Wednesday 2 December 2015

The Security of PGP Programs

PGP stands for pretty good privacy, and is a kind of encryption and decryption program for computers, which originates from cryptography. The concept behind this technology is taken from Julius Caesar, who used to send encrypted messages to his Generals because he did not trust the messengers. Only the ones who knew the formula to decrypt it could read the message and no one else could.

In current times, this program is available to anyone who wants to use it and it is not that difficult to use either. The user has a private key of their own, which is password protected, and a public key which the other user has, to send the message. PGP is there in phones, like PGP blackberry, and it is there in computer devices as well. Since it is developed from the concept of cryptography, here is some information on it.

·         Cryptography is the science of using mathematics to encrypt and decrypt data. It allows you to accumulate sensitive information or send it across insecure networks like the internet, all the while not letting unwanted people catch hold of such information.

·         PGP works on a cryptographic algorithm which is a mathematical function used in the process of encryption and decryption. These algorithms work hand in hand with a key, like a word or a number, to encrypt the plaintext. And what is interesting is that the same plaintext would come out differently when using different public keys.

So, whether it’s PGP blackberry or any other device, it is a good way of securing your information.

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