Decrypt messages permanently

[barry]

Many people like me use encryption to submit messages confidentially, not to protect them once they are downloaded.

So it would be great if one had the option that messages, when decrypted for the first time, are then stored decrypted in the mail folders, so that they are accessible without enigmail after that.

The "save decrypted message" menu entry is inappropriate for this since it saves messages to external files only.

Originally requested here by Moritz Balz

[shane]

Decrypting something permanently is potentially bad security practice. For you or I it's fine, because we know that the messages can now be compromised locally, but for novice users there could be a grey area. They might not understand that permanent decryption really means the message is exposed. There is also the issue of what happens if (when) a virus can steal the messages from Mozilla/Thunderbird and send them onward.

[blah]

Hi,

Decrypting something permanently is potentially bad security practice. For you or I it's fine, because we know that the messages can now be compromised locally, but for novice users there could be a grey area. They might not understand that permanent decryption really means the message is exposed.

When someone gets into encrypting messages he/she will need to have at least some basic knowledge what's going on. Pointing out this situation in a user manual and deactivating this feature in the default installation should be enough IMO.

There is also the issue of what happens if (when) a virus can steal the messages from Mozilla/Thunderbird and send them onward.

If someone has a problem with this, then he/she should not use this feature.

The messages gets displayes unencrypted somewhere, and from that point the information can get read if malware wants that.

[blah]

Hi,

Many people like me use encryption to submit messages confidentially, not to protect them once they are downloaded.

So it would be great if one had the option that messages, when decrypted for the first time, are then stored decrypted in the mail folders, so that they are accessible without enigmail after that.

I'd like to have that feature, too. Messages and other content can also get encrypted on the hard drive, so for me there is no use in encrypting it twice. Also, it's easier to handle my e-mails if they are stored unencrypted in my folders.

The lack of this feature is a reason why I can't use Enigmail at the moment.

According to http://enigmail.mozdev.org/roadmap.html the feature should be in Enigmail 1.1, so let's hope this will be in there soon.

[Adam]

I'm not entirely sure if this is a good idea based on the aim of encryption. This would be especially problematic in a corporate based environment where computers were shared and previously encrypted email would be available for virtually anyone to read.

However, I do think this would be an excellent idea if it was properly integrated with a "folder encryption" process. In this case, a user would enter a passphrase to unlock their mail folders, and then from within, they would be able to search encrypted mail in plain text etc (this is treading on other feature requests, I know) whilst still being secure.

On it's own, I don't think it's a good idea, but implemented along side other new features, it could potentially be a massive improvement to Enigmail.

[blah]

Hi,

I'm not entirely sure if this is a good idea based on the aim of encryption. This would be especially problematic in a corporate based environment where computers were shared and previously encrypted email would be available for virtually anyone to read.

It should be an optional feature anyway, so the user could still decide whether he/she wants to decrypt the messages permanently or not.

I can't see a reason against it if users can still have the old way if they wish.

[garywaterbury]

I would like to store on an A: disk all my secret keys and passwords, so, when I first turn on my computer, I insert the A: disk to start things. I want to read my mail, just by clicking on it, encrypted or not, and using my A: disk to make it plain, if need be. And, leaving it always encrypted. Then, when I turn my computer off, I take my A: drive disk, and all messages orginally encrypted, stay that way. And, no-one can use my computer without the needed A: drive disk.

[garywaterbury]

I started in with a blank A: disk and copied a set of gpg keys to A: drive. I did that for about 4 programs. Then I started in with Enigmail in Thunderbird. I looked for any box specifying where enigmail gets it's keys from. but I couldn't find one. Anyway, I moved the keys to A: drive in other GPG programs. So, I got to Enigmail and it just plain stopped when I ran the program. And...there were no keys in the key management. I was sure my computer was going to say loud and clear 'Gary hid the keys. It's his fault.' Anyway, I had to shut down the program, it wasn't going any further. So the other GPG programs worked good from A: but Enigmail stumped me when I had to tell it where I put the keys. I did watch my A: drive work like the devil, coming on and off. So I think I need a ramdrive to put the keys on, so it won't grind and grind.

