Email Encryption: A History of Email Security
Summary
Email encryption history and current state, explaining X.400, MIME, PGP, S/MIME, and modern approaches like DANE and MTA-STS. It argues that in-transit encryption dominates, but end-to-end remains challenging, and highlights security trade-offs for mail systems and SMB deployments. The piece also discusses practical considerations like STARTTLS downgrade risks and the role of PKI and DNS in securing email.