Borgmann Aquaponics Hydroponics
How PGP/GPG Works - Simply Explained
PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) protects your emails and files through encryption so only the intended recipient can read them.
The Basic Principle
Key Pair
Everyone has a public key (for encryption) and a private key (for decryption)
↔️
Asymmetric Encryption
Messages are encrypted with the public key and can only be read with the matching private key
✍️
Digital Signatures
Prove the authenticity of the sender and that the message hasn't been altered
How Encryption Works Step by Step
1
Sender obtains public key
The sender gets the recipient's public key (from a website, keyserver, or directly)
2
Encrypt the message
The message is encrypted with the recipient's public key
3
Send encrypted message
The encrypted message is sent (via email, cloud, etc.)
4
Recipient decrypts
Only the recipient can decrypt and read the message with their private key
Visual Representation
Sender
Plaintext
Plaintext
↓
Encrypt with
public key
public key
↓
Encrypted text
Encrypted text
↓
Decrypt with
private key
private key
↓
Recipient
Plaintext
Plaintext
Benefits of PGP/GPG
- Confidentiality - Only the recipient can read
- Authenticity - Sender is verified
- Integrity - Message hasn't been altered
- End-to-End - Encryption on your device
Important Notice
Keep your private key safe and never share it! The public key can be freely distributed.
Add Comment