(Avoid) Implementing STARTTLS STARTTLS seems simple. It consists of a single message to switch to encryption. But as you zoom in, you start to see increasingly intricate issues that keep unfolding. It’s best to avoid it. Sierpiński carpet. Infinite perimeter and zero area. Start with a square, split the square into 9 equal squares, remove the central square, and continue recursively. Yet… someone needs it. You start bargaining: You know that STARTTLS is a real-world attack target.