[shane]

The main thing is to tell your GnuPG installation where the keys are. Then Enigmail will be able to see the keys.

You can make a little batchfile. Here is a four line program:

REM = Set HOMEDIR for GnuPG =
REM Next line sets the key directory to A:\GPGKEY
set GNUPGHOME=A:\GPGKEY
END

You could type the above in NOTEPAD, and save as something like SETHOME.BAT. Whenever you want to run GnuPG just execute this batchfile beforehand, and the computer will know where to look for your keys. In my example, the computer will look in the directory GPGKEY on the A: drive.

[neufeind]

I'd like to have that feature, too. Messages and other content can also get encrypted on the hard drive, so for me there is no use in encrypting it twice. Also, it's easier to handle my e-mails if they are stored unencrypted in my folders.

The lack of this feature is a reason why I can't use Enigmail at the moment.

According to http://enigmail.mozdev.org/roadmap.html the feature should be in Enigmail 1.1, so let's hope this will be in there soon.

Same for me. I currently use GPG (and Enigmail) just where absolutely necessary and don't promote GPG-use to friends/customers at the moment, since I am not able to keep unencrypted and searchable copies of messages even when stored in local folder (or on a local IMAP-server). It occurs that people either encrypt a message that only really needs encryption during transport on the Internet or they might even encrypt all messages to your contact, even if they don't contain anything "private".

I agree with the above comments that to novice users this feature might be something they can do "harmful things" with. But if that is what hinders implementation, then I am for making it an expert-mode-feature or similar. It would be so great to be able to decrypt messages permanently, when you know what you are doing - either on local disk or on a local IMAP-server.

[gvancott]

This is an old thread, but I would like to add my vote. I receive orders which are encrypted and when they have been decrypted I want to save them in that state. It enables me to print them in batches and search them.

I used an older version of Eudora with PGP for more than 6 years and it had this feature.

Gary

[blah]

This is an old thread, but I would like to add my vote.

This is _really_ an old thread :-)

I can't find the roadmap on the new website, so I'd like to push this thread again and ask if there are any plans to implement this feature.

[Martin]

As the lack of this feature holds me back from using Enigmail, I also support its implementation.

Or is there any workaround which enables me to send encrypted mail over the internet - which is what would be important for me - without the storage of the mail in encrypted form?

[petri]

I found this feature in the roadmap:

http://enigmail.mozdev.org/roadmap.html

However, this roadmap was last updated in August 2005...

I also strongly vote for implementing this feature, as it holds myself and many of my colleagues back from using encryption on a regular basis!

As others pointed out already, permanent encryption should be made optional, so that the novice user is on the safe side. Only those who know what they are doing will then enable this feature (probably with a big fat warning next to the checkmark... )

I (and many others!) would really appreciate if someone of the great enigmail team took care of this!

Thank you,

Martin

[rjh]

While I agree that this feature would be nice, it is unlikely to be done due to the way Enigmail interacts with Thunderbird. The division of duties between the two is pretty simple: we let Thunderbird take care of everything involving how the mail is accessed, and Enigmail takes care of how encrypted emails are presented.

What people are asking for here is "blow away the old copy of my email on the IMAP server and replace it with a new email containing the decrypted information of the old email." This involves a lot of email access issues: access, deleting, uploading, etc. This is stuff Thunderbird does, and stuff Enigmail very explicitly does not do.

POP access is little different. "Blow away the old copy of my email in the mbox file and replace it with a new email containing the decrypted information of the old email." The same issues arise.

While I agree that it would be nice if Enigmail did this, supporting this would likely introduce vast amounts of complexity to the Enigmail code. However, if Thunderbird could export an API we could use which would allow us to easily manipulate mail data, then we could support it pretty easily.

I guess the ultimate answer is "if you want this feature, you need to ask Thunderbird, not us." Sorry.