I was browsing around trying to stay awake and noticed that Lifehacker has a great article up on how to encrypt your e-mail. It primarily covers Thunderbird with PGP, but has good information regardless of whether you use that application or not.

Just remember, even though encryption is a great way to have secure communications, don’t expect your tinfoil hat to keep you safe if you’re actually engaging in illegal activities, such as planning some kind of terrorist attack. Law enforcement can still subpoena the keys from you in order to decrypt your messages should you be arrested in connection for said activity. Naturally you’d still be able to deny them the keys, but you’d just end up in jail for a long time until you did.

Also remember that the NSA can crack most forms of encryption.