Standard email sent over the internet is vulnerable. While TLS (Transport Layer Security) encrypts the connection between servers, the servers themselves (and anyone with a subpoena or a hacker inside) can read your mail as plain text.
1. PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) / GPG
The Activist's Choice: End-to-End Encryption.
- How it works: You have a Public Key (you publish this) and a Private Key (you keep this safe). If I want to send you a secret, I encrypt it with your Public Key. NOBODY, not even the mail server, can read it. Only your Private Key can unlock it.
- Pros: Mathematically unbreakable if implemented correctly. Decentralized.
- Cons: Usability is terrible. If you lose your Private Key, your data is gone forever. It does not encrypt metadata (subject lines, sender/receiver).
2. S/MIME (Secure / Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions)
The Corporate Choice.
- How it works: Similar concept to PGP but integrated into enterprise clients like Outlook and Apple Mail. It requires a certificate issued by a trusted Central Authority (CA).
- Pros: Seamless integration for corporate employees. Signs emails to prove identity.
- Cons: Certificates cost money. Relies on centralized trust models.
3. Encrypted Providers (ProtonMail / Tutanota)
The User-Friendly Choice.
- They handle the encryption keys for you via the browser.
- Pros: Zero-Access encryption (even they can't read your mail). easy to use.
- Cons: You are trusting their web client code not to serve you a malicious update.
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