EnigmaMail version 1.0 11
myc18 writes "Last month at Tufts University, I created EnigmaMail. After being exposed to e-mail and communication security in the media, and my interest in the Engima Machine, I decided to develop a "secure communications module" for my class (semester) project in "Cryptography and Security." So could EnigmaMail be used as a secure e-mail module, despite the fact that it uses a dated cryptographic algorithm?" I don't see why not. It has the usual problems of symmetric-key cryptography (must get the key to the recipient) and of course, the system has been broken, but it would certainly be secure against most people. As long as you're aware of the limitations...
Re:This is a bad idea (Score:1)
This is bad, but better then some (Score:1)
However, this is leaps and bounds ahead of some, http://www.koan.com/~mwiht/software.htm ... check out this guys e-mail encryption program "E-ncrypt" ...
Problems with message security? This utility from MWIHT can encrypt your personal messages up to 254 different ways insuring that no one can read your messages, other than who the message was intended for. E-ncrypt saves your encrypted message in a standard text file which can easily be attached to any E-Mail message, ensuring all private E-mail messages stay private.
It uses the ceaser cypher ... your "key" is n in the encryption equation: C(cyphertext) = C(plaintext) + n :) Atleast he's not trying to sell it...
Keep at it (Score:1)
#include IANAC (C=cryptographer)
As stated in posts above, the practical uses of this are limited to that which you want kept out of the hands of kid sisters etc.
That is, until someone develops a program as an exercise to cryptanalyse the (well-known) cipher. Which sounds like cool fun to me, so I'd be willing to give it a try :-)
Of course, there is the symmetric key aspect, so for e-mail you still need an alternate secure channel.
Despite this, I think it's a good idea, as a starting point in crypto. A good book to get is to read Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneier(any good book site), and the fishtank libraries by Mr R.J. Hansen [slashdot.org]are good learning tools.
Re:Not very secure (Score:1)
But unlike most other instances of things being of "military-strength", choosing a stronger encryption does not increase any costs (financial and otherwise) of the software development, or of the software use. So why not use a better alorithm?
Re: (Score:1)
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old method use (Score:1)
Re:This is a bad idea (Score:2)
Add in AES (Score:2)
Not very secure (Score:2)
In short there is no real security here (especially if you don't hide non-alpha characters, and don't break the ciphertext into some kind of block format).
Try hanging out on sci.crypt for a bit to get a better feel for the issues and problems.
http://www.landfield.com/faqs/cryptography-faq/ is a great start for basic cryptography research online.
This is a bad idea (Score:3)
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