If you have ever transmitted information online to a company by way of a form or through a secure e-mail you were using PGP. Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is a software program that businesses use to encrypt and de-encrypt personal information being transmitted. The PGP software is installed on the computers of the business which allows only the business to view the information. If the e-mail or form is intercepted by someone outside the business, they will not have the PGP key which will de-encrypt the data.
PGP software was developed in 1991 by Phillip Zimmerman. The software was invented by Zimmerman as a way to store and send data through the Internet. In simple terms here is how PGP encryption works. A visitor to a website goes to a form that will be used to send information. Many times this would be a form going to customer service to solve a problem, and customers will give account information. Since the information being transmitted is many times personal, financial information (i.e. date of birth, social security number, account numbers, etc…) it is vital that this information is protected. The form is completed and encrypted before it is sent creating a digital signature. When the business receives the form, they have de-encryption software which will unlock the digital signature and make the form readable.
A variety of businesses utilize PGP software during the course of operation. Some online uses include merchant sites, customer service sites, live chat services, online financial service transactions and many more uses. One of the ways to tell if the website is using security software, such as PGP, is by looking at the URL of the site. If the address begins with https, then it is a secured connection. In addition, when a site is secured, you will see a locked padlock in either the URL bar or on the bottom of the page. When conducting business, please be certain that these two items exist before submitting personal, financial information. If you have any doubts about whether or not it is secured, please ask.
There are many resources available on Pretty Good Privacy software, and individuals and businesses can acquire the software, either as freeware or by purchase. However, when reviewing the documentation on PGP software, make sure that you download and print all of the needed material. In some cases, you may need to download additional software to create a PDF file in order to distribute the documentation to other users.
PGP Tutorial – this document is a beginner’s guide to using PGP.
Pretty Good Privacy Information – Wikipedia information on PGP.
History of PGP – resourceful Adobe PDF on the history of PGP.
PGP software has been around for nearly twenty years and has undergone several changes and upgrades through the years. It continues to play an important role in the security of our data, today and in the future.
