Open PGP with e-mail

[FiremanEd]

Linus and crew,

Could you please do a "Techquickie" on the mysteries of OPEN PGP and the whole encryption behind it.  For years, it has baffled me for the correct usage and exactly what it accomplishes for the end to end user.   It's a mystery to me in the e-mail world of things.

The Google machine cannot explain it in a simple method.

 

Thanks!!!!

 

FIremanEd (Ed)

Edited August 4, 2019 by FiremanEd
edited for clarity!

[Koeshi]

You aren't likely to get the attention of actual LMG staff by posting here.

 

To give a very quick and oversimplified explanation, PGP works by using a pair of keys for each person that only work in one direction.  This pair consists of a public and private key unique to each person.  So you will have your public key that you share with other people.  This provides the information required to encrypt a message specifically for you, but not how to decrypt it.  The private key contains the information on how to decrypt it. 

 

So when you receive a message from someone that has used your public key to encrypt it, you will then use the private key to decrypt the message.  Because of this it is very important to never share your private key.

 

In a sort of reverse scenario, there is PGP signing where a different type of key pairing is used to prove that you are the one who wrote a message.  In this instance the private key is used to create the identifying signature while the public key is used to verify it.

 

Please note, this is a very oversimplified version of how PGP works, but it should be enough to give you a general idea of how it works.

[FiremanEd]

Thank you!