[AccessD] Digital signature / certificates

Just as a side note and depending on your needs, a commonly use digitial
signing/ encryption system is pgp.  It is pretty much platform
independent, is well tested and trusted and has a few nice features.

Stuart


-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of John W. Colby
Sent: Tuesday, 18 March, 2003 12:21 PM
To: AccessD
Subject: [AccessD] Digital signature / certificates


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.
<grin> 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
http://www.thawte.com/html/COMMUNITY/personal/index.html 
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.
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.
John W. Colby 
Colby Consulting 
www.ColbyConsulting.com 
---------------------------------------------------- 
Is email taking over your day?  Manage your time with eMailBoss.  
Try it free!  http://www.eMailBoss.com