PGP FAQ
What is PGP?
PGP (also called "Pretty Good Privacy") is a computer program that encrypts (scrambles) and decrypts (unscrambles) data.
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How does PGP work?
PGP belongs to "public key cryptography." When you start using PGP, the program generates two "keys" that belong uniquely to you. Think of these keys as computer counterparts of the keys in your pocket. One PGP key is secret and stays in your computer. The other key is public. You give this second key to your correspondents. Mixing his own secret key with your public key, he can create a message for you.
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Is PGP really secure?
Yes and no. Yes, it is secure against most attackers when used on a physically secure system in accordance with its instructions. This includes using a good passphrase to protect your private keys and keeping your passphrase and private keys truly private. You must also never run or allow to be run any rogue software (including viruses, worms, and Trojan horses) that might send your passphrase keystrokes and your PGP key file back to some spy.
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Is PGP legal?
Using and distributing Pretty Good Privacy is legal if you are careful to obey the intellectual property and export rules, as well as any local rules that may apply in the nation you are in.
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Are all versions of PGP mutually compatible?
In general, yes. For example, a document encrypted with PGP on a PC can be decrypted with someone using PGP on a Unix machine. "International" versions of PGP are compatible with the "domestic" (United States) versions.
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Is PGP available for my machine?
There are versions available for Windows as well as for various Unixes and Macintosh systems.
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How difficult is it to learn PGP?
The latest Windows versions allow you to encrypt and decrypt files and e-mail messages with simple a mouse click.
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How can I decrypt messages I've encrypted for sending to others?
With PGP's public key encryption, it's impossible unless you have encrypted them for sending to yourself as well.
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Is PGP free?
Yes. But the free versions of PGP are free only for noncommercial use. If you need to use PGP in commercial purposes (and you live in the United States or Canada), you should buy a copy of PGP from PGP, Inc.
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Where can I get the latest version?
You can get almost any version of PGP you want, for any platform, from the PGP download wizard. http://www.pgpi.com/download/
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Why "pass phrase" is better then "password"?
This is because most people, when asked to choose a password, select some simple common word. This can be cracked by a program that uses a dictionary to try out passwords on a system. Since most people really don't want to select a truly random password, where the letters and digits are mixed in a nonsense pattern, the term "pass phrase" is used to urge people to use at least several unrelated words in sequence as the pass phrase.
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