OpenPGP
| OpenPGP | |
|---|---|
| Open Specification for Pretty Good Privacy | |
| First published | November 1998 |
| Latest version | RFC 9580 (Packet Version 6) July 2024 |
| Organization | IETF |
| Committee | OpenPGP Working Group |
| Predecessor | RFC 1991 |
| Domain | cryptography, file format |
OpenPGP is an open standard that describes a message (file) format originally used by the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) program, initially developed by Phil Zimmermann in 1991. A number of standard-track Request for Comment documents augment its functionality, one example being PGP/MIME which defines the use of OpenPGP in email via MIME. OpenPGP's encryption can ensure the secure delivery of files and messages, as well as provide verification of who created or sent the message using a process called digital signing.
Using OpenPGP for communication requires participation by both the sender and recipient. OpenPGP can also be used to secure sensitive files when they are stored in vulnerable places like mobile devices or in the cloud.
OpenPGP is on the Internet Standards Track and is under active development. Many e-mail clients provide OpenPGP-compliant email security as described in RFC 3156. The current specification is RFC 9580 (July 2024), the successor to RFC 4880. RFC 9580 specifies a suite of required algorithms consisting of X25519, Ed25519, SHA2-256 and AES-128. In addition to these algorithms, the standard recommends X448, Ed448, SHA2-384, SHA2-512 and AES-256. Beyond these, many other algorithms are supported.