You are right about the slow adoption of digital certificate in most applications. You only mentioned personal (or client) certificates so I will talk a little about that. Remember, there are also device (or server) certificates. These are certs for things like web servers, VPNs (IPSEC), cell phones, handhelds, etc. They are different and (usually) more expensive. Now, most user certs are either cheap or free. I use VeriSign certificates at work and Thawte's (a VeriSign company) free certificates for home use. I didn't have to buy any other software or hardware. There are Linux integrations tools that will use certs for login, email, file encryption, etc. The Microsoft OS and office products use certificates for the same. You can apply for a digital cert and (approx) in 15 minutes be encrypting and signing emails. There are other toolkits to certificate "enable" most applications using common development languages and API kits. I would encourage you to get a free cert and start exploring. Remember, sending an email is like sending a postcard. It can be read, and possibly modified, anywhere along the way.
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You are right about the slow adoption of digital certificate in most applications. You only mentioned personal (or client) certificates so I will talk a little about that. Remember, there are also device (or server) certificates. These are certs for things like web servers, VPNs (IPSEC), cell phones, handhelds, etc. They are different and (usually) more expensive. Now, most user certs are either cheap or free. I use VeriSign certificates at work and Thawte's (a VeriSign company) free certificates for home use. I didn't have to buy any other software or hardware. There are Linux integrations tools that will use certs for login, email, file encryption, etc. The Microsoft OS and office products use certificates for the same. You can apply for a digital cert and (approx) in 15 minutes be encrypting and signing emails. There are other toolkits to certificate "enable" most applications using common development languages and API kits. I would encourage you to get a free cert and start exploring. Remember, sending an email is like sending a postcard. It can be read, and possibly modified, anywhere along the way.
Tony Maupin
Tony@TheMaupins.com