Anybody here use swisscows email service?

Ron · 2022-03-19 21:04:23

I'm thinking about switching my email. Does anybody here use swisscows? Thoughts on it? Thanks.

hevidevi · 2022-03-20 09:14:34

Will give it a try and report back. The website itself is a bit slow for me, probably due to geolocation.

hevidevi · 2022-03-20 09:35:10

Ok you have to log into swisscows like you would a google account to access the email, it seems similar to a global account handling like google but swisscows, they may ad similar functions as google does but in a privacy way that respects the user, ive not read the privacy policy but its probably well worth taking the time to read it before continuing use.

Ron · 2022-03-20 13:10:04

Thanks for checking it out. You created a new account just to check it out? That is above and beyond the call of duty.

LU344928 · 2022-03-20 14:20:54

I wonder how it compares with Protonmail.

Ron · 2022-03-20 20:17:09

LU344928 wrote:

I wonder how it compares with Protonmail.

That's my biggest wonder as Protonmail is what I currently use.

xinomilo · 2022-03-21 09:59:57

disclaimer, haven't used any of these, just read their features/faq since "can't read user email" drove my curiosity. so, from a fast glimpse,
swisscows seems to use mailvelope addon for browsers for their roundcube webmail (gpg encryption), so both sending/receiving parties need to exchange keys first.. not very user friendly, but they might have good documentation/guides about it, don't know.
good thing, encryption is done on user's machine, not on swisscows, bad thing, it uses javascript opengpg which is not considered very secure by what i've been reading around.
protonmail uses server encryption (inhouse AES or dovecot mail_crypt perhaps? not sure) and also has gpg support, so bad thing they have the encryption keys for the server (if i understand it correctly), good thing -if you trust them- everything is encrypted by default.. they also have these encrypted attachments links which is interesting.. and also encrypted messages expirations.

both based in CH, both use FOSS, both supposedly care about privacy.
communication wise i think they both will be using latest secure ciphers for smtp/imap/pop3, and tbh i think everything else is pretty much the same.
so, i'd say protonmail has a more user friendly encryption scheme (but maybe limited to paying customers only?), while swisscows gives the opportunity to use gpg.. but not out of the box (?).

just 2c.

LU344928 · 2022-03-21 12:06:01

Ron wrote:

LU344928 wrote:
I wonder how it compares with Protonmail.
That's my biggest wonder as Protonmail is what I currently use.

Interesting... why are you thinking about switching? Security concerns? Not enough storage on the basic account?

I say interesting because I also use Protonmail.

LU344928 · 2022-03-21 12:11:12

xinomilo wrote:

disclaimer, haven't used any of these, just read their features/faq since "can't read user email" drove my curiosity. so, from a fast glimpse,
swisscows seems to use mailvelope addon for browsers for their roundcube webmail (gpg encryption), so both sending/receiving parties need to exchange keys first.. not very user friendly, but they might have good documentation/guides about it, don't know.
good thing, encryption is done on user's machine, not on swisscows, bad thing, it uses javascript opengpg which is not considered very secure by what i've been reading around.
protonmail uses server encryption (inhouse AES or dovecot mail_crypt perhaps? not sure) and also has gpg support, so bad thing they have the encryption keys for the server (if i understand it correctly), good thing -if you trust them- everything is encrypted by default.. they also have these encrypted attachments links which is interesting.. and also encrypted messages expirations.
both based in CH, both use FOSS, both supposedly care about privacy.
communication wise i think they both will be using latest secure ciphers for smtp/imap/pop3, and tbh i think everything else is pretty much the same.
so, i'd say protonmail has a more user friendly encryption scheme (but maybe limited to paying customers only?), while swisscows gives the opportunity to use gpg.. but not out of the box (?).
just 2c.

Last July Protonmail underwent and passed an independent security audit so presumably security should not be such a worry.

This security audit was carried out by Securitum, a leading European security auditing company. Securitum currently oversees more than 300 security testing projects every year, including for many top European banks.
https://protonmail.com/blog/security-audit/

xinomilo · 2022-03-21 12:52:42

LU344928 wrote:

Last July Protonmail underwent and passed an independent security audit so presumably security should not be such a worry.

last august : https://arstechnica.com/information-tec … thorities/

LU344928 · 2022-03-22 13:15:10

xinomilo wrote:

LU344928 wrote:
Last July Protonmail underwent and passed an independent security audit so presumably security should not be such a worry.
last august : https://arstechnica.com/information-tec … thorities/

Now you mention it I do recall hearing about that.

Thing is, if Protonmail can be forced to reveal a client's IP then so can Swisscows. But that's not an everyday scenario: an order must be issued by a Swiss court.

For the average user who just wants some measure of privacy then it seems to me it's a better choice than Gmail, Yahoo, etc., which I believe scan all emails as a matter of routine.

If someone is engaged in activities which are bound to attract the authorities' attention, in this case it was an environmental activist, then in addition to encrypted email they really should be using tor browser or a vpn or even both.

hevidevi · 2022-03-22 14:18:00

Ron wrote:

Thanks for checking it out. You created a new account just to check it out? That is above and beyond the call of duty.

I probably wont use it, i just thought i would check it out as i was bored.

Protonmail is a lot better imo.

Bollenschiss · 2023-04-07 14:37:26

I wonder if anyone still wants to know...
I'm doing freelance work for Swisscows and they told me that Protonmail has a master key to unlock any encrypted data. With Swisscows this doesn't exist, so even the meanest of governments could force them at gunpoint to surrender data, and still they wouldn't be able to.

stopAI · 2023-04-07 15:57:47

For free, only 150 messages per day. No, it is not good.

Kelsoo · 2023-04-07 17:33:21

Bollenschiss wrote:

I wonder if anyone still wants to know...
I'm doing freelance work for Swisscows and they told me that Protonmail has a master key to unlock any encrypted data. With Swisscows this doesn't exist, so even the meanest of governments could force them at gunpoint to surrender data, and still they wouldn't be able to.

Proton for Business accounts use end-to-end encryption(new window) to secure emails. This is achieved using a master encryption key called the organization key, which nobody other than the administrators of your organization has access to.
Because even we do not have access to this key, your data remains private, even from us.

https://proton.me/support/organization-key

hitest · 2023-04-19 16:41:19

LU344928 wrote:

I wonder how it compares with Protonmail.

That's what I use. I keep a gmail account and use it for my junk e-mail.

LU344928 · 2023-05-20 07:12:50

Bollenschiss wrote:

I wonder if anyone still wants to know...
I'm doing freelance work for Swisscows and they told me that Protonmail has a master key to unlock any encrypted data...

How did they find out about that?

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 2022-03-19 21:04:23

Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#2 2022-03-20 09:14:34

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#3 2022-03-20 09:35:10

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#4 2022-03-20 13:10:04

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#5 2022-03-20 14:20:54

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#6 2022-03-20 20:17:09

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#7 2022-03-21 09:59:57

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#8 2022-03-21 12:06:01

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#9 2022-03-21 12:11:12

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#10 2022-03-21 12:52:42

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#11 2022-03-22 13:15:10

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#12 2022-03-22 14:18:00

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#13 2023-04-07 14:37:26

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#14 2023-04-07 15:57:47

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#15 2023-04-07 17:33:21

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#16 2023-04-19 16:41:19

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

#17 2023-05-20 07:12:50

Re: Anybody here use swisscows email service?

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