PGP is free software that provides secure data transfer, especially for email communication. It ensures the protection of sensitive information and data privacy.
What sets PGP apart is that it combines the best aspects of both conventional and public-key cryptography. It functions as a hybrid cryptosystem, which encrypts plaintext in a unique way.
When a user encrypts plaintext with PGP, the software first compresses it. This step has more benefits than merely reducing the file size. Data compression enhances cryptographic security by reducing patterns present in the plaintext that can be exploited by cryptanalysis techniques to crack the cipher, making the ciphertext resistant to such attacks.
After compression, PGP creates a session key that is used as a one-time-only secret key. The session key is generated randomly with the movement of a mouse and the keystrokes, offering strong security. This key is combined with a fast and secure conventional encryption algorithm to encrypt the data, producing ciphertext.
The session key is then encrypted to the recipient's public key, and the public key-encrypted session key and the ciphertext are sent to the intended recipient. With PGP, the data is not only kept hidden from unauthorized parties but also encrypted in a unique way to provide enhanced security.
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