USENIX Conference Policies
Lightweight Encryption for Email
Email encryption techniques have been available for more than a decade, yet none has been widely deployed. The problems of key generation, certification, and distribution have not been pragmatically addressed. We recently proposed a method for implementing a Lightweight Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for email authentication using recent developments in identitybased cryptography and today's existing Internet infrastructure.
While this solution works well for email authentication, email encryption exhibits a different threat model that requires special treatment. In this work, we discuss how to achieve email encryption and present a realistic deployment and adoption process, while respecting the current functionality and expectations of email.
author = {Ben Adida and Susan Hohenberger and Ronald L. Rivest},
title = {Lightweight Encryption for Email},
booktitle = {Steps to Reducing Unwanted Traffic on the Internet Workshop (SRUTI 05)},
year = {2005},
address = {Cambridge, MA},
url = {https://www.usenix.org/conference/sruti-05/lightweight-encryption-email},
publisher = {USENIX Association},
month = jul
}