pretty Easy privacy
pretty Easy privacy (p≡p or pEp) is a pluggable data encryption and verification system, which provides automatic cryptographic key management through a set of libraries (providing p≡p adapters for application developers' used programming languages and development environments) for written digital communications. Its main goal is to turn the default in written digital communications towards end-to-end encryption for all users in the most easy way possible and on all channels they use already today, including e-mails, SMS or other types of messages.
Developer(s) | p≡p Foundation (Switzerland), p≡p Security AG (Switzerland), p≡p Security SA (Luxembourg) |
---|---|
Initial release | July 4, 2016 |
Written in | ASN.1, C, C#, C++, Objective-C, Java, JavaScript, Python, Swift, SQL, YML2 |
Type | Data encryption |
License | GNU General Public License |
Website | www |
It exists as a plugin for Microsoft Outlook[1] and Mozilla Thunderbird and also as a mobile app for Android[2][3] and iOS.[4] p≡p also works under Microsoft Windows, Unix-like and Mac OS X operating systems. Its cryptographic functionality is handled by open source p≡p engine relying on already existing cryptographic implementations in software like GnuPG, a modified version of netpgp (used only in iOS) and (as of p≡p v2.0) GNUnet.
In its default configuration, p≡p does not rely on a web of trust or any form of centralised trust infrastructure, but instead lets users verify each other's authenticity by comparing cryptographic fingerprints in the form of natural language strings, which the p≡p developers have chosen to call "trustwords".
pretty Easy privacy was first released in 2016.[5] All source code of software already released, that is of p≡p engine, adapters, apps and addons (including Microsoft Outlook) are free and open-source software.
Design principles
Above all, p≡p – contrary to existing cryptographic solutions – shall be easy to install, use and understand. Furthermore, for their communications p≡p users do not depend on any specific platform, message transport system (SMS, email, XMPP etc.) or centrally provided client–server or "cloud" infrastructures: p≡p is fully peer-to-peer by design.[6]
Keys are exchanged opportunistically by transferring via email.[7]
Enigmail support
Enigmail has announced its support for the new "pretty Easy privacy" (p≡p) encryption scheme in a joint Thunderbird extension to be released in December 2015.[8] As of June 2016 according to a p≡p FAQ note it will be available in Q3 2016[9] and Patrick Brunschwig, head of Enigmail himself, announced to have p≡p core functionality implemented in Enigmail during October 2016, ready for Mozilla Festival then taking place in London.[10]
ISOC support
Internet Society Switzerland Chapter (ISOC-CH) and the Swiss p≡p foundation teamed up[11] to provide a practical solution, namely to implement privacy-enhancing standards at the basic level of Internet protocols and document them in the work of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the main organization creating voluntary standards to maintain and improve the usability and interoperability of the Internet.
See also
References
- "p≡p for Outlook | p≡p Security". www.pep.security. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "p≡p - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "p≡p for Android | p≡p Security". www.pep.security. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "p≡p for iOS | p≡p Security". www.pep.security. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
- "Data protection is "pretty easy" with Luxembourg-developed app". Luxembourg Times. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- "Privacy by default: White paper" (PDF). p≡p foundation council. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- Walfield, Neal (20 December 2016). "Op-ed: Why I'm not giving up on PGP". Ars Technica. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
the pretty Easy privacy (p≡p) project are working on opportunistically transferring keys via e-mail
- "Enigmail and p≡p are partnering". 2015-09-07.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-07-05. Retrieved 2016-09-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Patrick Brunschwig on the Thunderbird Planning mailing list about to emerging availability of Enigmail/p≡p".
- Radu, Roxana (20 March 2018). "A Collaborative Effort for pretty Easy privacy (p≡p)". www.isoc.ch. Internet Society Switzerland Chapter. Retrieved 17 May 2018.