Pretty Easy privacy explained

pretty Easy privacy p≡p
Developer:p≡p Foundation (Switzerland), p≡p Security AG (Switzerland), p≡p Security SA (Luxembourg)
Programming Language:ASN.1, C, C#, C++, Objective-C, Java, JavaScript, Python, Swift, SQL, YML2
Genre:Data encryption
License:GNU General Public License

pretty Easy privacy (p≡p or pEp) was a pluggable data encryption and verification system that provided automatic cryptographic key management through a set of libraries for written digital communications.

It existed as a plugin for Microsoft Outlook[1] and Mozilla Thunderbird[2] as well as a mobile app for Android[3] [4] and iOS.[5] p≡p also worked under Microsoft Windows, Unix-like and Mac OS X operating systems. Its cryptographic functionality was handled by an 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.

pretty Easy privacy was first released in 2016. [6] It is a free and open-source software.

p≡p was advertised as being easy to install, use, and understand. p≡p did 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.[7]

Keys are exchanged opportunistically by transferring via email.[8]

Enigmail support

Enigmail announced its support for the new "pretty Easy privacy" (p≡p) encryption in a joint Thunderbird extension to be released in December 2015.[9] Patrick Brunschwig, the head of Enigmail, announced that p≡p core functionality was implemented in Enigmail in October 2016, ready for the Mozilla Festival then taking place in London.[10]

In July 2020, Thunderbird 78 dropped support for the Enigmail Add-On.[11] Thunderbird 78 includes OpenPGP functionality and no longer requires the installation of external software.[12]

ISOC support

The Internet Society Switzerland Chapter (ISOC-CH) and the Swiss p≡p foundation teamed up[13] 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).

Controversy and Closure

In March 2021, reports surfaced that p≡p had paid for fake reviews for their apps.[14]

As of January 2024, the company overseeing p≡p is not operational. Its website no longer functions, and development of the system has ceased.

See Also:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: p≡p for Outlook p≡p Security. 2020-06-10. www.pep.security. en. 2020-06-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20200610182511/https://www.pep.security/en/outlook/index.html. live.
  2. Web site: p≡p for Thunderbird. 2021-05-20. pep.software. en. 2021-05-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20210515015220/https://pep.software/thunderbird/. live.
  3. Web site: p≡p - Apps on Google Play. 2020-06-10. play.google.com. en. 2020-07-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20200715082616/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=security.pEp&hl=en_US. live.
  4. Web site: p≡p for Android p≡p Security. 2020-06-10. www.pep.security. en. 2020-06-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20200610182513/https://www.pep.security/en/android/index.html. live.
  5. Web site: p≡p for iOS p≡p Security. 2020-06-10. www.pep.security. en. 2020-06-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20200610182628/https://www.pep.security/en/ios/index.html. live.
  6. News: Data protection is "pretty easy" with Luxembourg-developed app. 17 May 2018. Luxembourg Times. 6 June 2016. en. 18 April 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180418032105/https://luxtimes.lu/archives/6338-data-protection-is-pretty-easy-with-luxembourg-developed-app. live.
  7. Web site: 18 July 2016 . Privacy by default: White paper . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161001160110/https://pep.foundation/docs/pEp-whitepaper.pdf . 1 October 2016 . 17 May 2018 . p≡p foundation council.
  8. Web site: Walfield . Neal . 20 December 2016 . Op-ed: Why I'm not giving up on PGP . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092800/https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/12/signal-does-not-replace-pgp/ . 18 April 2018 . 17 May 2018 . Ars Technica . en-us . the pretty Easy privacy (p≡p) project are working on opportunistically transferring keys via e-mail.
  9. Web site: 2015-09-07 . Enigmail and p≡p are partnering . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161013192400/http://www.enigmail.net/index.php/en/home/news/29-enigmail-pep . 2016-10-13 . 2016-09-27.
  10. Web site: 2 October 2016 . Patrick Brunschwig on the Thunderbird Planning mailing list about to emerging availability of Enigmail/p≡p. . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161009231705/https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/tb-planning/2016-October/004937.html . 9 October 2016 . 7 October 2016.
  11. Web site: 17 July 2020 . Thunderbird Release Notes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210521144805/https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/78.0/releasenotes/ . 21 May 2021 . 20 May 2021.
  12. Web site: 4 July 2022 . Thunderbird:OpenPGP- Mozilla Wiki . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220625171440/https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:OpenPGP . 25 June 2022 . 4 July 2022.
  13. Web site: Radu . Roxana . 20 March 2018 . A Collaborative Effort for pretty Easy privacy (p≡p) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180418032005/https://www.isoc.ch/archives/3177 . 18 April 2018 . 17 May 2018 . www.isoc.ch . Internet Society Switzerland Chapter.
  14. Web site: A Security App's Fake Reviews Give Us a Window Into 'App Store Optimization'. Vice Motherboard. 19 March 2021. 2021-03-20. en. 2021-03-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20210320000759/https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7vxgd/a-security-apps-fake-reviews-give-us-a-window-into-app-store-optimization. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pretty Easy privacy".

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