How Gpg4win works

[ 3] How Gpg4win works


The special feature of Gpg4win and its underlying "Public Key" method is that anyone can and should understand it. There is nothing secretive about it - it is not even very difficult to understand.

The use of individual Gpg4win program components is very simple, even though the way it works is actually quite complicated. This section will explain how Gpg4win works - not in all details, but enough to explain the principles behind this software.
Once you are familiar with the principles, you will have considerable trust in the security offered by Gpg4win.

Lord of the keyrings

Anyone wishing to secure something valuable locks it away - with a key. Even better is a key that is unique and is kept in a safe location.

 

If the key should ever fail into the wrong hands, the valuables are no longer secure. Their security stands and falls with the security and uniqueness of the key. Therefore the key must be at least a well protected as the valuables themselves. To ensure that it cannot be copied, he exact characteristics of the key must also be kept secret.

Secret keys are nothing new in cryptography: it has always been that keys were hidden to protect the secrecy of the messages. Making this process very secure is very cumbersome and also prone to errors.

....to be continued