The privacy capabilities of encryption methods such as Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) allow organizations to achieve a hightened amount of data security and protection. There are various approaches and elements of comparison for these encryption methods, however, and each one comes with their own histories, features, and capabilities.
These are: PGP, Open PGP, and GPG.
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PGP
PGP, or Pretty Good Privacy, uses a combinationof encryption methodologies such as hashing, data compression, symmetric-key cryptography, and public-key cryptography to keep data secure. PGP can be used to encrypt text files, emails, data files, directories, and disk partitions.
Where did PGP originate? The company PGP Inc. owned the rights to the original PGP encryption software that was released in 1991. This software was developed by Phil Zimmermann & Associates, LLC as a way to ensure the security of files that were posted on pre-internet bulletin boards. PGPchanged ownership several times between 1997 and 2010 until it was acquired by Symantec Corporation, who continues to develop the PGP brand today.
Open PGP
Open PGPis a standard of PGP encryption that is open-source for public use. The term "Open PGP" can be used to describe any program that supports the Open PGP system.
Zimmerman,anoriginal developer for PGP, began work in the 1990s on an open-source version of PGP encryption that employed encryption algorithmswithout licensing issues. In 1997, he submitted an open-source PGP (Open PGP) standards proposal to the Internet Engineering Task Force to allow PGP standards-compliant encryption vendors to provide solutions that were compatible with other Open PGP-compliant software vendors. This strategy created an open and competitive environment for PGP encryption tools to thrive.
A variety of popular solutions have developed their PGP encryption products following the Open PGP standards. Some of these products includeGoAnywhere Open PGP StudioandGoAnywhere Managed File Transfer.
GPG
GnuPGP, known as GNU Privacy Guard or simply GPG, gives users a GUI forintegrating into email and program systems such asLinux. Some software solutions for encryption utilize GPG coding, while others encrypt using command line functions in a menu-based Perl script.
GPG was developed by Werner Koch and released in 1999 as an alternative to Symantec's software suite of encryption tools. It's available as a free software download and is based on the Open PGP encryption standards established by the IETF. This ensures that PGP is interoperable with Symantec's PGP tools, as well as Open PGP standards, and can open and unencrypt any PGP and Open PGP standards file.
Summary
So, what are the differences between Open PGP, PGP, and GPG?
Open PGP:The IETF-approved standard that describes any encryption technology that uses processes interoperable with PGP.
PGP:A proprietary encryption solution owned by Symantec.
GPG:Another popular solution that follows the Open PGP standard and provides an interface for users to easily encrypt their files.
As the need to encrypt and protect data becomes ever more critical, organizations will continue to develop software based on these three systems.
FAQs
Open PGP: The IETF-approved standard that describes any encryption technology that uses processes interoperable with PGP. PGP: A proprietary encryption solution owned by Symantec. GPG: Another popular solution that follows the Open PGP standard and provides an interface for users to easily encrypt their files.
What is the difference between GPG vs PGP and OpenPGP? ›
PGP and GPG provide secure encryption and authentication, with PGP being proprietary and GPG open-source and free. Following Phil Zimmermann's PGP, GPG emerged as an OpenPGP-compliant free version. Your preference between PGP and GPG depends on your willingness to pay for licensing and support services.
What is the difference between PGP and GPG commands? ›
PGP is more user-friendly and supports a wider range of cryptographic algorithms. GPG is more powerful and supports digital signatures. Public key and a private key. Primary key pair and an additional sub key pair.
Are PGP and GPG interchangeable? ›
The terms PGP, OpenPGP, and GPG are often used interchangeably. While they are similar, and based around each other, they are in-fact different entities altogether.
Is OpenPGP good? ›
Standing the test of time. OpenPGP is the most widely used email encryption standard.
Is PGP still the best? ›
PGP is extremely safe, if used correctly and securely by individuals and organizations' employees. The encryption method uses algorithms that are considered unbreakable and is one of the most secure ways to protect data and cloud systems.
What are the benefits of GPG? ›
Benefits of Using GPG
Data Integrity: Digital signatures ensure that data has not been tampered with during transmission. Authentication: Verifying the identity of the sender helps prevent impersonation and fraud. Open Source: Being open-source, GPG is transparent, allowing for community audits and improvements.
What is GPG command used for? ›
You're not alone. Many users are on the hunt for reliable methods to secure their data. Imagine the 'GPG' command in Linux as a digital lockbox, a tool that can help you encrypt your data and create digital signatures.
Why is PGP still used? ›
The major pro of PGP encryption is that it is essentially unbreakable. That's why it is still used by journalists and activists, and why it is often regarded as the best way of improving cloud security. In short, it is essentially impossible for anyone – be they a hacker or even the NSA – to break PGP encryption.
Is GPG key public or private? ›
GnuPG uses public-key cryptography so that users may communicate securely. In a public-key system, each user has a pair of keys consisting of a private key and a public key. A user's private key is kept secret; it need never be revealed.
Virtru End-to-End Encryption –Better than Pretty Good
Virtru overcomes inherent weaknesses in PGP and S/MIME and represents the next generation of end-to-end encryption. “Virtru offers encryption as secure as PGP but makes it easy enough that our end users, customers and partners can use it regularly.”
Can you decrypt PGP with a public key? ›
Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is a digital data encryption program that uses public and private keys to secure e-mail communications. PGP must be installed on your computer before you can use a public key to encrypt or decrypt data.
Is OpenPGP the same as GPG? ›
In conclusion, OpenPGP is an open standard, while GPG is a specific implementation built on top of that standard.
Who owns OpenPGP? ›
In 2002, NAI discontinued development and sales of PGP, and sold the rights to it to a new company, PGP Corporation. OpenPGP is the open standards version of NAI's PGP encryption protocol.
What algorithm does OpenPGP use? ›
Standards Support for Open PGP Encryption
See RFC2440 and RFC4880 for more details on this standard. The key sizes supported are 512, 1024, 2048 and 4096 bits. The default symmetric algorithm is AES-256, which can be changed by the user. The default hash algorithm is SHA1, which can be changed by the user.
Is PGP obsolete? ›
PGP (short for Pretty Good Privacy) is an encryption security program used to protect messages and files as well as provide digital signatures. It's still widely used in 2023, though certain security analysts believe it's time to choose other options because of several issues.
What replaced PGP? ›
Virtru End-to-End Encryption –Better than Pretty Good
Virtru overcomes inherent weaknesses in PGP and S/MIME and represents the next generation of end-to-end encryption. “Virtru offers encryption as secure as PGP but makes it easy enough that our end users, customers and partners can use it regularly.”
Is PKI the same as PGP? ›
The Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) public key system, created by Phillip Zimmermann, is a widely deployed PKI system that allows for the signing and encryption of files and email. Unlike the X. 509 PKI architecture, the PGP PKI system uses the notion of a “Web of Trust” to bind identities to keys.
What is OpenPGP public key? ›
OpenPGP is a public key system, which means that if you have our public key and we sign a mail message (or a software distribution) using our private key, you can have a reasonable confidence level that the message or distribution really did come from us.
