Question 1

What is PGP?

Accepted Answer

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is an encryption program that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication for data communication. It uses public-key cryptography to secure messages, files, and emails.

Question 2

How does Public-Key Cryptography work?

Accepted Answer

It uses two linked keys: a Public Key (which you share with others so they can encrypt messages sent to you) and a Private Key (which you keep secret and use to decrypt those messages).

Question 3

Are you storing my private keys?

Accepted Answer

No! Our tool runs OpenPGP.js entirely in your browser. Keys are generated, used, and discarded locally. We never see, transmit, or store your private keys or messages.

Question 4

What type of keys does this tool generate?

Accepted Answer

The tool generates ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) keys using the modern ed25519 curve. These keys are smaller, faster to generate, and offer equivalent or better security compared to traditional RSA keys.

Question 5

How do I securely receive a message from someone?

Accepted Answer

First, generate a key pair. Send your 'Public Key' to the other person. They will paste your Public Key into the tool, encrypt their message, and send you the resulting 'PGP MESSAGE' block. Finally, you paste that encrypted block and your 'Private Key' into the tool to decrypt it.

Question 6

What happens if I lose my Private Key?

Accepted Answer

If you lose your private key, any messages encrypted with the corresponding public key are permanently lost and cannot be decrypted by anyone, including you.

Question 7

Can someone derive my Private Key from my Public Key?

Accepted Answer

No. The math behind elliptic curve cryptography ensures it is computationally infeasible to calculate the private key from the public key.

Question 8

Why do I get an 'Invalid Key' error?

Accepted Answer

PGP keys must include the ASCII armor headers (e.g., `-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----`) and footers. Ensure you are copying the entire key block exactly as generated, without altering line breaks.

Question 9

Can I decrypt a message if I only have the Public Key?

Accepted Answer

No. A public key can only encrypt data. Decryption strictly requires the corresponding private key.

Question 10

Is OpenPGP compatible with GPG (GnuPG)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The messages and keys generated by this tool use the OpenPGP standard and are fully compatible with GPG, ProtonMail, and other PGP-compliant software.

PGP Encryption & Decryption

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