[Kev]

I'm sure that I'm not the only one here who's seen people who should know better email encrypted files with the password in plain text in the email body.

The simplest solution that I've managed to come up with so far is to send the encrypted file and then send the password via a different channel. So you email the encrypted file and then phone the person to tell them the password. Or host the file at a login-required https URL and provide log in details over the phone.

Of course those approaches are only justifiable for information that isn't too sensitive. Once you have to worry about people tapping your phones and intercepting your email then you really need tech savvy recipients. Of course, I'm hoping that someone in this thread will mention a solution that proves me wrong.

[scorpioxy]

Agreed.

The one way that isn't too difficult for people is to encrypt the data and then give out the password over the phone or something similar.(separate medium of communication)

Although I haven't been too strict doing this because even to tech-y people, explaining why email or IM is insecure takes a lot of time and energy.

And also agree that once you have to start worrying about people tapping your phone or intercepting all your communication, then you have bigger problems to worry about than that single document.