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Security Fundamentals & Crypto · Foundational

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)

Encryption program and standard (OpenPGP) for signing and encrypting email and files using a hybrid cryptosystem.

Definition

PGP, created by Phil Zimmermann in 1991, encrypts data with a symmetric session key that is encrypted with the recipient's public key, and signs with the sender's private key. OpenPGP is standardized in RFC 9580. It uses a web of trust rather than CAs.

Example

A security researcher publishes a PGP public key so vulnerability reports can be sent encrypted.

Exam tip

PGP provides confidentiality, integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation for email.

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