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doublep · Aug 8, 2003, 08:21 AM

I currently use Mac.com for my email.

I am looking for a mail provider which would be more secure (ie: which would support SSL).

I would also wish to be able to check and send email from anywhere (ie: not being tied to a particular provider).

Does anyone have some good recommendations?

Thanks.

gatorparrots · Aug 8, 2003, 10:03 AM

It looks like Apple supports both pop3s and imaps:

Code:
gatorparrots% telnet mail.mac.com 993
Trying 17.250.248.64...
Connected to a17-250-248-64.apple.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
* OK Netscape Messaging Multiplexor ready
^]
telnet> mail.mac.com 995
Trying 17.250.248.64...
Connected to a17-250-248-64.apple.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
+OK Netscape Messaging Multiplexor ready
^]
telnet> quit
Connection closed.

cpac · Aug 8, 2003, 11:40 AM

If you're really worried about security, why not just encrypt your emails with PGP or the like?

doublep · Aug 8, 2003, 08:56 PM

Thanks for the replies.

Does Mac.com really support SSL? How do I install its certificates?

Actually, what troubles me about non-SSL emails is sending out my passwords in plain text.

C.J. Moof · Aug 9, 2003, 08:25 AM

Exactly. PGP keeps your message body nice and safe, but the authentication conversation is completely out in the open.

I use SSL exchanges on mac.com- just check the SSL boxes in mail.app. You don't even get bothered about accepting certificates, it just happens. Gotta love it when technology just works, right?

Now if I could only get my ISP to implement SSL.... it bothers me too to send un/pass combos in plaintext.

Angus_D · Aug 9, 2003, 08:48 AM

Not to mention PGP requires extra software at both ends, which isn't always likely.

doublep · Aug 9, 2003, 09:16 AM

Right.

I use Entourage, so I configured my account to use SSL.

When I check my email, though, I get the following message:

"Unable to establish a secure communication to mail.mac.com There is a problem with the security certificate from that server. Use Internet Explorer to install the correct certificate.

If you continue, the information you view and send will not be secure."

Any advice?

gatorparrots · Aug 10, 2003, 01:00 AM

This is an extreme deficiency in Entourage (adding SSL certs via a feature that isn't even present in the current version of Internet Explorer for OS X).

You would have to use a different mail client for SSL support or kludge some workaround (such as using POPfile or some other local proxy and doing local pickup via Entourage):
http://popfile.sourceforge.net/

doublep · Aug 14, 2003, 04:11 AM

I don't know if Entourage is the problem.

I've tested Eudora and I also get error messages when trying to use SSL with my mac.com account.

Has anyone managed to get SSL to work with a mac.com email account?

Thanks.

gatorparrots · Aug 14, 2003, 10:19 AM

Originally posted by doublep:
I don't know if Entourage is the problem.

I've tested Eudora and I also get error messages when trying to use SSL with my mac.com account.

Does Eudora know it is an IMAP account?

doublep · Aug 15, 2003, 02:32 PM

After your comments, I decided to experiment with Apple's Mail program.

With Mail, I seem to be able to access my Mac.com account with SSL.

A network sniffer shows (I think) that my passwords are sent encrypted.

This is nice; Using the same network sniffer shows my passwords in plain text when I use Entourage.

I will probably be switching to Mail. I have to say that I prefer Entourage's look and feel. However, SSL is a really good feature.

Rickster · Aug 15, 2003, 03:09 PM

Entourage and Eudora might be failing because mac.com's certificates are self-signed -- the current version of Apple Mail doesn't verify the signing authority of a certificate (or at least doesn't care when certs are self-signed).

thePurpleGiant · Aug 15, 2003, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by doublep:
I will probably be switching to Mail. I have to say that I prefer Entourage's look and feel.

It grows on you. I used to much prefer the entourage interface, but I'm really happy with Mail now.

doublep · Aug 16, 2003, 09:48 AM

I've continued to experiment with this.

In Internet Explorer's Preferences, I set the Security Preference to Low.

When this is done, I am able to receive Mac.com mail in Entourage with SSL. (The fact that Mac.com's certificate are self signed is probably ignored)

However, I am not able to send a message in this way. The SMTP server tells me that a "personal certificate is required".

How do I get and install a personal certificate?

Cheers,

doublep · Aug 16, 2003, 10:15 AM

I should have thought before posting previously.

Instead of lowering my Internet Explorer settings, I can just place www.mac.com in my Trusted Sites.

This does not solve the sending issue, though.