Glossary

Every term on this site, in one sentence. No circular definitions.

Address (AnuuTech address)

A long string of letters and numbers that identifies a key on the network. It is calculated from the public key, so it cannot be claimed by anyone else.

Attachment

A file sent with a message. Attachments are carried unchanged and are not covered by the signature today.

Attestation

The technical name for the signed record published when you send a protected message: who sent it, to whom, the subject, a fingerprint of the body, and the time.

DKIM, SPF, DMARC

Existing e-mail checks that say something about the domain a message came from. Useful, but they say nothing about the person, which is the gap this fills.

Encryption

Locking the body of a message so only the recipient can read it. The subject line and the addresses are not encrypted.

End-to-end

Locked on the sender's device and unlocked on the recipient's, so nothing in between — including the mail provider and the network — can read it.

Fingerprint (hash)

A short code calculated from a piece of text. Change one character and the code changes completely, and the code cannot be turned back into the text.

Gateway

A server that carries mail between the AnuuTech network and ordinary e-mail, and that runs the mailbox check. Only gateways the network has authorised can issue a proof.

Key pair

Two matching numbers: a private key you keep and a public key you publish. What one seals, the other proves.

Mailbox proof

A signed record saying "the holder of this key answered a code sent to this address". It expires after six months. It is what turns Signed into Verified sender.

Node

One of the computers making up the AnuuTech network. Anyone can run one.

Passphrase

Something you choose to lock the settings stored on one computer. Not your identity, and changeable.

Private key

The half of your key pair that never leaves your device. Anything it signs can be checked by anyone; nothing without it can produce a matching signature.

Public key

The half that is published so others can check your signatures and seal mail to you.

Recovery phrase

Twelve words from which all your keys are calculated. It is your identity, it cannot be reset, and it is held only by you.

Signature

A mark only your private key can make, over a specific piece of text, that anyone can check against your public key.

SMTP proxy

The part of the desktop application that sits between your mail program and your provider so everything you send is protected automatically.

Verdict

The single line shown at the top of a message saying what was established about it. See what the banners mean.

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