SAFELY ENCRYPTING EMAILS WITH PGP

Last week I discussed the shortcomings of web surfing anonymizers. Although they have some use, they are useless against anyone who is targeting you in particular.

Another concern of my readers concern emails. Emails pass through numerous way stations on the way from the sending to your mailbox. Also from your email application to someone else’s inbox.

One method that can keep emails and instant messages private is strong encryption. The most popular application is PGP. PGP is a tongue in cheek term for Pretty Good Privacy. PGP actually offers strong encryption.

PGP is a commercial application based on mathematical work from two professors at Tel-Aviv University and a Jewish-American professor in the United States. They named their method RSA, after their last names

Most of you have heard of the basis of their method, called a public key -private key system. Some of you know it’s based on prime numbers. Even with the fastest computers in the world today, it would take longer than the universe is old to break the code.

Here’s a short description of PGP.

PGP is a security software application that provides users with
comprehensive email, file, folder, and disk volume security and
integrity. PGP includes encryption, digital signing, and key
management utilities that provide privacy, integrity,
non-repudiation, and authenticity of information. PGP is based on a
widely accepted encryption technology known as public key
cryptography in which two complementary keypairs used to
maintain secure communications.

Some application crackers claim they break application registration protection that includes PGP and another strong method called Blowfish, used by the defense department.

I checked this with Dr. Steve Wiesner, a well known innovator in quantum cryptology. He told me it’s only bragging. The day is years off before PGP can be broken with true quantum computing.

Now down to business.

Open your browser to http://www.pgp.com .

It may be a bit small for you to read, but if you want technical information on how PGP works, you can find it in the help file.

You probably aren’t looking for an Enterprise or Government solution, so click Personal.

This is the version you want to buy. It’s the least expensive – $59.00 with a perpetual license, and has all the features you’ll want. It’ll generate the public and private keys for you, encrypt and decrypt email, and allow you to encrypt files and folders. The help file is extensive.

There are no trial versions. There are free versions, but they don’t allow you to encrypt files and folders.

If you want a complete list of its features, click the second rounded rectangle on the left.

After you download the installation program, double click it. After the installation you’ll be asked to reboot your computer. The program won’t take effect until you do.

After you reboot, you’ll get the following screen: (a word of caution. I bought version 8.02. I haven’t upgraded yet because I’m lazy. So your screen may look slightly different. You’ll be buying version 8.1.)

If you’re an expert, you won’t need this column. Click next.

Here you choose a passphrase and confirm it. I’m obviously not going to give you any indication of what I typed. I suggest you make it long enough so the Passphrase Quality is nearly full. Make sure you write down the passphrase on a piece of paper. Then hide the paper in a good place, in case you forget it. You can also put it on a CD-ROM, and hide that as well.

I’d also suggest you run Spy Sweeper before you install PGP, in case it discovers a key-logger. Unlikely but possible.

Click next. You’ll be informed your keys have been generated. Click again. You’ll be told you’re finished.

From there you have open the program, access the help file, and in language teased over by professionals for months on end and changed many times after confusion by users, learn to use every feature.

Dennis Turner