MrFagtron9000Jul 24, 2023

Why isn't there an end-to-end encryption standard for email so that we can get rid of fax machines?

https://lemmy.world/post/2074603

Why isn't there an end-to-end encryption standard for email so that we can get rid of fax machines? - Lemmy.world

That’s the reason we have to still use fax machines right? I know there are ways to do encryption like PGP on your message directly or I think email sent over TLS? But that isn’t the default right and that’s why I can’t send a picture of my license to the insurance company directly over email?

Show threadirotsomaJul 25, 2023
Generally, fax is still considered more secure. It’s a direct connection. It can’t be intercepted without physical access to the phone line. Encryption can be broken and not just brute force, which is always possible given enough time. The more common issue is poor implementation and insecure storage of keys. And the way email works, there’s no opportunity to exchange keys like with SSL/TLS. So you have to find a way to get your public key to the recipient in a way that they can trust it before you send the message and they have to store it securely so it doesn’t get tampered with. Email just isn’t designed to support that kind of thing.
Show threadmacrocephalic
True, but physical access to phone lines is trivially easy.
Jul 25, 2023 at 2:50amWeb
Show threadCrashumbcJul 25, 2023
To a specific phone line, yes. But even that is very time consuming. And not something that can be accomplished on any kind of scale…
Show threadirotsomaJul 25, 2023
Not if you live on the other side of the world. Sure tapping a phone line is easy. But physical presence it required. It would be pretty suspicious if 10,000 people were digging in your yard, but not so hard to imagine 10,000 people targeting an email account that is likely to have lucrative secrets.