FONT>
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