NEW! Pretty Good Protection for Window 95, NT 4.0, and Macintosh is here! The new PGP version 5.0 integrates with the Exchange 4 client, Outlook 8.0, Eudora Pro, Eudora Lite, and Claris Emailer. The installation of PGP 5.0 is quick and painless. The install program even walks the user through creating his/her own public and private keys. This is truly the best possible way to secure your email and it's really easy to use. Check out Phil's PGP web site to learn a bunch more about privacy and security on the Internet.

Encrypting an E-Mail Message:

Say that you want to send me an encrypted e-mail. You'll need the recipient's public PGP key, in this case mine. You would launch PGPkeys.

1.) From the Keys menu, go to Keyserver and Find New Key.
2.) Type in E-Mail address: rickmercer@hotmail.com.
3.) Now write the message in any program.
4.) Then copy it to the Windows Clipboard (Select the text and while the text is selected press Ctrl and the C keys simultaneously). This is the same as Edit and Copy.
5.) Now from the PGPtray menu, choose Encrypt And Sign Clipboard.
6.) Drag my key down to the recipients list and press OK.
7.) Then type in your passphrase.
8.) Finally, go to your e-mail client and (press Ctrl and P). This is the same as Edit and Paste. Now you should get the encrypted message, ready to send.

Decrypting an E-Mail Message:

Decrypting is even easier.
1.) Copy the encrypted message to the Clipboard (Ctrl and C).
2.) Select Decrypt/Verify Clipboard from PGPtray.
3.) Type in your passphrase.
4.) Then view it with any of the PGPtray viewing options, or simply paste it into another program (Ctrl and P).

Now there is NO excuse not to use E-Mail encryption with your private or encrypted data. Some people might even think the above steps are a little too much also. After you have done this a couple of times you'll realize how silly you were in thinking that.

Pretty Good Privacy or PGP, the brain child of Phil Zimmerman, is the best encryption program available to United States citizens only. You can only obtain a copy by sending sending an email message to M.I.T., and then you will get an automated reply with a time-stamped password which will allow you to download the program within a certain time. If you don't know whether PGP is something for you, please take some timeto read Phil Zimmermann's article on why you should use PGP. Adam Back has written this history of PGP. This is a heated topic on the Internet and with Big Brother. The Government just doesn't want you, the private citizen, to have this kind of encryption. The creator of this software, Phil Zimmerman has been in a constant battle with the Government over the distribution of this software. I cannot recommend or encourage you to use this software, all I can do is give you all the information on the program and let you decide. This page was created to educate you on the security of your email and the available programs out there that you can use to protect it. I will provide some insight, information, legal information, additional software, etc... on the use of PGP.

The best way to learn about PGP is by reading, reading, and do some more reading. I have included some summaries on PGP so that you don't get discouraged on it's use before you give it a fair chance. I have to admit that I almost through my hands up to PGP and I still don't use it for every mail message. If you don't care who is reading your email or if your not sending any vital or personal information--then you don't need PGP. What is considered vital or personal information? Any medical, financial, psychological, business, personal, family information just to name a few of the basics. Just imagine if your insurance company came across or they hired someone to come across some disclosed information about your health and suddenly your insurance rates went through the roof! Do I have your attention now! Does this really happen? PGP wouldn't have been necessary if this type of thing never happened. What if you wanted to send your friend some private information such as unlisted phone number, a safe combination, password, etc..., this is where PGP finds it's place on the Internet.

There are some really easy to use Shells for PGP that make it a snap to use, so don't get discouraged when you first start exploring some of the links that I have provided for you. Start out by creating two accounts on you own computer and practice sending yourself encrypted messages and practice decrypting them. I'll be the first to admit that I am not an expert and I do not want to be one. I occasionally use PGP to send private messages over the Internet through a shell. I am not even close to being an expert and you do not have to become one either.

Phil Zimmermann's excellent documentation for the MIT release covers almost anything you need to know about PGP. Here the principles of public key cryptography are explained in layman's terms, as well as practical use of the PGP program itself. And it's sometimes very entertaining reading, too. The PGP User's Guide is included in ASCII format in all PGP distributions in the files PGPDOC1.TXT and PGPDOC2.TXT. It is also available in HTML format:

Volume I: Essential Topics - must reading for anyone using PGP!

Volume II: Special Topics - reading for the experienced PGP user!