|
What is PGP Desktop Home and why is it important?
PGP Desktop Home is a desktop email encryption solution that automatically encrypts email based on policy using open standards. PGP Desktop Home operates as a proxy, removing the need for application- and version-specific plugins, increasing performance, and eliminating potential email application conflicts or incompatibilities. PGP Desktop Home encrypts email as it is received and sent without affecting the end-user email experience, making it easy to use for home and home office users.
What problem does PGP Desktop Home solve?
Email today can contain sensitive bank records, tax return, health care, or other personal and confidential data. PGP Desktop Home allows individual home users to use proven PGP encryption to secure email and IM communications as well as protect their most sensitive files.
How do I know if I need PGP Desktop Home or PGP Desktop Professional?
Those who plan to use PGP Desktop in a home or home office environment connected to a consumer Internet Service Provider (ISP) will probably want PGP Desktop Home. Those who intend to use PGP Desktop in an office environment connected to an enterprise network or in a home office environment with access to an enterprise network via a virtual private network (VPN) will need PGP Desktop Professional. Those who want to use PGP Desktop Email and PGP Whole Disk Encryption will need to purchase PGP Desktop Professional.
Can PGP Desktop Home be managed by PGP Universal Server?
Single-seat licensed copies of PGP Desktop Home cannot be centrally managed by PGP Universal Server. PGP Desktop Email or one of the PGP Desktop Product Packages (such as PGP Desktop Professional) can be centrally managed and deployed by PGP Universal Server.
What are the key benefits of PGP Desktop Home?
PGP Desktop Email provides home users with the following benefits:
- Secure email automatically – Once installed, PGP Desktop Home’s default mail policy applies encryption and digital signatures when possible, automating encryption for home users.
- Protect sensitive files – Bank records, tax return, health care, or other personal and confidential data are all stored on home computers today. With PGP Desktop Home, home users can encrypt and lock down their most sensitive data using PGP Zip and PGP Virtual Disk technology, securing data from malware, identity thiefs, and hackers.
How does PGP Desktop Home work?
PGP Desktop Home operates as a local, desktop mail proxy service, automatically encrypting/decrypting messages according to policy. PGP Desktop Home supports the two global email encryption standards, OpenPGP and S/MIME, automatically discovering keys and certificates.
What is the end-user experience?
For end users, PGP Desktop Home operates in the background, processing email messages based on policy. Users can adapt email encryption policies and change configuration through the PGP Desktop Home application interface. When encryption or digital signature operations are performed, PGP Desktop Home's notifier window alerts users that an encryption operation is being performed and its status.
What's new in PGP Desktop Home 9.8?
New features in PGP Desktop Home include the following:
- Local Key Reconstruction – PGP Desktop Email users can reconstruct a corrupted or deleted encryption key, ensuring they can always access their encrypted data.
- Additional Platform Support – PGP Desktop Email now supports Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows Vista.
What languages (localization) does PGP Desktop Home support?
The PGP Desktop Home user interface is localized in English, German, and Japanese.
Is the source code available for download?
Yes. To validate the integrity of its products, PGP Corporation releases all product source code, including PGP Desktop, for peer review. For more information, see PGP Source Code.
What operating systems are supported?
PGP Desktop Home supports the following operating systems:
- Windows Vista (all 32-bit and 64-bit versions)
- Windows Server 2003 (SP1)
- Windows XP (SP1 or SP2)
- Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 (keyboard required)
- Windows 2000 (SP4)
- Mac OS X 10.4.x and 10.5.x (Universal Binary – Intel & PPC)
What email clients are supported?
PGP Desktop Home has been tested to interoperate with the following email clients:
- Microsoft Outlook 2007 (Outlook 12)
- Microsoft Outlook 2003 SP2
- Microsoft Outlook XP SP3
- Microsoft Outlook 2000 SP3
- Microsoft Windows Mail 6.0.6000.16386
- Microsoft Outlook Express 6
- Microsoft Entourage
- Mozilla 1.7
- Thunderbird 1.0
- Lotus Notes 5.0.11, 6.x, and 7.0.1
- Novell GroupWise 6.5.1 or later
- Apple Mail 3.0, Mail 2.1.1
What encryption algorithms are supported?
PGP Desktop Home supports the following public key and symmetric key encryption algorithms:
Symmetric Key Algorithms
- AES (up to 256-bit keys)
- CAST
- TripleDES
- IDEA
- Twofish
Hashes
- SHA-2 (up to 512-bit hashes)
- SHA-1
- MD5
- RIPEMD-160
Public Key Algorithms
- Diffie-Hellman
- DSA (1024-bit keys only)
- RSA (up to 4096-bit keys)
Does PGP Desktop Home support Windows Terminal Services?
No. PGP Corporation does not officially support the use of PGP Desktop Home 9.8 with Windows Terminal Services.
Does PGP Desktop Home support two-factor authentication?
No. PGP Desktop Home does not support two-factor authentication. Users requiring token-based, two-factor authentication should purchase PGP Desktop Professional.
Does PGP Desktop Home work with my anti-virus software?
Yes. PGP Desktop Home is designed to interoperate with leading desktop anti-virus filters.
Does PGP Desktop Home for Macintosh support new Intel Mac OS X systems?
Yes. PGP Desktop Home is a Universal Binary and supports both Intel and PPC Mac OS X 10.4 systems.
How do I find out if someone to whom I’d like to send an encrypted email has a key to which I can encrypt it?
PGP Desktop Home automatically searches for recipient keys based the recipient's email address. First, it examines any local keyrings in which the recipient’s key might have been previously placed. If no key is found on the sender’s keyring, PGP Desktop Home will then automatically search any PGP Universal Server with which it is associated and/or the PGP Global Directory, if it is configured to do so. If PGP Desktop Home finds a key, it uses it to encrypt and/or sign the message prior to sending it.
How do I know if I can use PGP Desktop Home AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) encryption with someone on my buddy list?
PGP Desktop Home automatically detects if an AIM session can be encrypted. If an intended AIM recipient is using PGP Desktop, his/her name will appear in the AIM buddy list appended with the words “PGP Enabled.” Some AIM applications append the first message in each secured AIM session with the words “Conversation encrypted by PGP Desktop.” Other AIM applications show a small lock icon superimposed on the AIM recipient's user icon. |
 |
 | "For encryption to take off—and for e-mail to stop being about as private as the writing on the back of a postcard—it needs to be everywhere while remaining invisible to users. That’s the goal of PGP Corporation and its new generation of PGP software." – Jason Snell, MacWorld |  |
|
