| From: | Brad Shantz <bshantz@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: PGP |
| Date: | Wed, 6 Apr 1994 08:45:31 PDT |
PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is a public domain piece of software that uses a
Public Key Cryptography system of encryption/decryption. Basically, You
create a PRIVATE key that only you have. Then, using that private key, create
a public key and let other people that you trust have it.
Now, stay with me, this may get tricky....
You encrypt a message with your private key and send it. The receiver
decrypts it with your public key that you gave to him. The receiver wants to
respond to your mail, so he encrypts his message with your public key and
sends it back to you. The security lies in the fact that the only way his
encrypted message can be decrypted is by using your private key that only you
have.
Signing a message does not encrypt the message, but it does put an
encrypted signature on it using your private key. Now, anyone who has the
public key can decrypt the signature. If it decrypts successfully then it
must be from you. No one can duplicate your private key (theoretically).
That's the basics of PGP and public key cryptography in general. For more
information, I'd recommend getting the PGP FAQs from any of the FTP sites that
have PGP. If you don't have FTP access, send me mail, and I will e-mail the
FAQ's to you.
PGP is as secure as you'll ever need to be.
Brad
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Brad Shantz Internet : bshantz@****.com
SPRY Inc Ph# (206) 447-0300
316 Occidental Avenue S. 2nd Floor FAX (206) 447-9008
Seattle, WA 98104
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