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Cracking 4 newbies

PGP

1. What is PGP

PGP is an encryption system developed by Phil Zimmermann and stands for Pretty Good Privacy. It provides very strong encryption varying from 1024 to 4096 (!) bit encryption. It's commonly used to encrypt and sign e-mails.

2. Why should I use PGP?

Nowadays, the government hasn't got that much control over the Internet. But I have a strong feeling that within a period of 10 years (or even less) that will change. Governments have always tried to get as much as control as possible, and so they will on the Internet. The author of PGP even got arrested by the FBI because the US government couldn't control this type of encryption anymore.
Imagine that they government will be able to read ALL your mails you send without you even noticing?! If that are just loveletters (heh), or an e-mail to greet your family....well.....you probably don't care the government can read (however, I should). But should you like they also read correspondence between you, a cracker, and another crackers? Or between hackers?? I don't think so!
PGP solves this security problem....and I recommend you use it. You can compare PGP as the envelop of a letter: it prevents your letter being read by non-authorized persons. Sending e-mail without encryption is like sending a letter without an envelop....do you know anyone who does that?

3. How it works

When you first run PGPkeys (program included in the PGP package) you first have to create a Keypair or Keyring. It consists of a private key and a public key. The public key has to be uploaded to the PGP central server and can be used by everyone on the net. Your private key remains for your eyes only. Okay now let say person A wants to send a PGP encrypted mail to person B:

A searches the public key of B on the central PGP server
A encrypts his message he wants to send to B with the public key of person B
B decrypts the message he received with his private key

Easy isn't it? Now I think you can see the problem. You can't send a PGP-encrypted message to someone who has no public key...in other words who hasn't got the PGP program. That's why I strive for everybody using PGP, just as everybody uses an envelop to send letters!

4. Disadvantage

There is a disadvantage...commonly used by governments to forbid the use of PGP: what if PGP is used by criminal organisations? (like serious hackers, viewers of child porn, terrorists, etc...) There is no possibility to decode their messages, to control them.
But then think: you can use a knife to cut meat with, but you can also use it to kill someone. But is it a reason to forbid knifes? Nah! Everything in the world can be used for malicious acts...that's not different with PGP, but I personally don't think it's a reason to forbid it.

5. About...

You can download PGP freeware on http://www.pgpi.com Documentation on how to use it is included in the package. TIP: do not install the Outlook Express plugin on versions higher then 4! To encrypt mails with Outlook Express 5 or other not supported e-mail managers, use the "Encrypt clipboard" to encrypt your mails.

My public key: