MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Anything recommended?
Would like to be able to send an email which requires a password to open
Have tried the secure feature on Gmail but this only allows the recipient to view the email, not print it
Not sure you can send an email that forces a password each time. If it's for regular coms set something up with proper secure mail like pgp.
If it's less regular. Can you write data into a document and then use WinZip to encrypt it. Send as attachment. Share the password via separate channel.
ProtonMail. Have the free personal account and paid accounts for business. You can set a password per email.
You could put the secret squirrel information in an encrypted attachment (say a *.zip file?) send it over whatever free email service you like and then send the encryption key via a separate route.
ProtonMail would get my recommendation too. Another thing to consider would b Signal messenger if you want something more immediate.
WhatsApp has end to end encryption. Send it via that.
If you use the Mozilla Thunderbird email client you can encrypt the email before you send it, then send it over whatever mail service you normally use. I haven't tried it myself.
Re the .zip approach
Anyone running a secure mail service is likely to be very wary of encrypted zip files - they are a way around virus scanning technology. Indeed that may be true of any encrypted payload...
You're missing the point. The reason password-protected email never took off is because email is (for the layperson) fundamentally secure, especially if you both use something like Gmail where it's encrypted from end-to-end in transit. It's like hand-delivering a parcel to someone but giving it to them with a padlock on it.
If it's important information and it's critical that you know it's received and read, send a fax. As others have said, a password-protected zip is likely to be ditched into a spam folder or just deleted completely.
You can password protect Word documents or PDFs if you need to.
The reason password-protected email never took off is because email is (for the layperson) fundamentally secure
And for the information security professional it's quite the opposite 🙂 It never took off because it was both inconvenient to users and too fragile in terms of standards and compatibility. As ever the considerations are what you are protecting (text, rich content, large files), how often and where you are sending it (lots of people whom you don't interact with / friends, once / daily) and from whom you are protecting yourself (nation, spouse, employer, service provider, everyone).
Agree on the encrypted zip - it's the first thing to bin off on on an email security gateway.
Just a heads up. Gmail is not encrypted end to end. ProtonMail is. Gmail is only encrypted in transit (ie google can still read the contents).
(ie google World's Biggest Ad Agency can still read the contents).
My question - why? What do you need that facility for?
If it's work related I would advise contacting your information security team who can tell you the preferred method or advise company policy for/against sending sensitive info. Sounds like the sort of thing you could end up in a lot of trouble over especially if it's security related or commercially sensitive.
My question – why? What do you need that facility for?
Also, this. What are you trying to achieve?
My question – why? What do you need that facility for?
He could tell you, but then he'd have to kill you...
have a look at https://posteo.de/en
also they use green energy for their servers.
can sign up anonymously of needed
Protonmail is great but only encrypted end to end (obviously) if the recipient is also using Protonmail.
Plus their interface and app are unfortunately basic beyond belief. That's not really their focus though, in fairness.
Fax?
Tutanota is what you want. You can choose to send encrypted with a password for non-Tutanota users, or non-encrypted, or end to end for other Tutanota users.
Only downside is that you have to use their webapp, so no IMAP, but that guarantees the encryption.
Protonmail is encrypted end to end between protonmail users by default. You can encrypt email going to a domain outside protonmail end to end, it just takes an extra step.
Protonmail has the advantage that encrypted messages disappear after 28 days, no matter who the recipient is.
Protonmail has the advantage that encrypted messages disappear after 28 days, no matter who the recipient is.
How does that work exactly if its going to an external email address?
Re zip files. Change the extension
How does that work exactly if its going to an external email address?
External recipients get a link, not the actual email. You follow the link and enter the password and get the email. So it never actually leaves the protonmail servers.
Also, if you encrypt your protonmail mailbox with the double password option don't lose it because they cannot unencrypt it for you and it'll be lost forever.
Another vote for Protonmail
Protonmail has the advantage that encrypted messages disappear after 28 days
Why is that's an advantage?
Re zip files. Change the extension
.docx should do it 😉