What is PGP?

What does PGP mean

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is an encryption program that secures emails and files. It is a way to ensure that only you and the people you trust have access to certain information. PGP is open source software, meaning it is free and accessible to everyone. In this blog we go deeper into what PGP means, what it is, and why PGP. If you want to use PGP yourself and create a PGP key, that's relatively easy — take a look, for example, at this site to generate a demo pair. If you actually want to use this, download a desktop client from a reliable (open source) PGP service.

Why is PGP used?

PGP encrypts and decrypts information. The hybrid cryptography system ensures that information is sent securely between two parties. The pretty good privacy encryption program uses a mix of symmetric and asymmetric cryptography to ensure that only authorized people have access to the information.

With PGP you can encrypt files using a password, also known as a ''PGP key''. There are two types of PGP keys linked to each other, a public and a private key. You can send an encrypted file using a so-called public key. Only the person with a private key can then decrypt it. The private key decrypts the encrypted message or file that someone has encrypted with the public key.

PGP is widely used to protect users' privacy. It is a good tool for securing messages. It is also a commonly used tool to prevent companies, governments, or criminals from gaining access to information not intended for them.

Analogy

Imagine you want to send an important and secret letter to a friend. You want to make sure only your friend can read the contents of the letter and that you're certain no one else opens or alters the letter along the way. How would you approach this with real-world techniques that correspond to the principles of PGP?

You could use an envelope and a lock:

You place your letter in a sturdy, opaque envelope to prevent curious eyes from reading the contents. But instead of simply licking the envelope shut, you use a special lock for which only your friend has the key. In the world of PGP, you encrypt your message with the recipient's public key. Just as only the person with the right key can open the lock, only the recipient with the corresponding private key can decrypt and read the message.

Pretty good privacy used by criminals?

Criminals also use Pretty Good Privacy. With PGP, (cyber)criminals encrypt messages they want to share with each other. By encrypting messages with PGP keys, the messages stay out of the hands of law enforcement agencies. In addition, PGP is also used by criminals to send and receive information without others being able to read it. An encrypted file is a kind of jumble of characters and words and cannot be read without the private key.

To use the encryption method, you first need to download a PGP client. You can choose from free and commercial versions of these clients. After that, you need to generate a public and private key. The public key is used to send encrypted files to others, while the private key is used to open the encrypted files. Once your client is configured, you can use the encryption functionality to secure files and emails.

Other forms of communication among criminals

At Tozetta we constantly think like a cybercriminal, to provide value to our partners in the investigations we carry out. Besides PGP, communication among criminals also takes place a lot on Telegram. Crime on Telegram is a growing problem. Creating a Telegram account is many times easier and relatively anonymous.

Want to know more about cybercrime? Read our blog about various cyberattacks or check out the FREE online Cyber Security Handbook, or download the Cyber Security tips below!

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