On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 03:10:24PM -0400, Robert J. Hansen wrote: > > I understand what S/MIME is and that it's probably the easiest crypto > > solution for most email users. But why would someone comfortable with > > GnuPG use it? > > There's a subtle point here. The question isn't whether you're comfortable > with GnuPG; the question is whether the people you want to send email to are > comfortable with GnuPG.
Indeed, it's like telephones: for communication to happen, both parties must have them. > I use S/MIME literally daily at work. My co-workers like S/MIME because it's > close to an "it just works" solution. Few of my co-workers have been willing > to learn GnuPG. That echoes my experience. At work we have a bulk-purchase arrangement for certificates, so if I need one I just request one and it magically appears. OTOH most external correspondents have been unwilling to pay the price of a certificate, so with those few who *are* willing to pay the time to learn OpenPGP I use that. At work, Mutt (my MUA) is set up with keys for both and some rules to automatically select the right one for each To: address. In some workplaces, S/MIME is mandated. That's another reason. :-) With all the phishing going on these days, I foresee a wave of companies issuing policies that unsigned mail seeming to come from a fellow employee must be reported and then ignored. Since it's already easy to just buy certificates, they'll probably mostly go S/MIME. -- Mark H. Wood Lead Technology Analyst University Library Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis 755 W. Michigan Street Indianapolis, IN 46202 317-274-0749 www.ulib.iupui.edu
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