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Buzzword Watch & Glossary

Asymmetric Cryptography: A system of encryption that uses a pair of keys known as a public key and a private key. Messages are encrypted with the public key and can only be decrypted with the private key. Both PGP and S/MIME use this technique.

Certificate Authority (CA): A trusted third party that issues digital certificates and validates public keys. CAs are usually appointed by the government. Users of the S/MIME protocol require a CA.

Decryption: The unscrambling of encrypted messages; the opposite of encryption.

Digital Certificate: A data file containing personal information and a public key which serves to verify a person's identity online. Usually issued by a certificate authority (CA).

Digital Signature: A string of data attached to a message that ensures it has not been changed and that it comes from the purported sender. Ensures non-repudiation and protects against forgery and tampering. A digital signature is created with the sender's private key.

Encryption: The process of scrambling up a message to make it unintelligible to unauthorised readers.

Forgery: In the context of e-mail, this means impersonating a sender.

Non-repudiation: In the context of secure e-mail, this means a person cannot deny having sent a message. Along with encryption and digital signatures, this is one of key features of secure e-mail technologies.

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP): Currently the most widely used e-mail encryption system on the Internet. It was originally developed by Phil Zimmerman in 1991.

Public Key: One of the two keys in a key pair used for Public Key Cryptography. A public key is widely distributed to friends or contacts. It is used to encrypt information and verify digital signatures.

Public Key Cryptography: Refer to Asymmetric Cryptography.

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): A system of digital certificates, certificate authorities and other organisations which verify and authenticate Internet users.

Private Key: One of the two keys in a key pair used for Public Key Cryptography. A private key should only be accessible by its owner. It is used to decrypt information and digitally sign documents.

Secure/MIME (S/MIME): A relatively new protocol for secure e-mail which was developed by a consortium of vendors. This protocol was designed for easy integration into e-mail and messaging products.

Symmetric Cryptography: A system of encryption that uses only one key or password. Examples of these are the encryption systems used by Microsoft Word and Winzip.

Tampering: In the context of e-mail, this means the unauthorised modification of messages.

Web of Trust: The system employed by PGP users to validate the ownership public keys. Function somewhat like a PKI, but without official control.

Sources: Lester Technology Group, PGP Inc, RSA Data Inc

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