Author: Bill Hacker Date: To: exim Subject: Re: [exim] Securing Email for the prying eyes of any government
Marc Perkel wrote:
> Here's what I have in mind. First - these servers I'm talking about
> being in distributed countries are also very good spam and virus front
> end filters. The receive the email for the domains - clean spam and
> viruses - then send the email encrypted to the real host server where
> real email boxes are.
Not a lot wrong with cleaning spam or encrypton in general...
>
> The domain holder who lets say is in the UK - could specify a list of
> these servers in their MX record that was outside the jurisdiction of
> the UK government.
Not really of use. Any human being involved is resident *somewhere*.
> These servers would receive the email for the domain
> - clean it - and pass it on to the real server. The domain holder can
> choose from a list of these servers to use by setting the lowest MX
> record to all chosen servers. The idea being that the corrupt government
'corrupt government' is a redundancy worldwide, is it not?
> wouldn't be able to tap all these foreign servers and at best would only
> get a fraction of the email. Because it would be so hard - the
> government wouldn't even try.
Who told you THAT ???
Just because you can't see a packet with the naked eye doesn't mean they
quantum-tunnel from point A to point B!
The very-real facilities over communications travel are placed where the
regulatory authorities permit them to be placed.
>
> The idea here is that - yes - it would be nice is email was encrypted
> end to end - but realistically - it's not going to happen. So - the idea
> is to use existing techniques that doesn't require the world to change
> in order to make it work.
>
Mark,
I'm afraid you miss the whole point.....
The UK government (ALL governments) have the right, and exercise it *as
and when they see fit*,
to monitor international (cross-border) communications. Regardless.
They had nearly fifty years of experience at it by the time the first
truly global network went online in 1896.
(4 WPM - half-duplex).
I'm not criticizing it or condemning it - as with anything governments
do, it can help or hinder, free or enslave,
- that's up to people - not technology.
But It is universally recognized as part of 'national security'. Not
something to be trifled with!
Google 'Zimmermann Telegram' and see if you can figure out how the British
got their hands on a coded telegram
- from Washington, DC USA
- to Mexico, Distrito Federal, Estados Unidas Mexicanos
- in 1917.
- While enroute.
- Without violating the territory of either country....
And, unless Kaiser Wilhelm is your hero, be grateful for that....
