17623 - Symmetric key email encryption

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(MailNews Core :: Security, enhancement, P3)

Description

[ron ralston]

The current email encryption mechanism and the proposed 5.0 mechanism are too
complex for most people to use.  Using public key encryption, digital
signatures, and whatnot is gross overkill for the security concerns of most of
us.  This high level security requires too much up-front preparation and
coordination between the mail sender, recipient, and even third parties.  I
don't need unbreakable encryption, I just need something that makes it difficult
for a casual sneak to read my email.

I propose that selecting the security option in a composition window (or in
email preferences) present "normal security" and "high security" options.  The
high security option is the current and proposed security.  The normal security
option is something very simple to use: prompt for a key (maybe 5 to 16 or so
characters) and then use that key to cipher/scramble/encrypt the message and
attachments.

The outgoing message would be tagged (maybe also in the "subject" line) to
indicate that it's in code.  Upon receipt of such a message, the email package
in the browser might detect the tag and prompt the reader to enter the key.
When the correct key is entered, the body of the message is presented in
readable form.  It should remain stored in encrypted form.  Selecting the "save
to disk" option after clicking on an attachment should have the added option of
being saved encrypted or decrypted.

If my friend replies to this message, it should default to being encrypted (no
action need be taken to encrypt) using the same key.

Security should be simple to use.  I want to be able to call my friend on the
phone and tell him that the key is his oldest childs first name (or something
equally memorble).  I don't want to have to go through the key holder and
digital signature hassle -- and neither do most people who send email.

Fancy encryption is not the issue here, most users don't intend to keep the FBI
or NSA from reading their mail.  They want to keep some snoop who has access to
their server or their PC from reading their mail.

Comment 1

[Phil Peterson]

Add to [help wanted] list

Comment 2

[leger]

Bulk moving all MailNews Security bugs to new Security: General component.  The 
previous Security component for MailNews will be deleted.

Comment 3

[Aleksander Adamowski]

Ron: are you aware how easy to break such encryption scheme is?

The moment it is widely used, you'll get dedicated Mozilla mail descramblers
that would break 8 characters key in a matter of hours on old (Cel 300 MHz)
equipment.

I think that such feature would give a false sense of security and would do more
harm that good.

Comment 4

[Aleksander Adamowski]

However, I agree that such feature would be useful, If users chose adequate
length passwords (the passwords should be hashed before being used as a
symmetric key by PSM).

BTW, maybe it's safe to mark this bug as a dupe of bug 35308?

Comment 5

[John Unruh]

I vote for a wontfix resolution.

Comment 6

[Nelson Bolyard (seldom reads bugmail)]

Me too.

Comment 7

[John Unruh]

Wontfix.

Comment 8

[John Unruh]

Verified.