PRETTY GOOD PRIVACY
DEFINITION
HOW SECURE PGP IS
PGP stands for "Pretty Good Privacy." PGP is most often used for sending encrypted messages between two people. It works by encrypting a message using a public key that's tied to a specific user; when that user receives the message, they use a private key that's known only to them to decrypt it.
HOW DOES IT WORKS
PGP uses a combination of symmetric key encryption (i.e., a single-use session key encrypts and decrypts the message) and public key encryption (i.e., the keys unique to the recipient encrypt and decrypt the session key).
What applications/software open PGP files?
PGP ENCRYPTION
The first thing PGP does is generate a random session key.
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Next, the session key is encrypted using the recipient’s public key
- Microsoft Notepad, Included with OS
In PGP, when the recipient receives an encrypted message, they decrypt the session key using their private key. The plaintext session key then decrypts the message.
Microsoft WordPad, Included with OS
Therefore, PGP combines the efficiency of symmetric encryption and the convenience of public key encryption.
WHAT IS PGP USED FOR?
It's impossible to say that any particular encryption method is 100 percent secure. That said, PGP is generally regarded as being extremely safe.
The two-key system, digital signatures, and the fact that PGP is open-source and has been heavily vetted by the public all contribute to its reputation as one of the best encryption protocols.
signing, encrypting and decrypting texts, E-mails, files, directories and whole disk partitions to increase the security of e-mail communications