Pretty Good Privacy Releases First in Next Generation of Easy-To-Use Encryption Products

San Mateo, Calif., June 16, 1997 -- Pretty Good Privacy, Inc., the world leader in digital privacy and security software, http://www.pgp.com, today released PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0, the first member of the company's next generation of multi-platform, easy-to-use encryption products for individuals and small businesses.

PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0, available today for sale via download from the Pretty Good Privacy website, gives people complete confidence that their email messages and files can be safeguarded by the strongest commercial cryptography available.

PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 is an inexpensive software program, built on a new code base, which makes encrypting and digitally signing email and files as easy as single click of a mouse. Now, for the first time, users can quickly and easily protect legal documents, medical records, insurance files, intellectual property... whether they use the Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 or Macintosh platforms. It is the genesis of a new line of encryption products that feature dramatically enhanced graphical user interface, making encryption more accessible than ever before for novice through expert computer users.

In addition to the unique graphical user interface, there are host of new features (including multiple message cryptography, selective text cryptography and algorithm choice) which turn the once difficult operation of protecting email and documents into a very simple act. The principal functions of PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 can be operated from within the toolbar of five of the world's most popular email programs: Eudora Pro, Eudora Light, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook and Claris Emailer. The millions of users of these email programs can rapidly encrypt and digitally sign their email and documents. Finally, PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 integrates innovative new mechanisms to find and store public keys almost instantaneously on a network of public key servers containing tens of thousands of public keys worldwide.

"Privacy in the information age has been hampered by difficult-to-use software that was built for people who were technologically very savvy," said Phillip Dunkelberger, President of Pretty Good Privacy, Inc. "With PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0, encrypting files and messages or finding someone's public key is now as easy as pushing single button."

PGP for Personal Privacy uses the same strong encryption technology that made PGP the worldwide de facto standard for sending secure messages across private intranets, public extranets and the global Internet. A message encrypted with 128-bit PGP software is 309,485,009,821,341,068,724,781,056 times more difficult to break than a message encrypted using standard 40-bit technology. Following in the tradition started by Phil Zimmermann, creator of PGP and Chief Technology Officer, the code has been made available for peer review, ensuring that PGP has no backdoors and is fundamentally secure.

"Encryption is a critical tool for the Net because it provides people with privacy, which has been lacking," said Charles W. Brandon, one of the early Beta testers, Chairman of The Reality Foundation, and one of the co-founders and former Senior Vice President of Information Systems for Federal Express Corp. "PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 is a graphically rich tool that makes encryption accessible for everyone and solves the privacy issue for individuals today."

PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 is ideal for individuals and small businesses. For example, if John wishes to send financial data to his accountant, he can now confidently encrypt, digitally sign and send his tax information via email without concern that the data may be intercepted while in transit. In a business setting, if Susan, the Purchasing Manager, is working on a bid with Tom, a co-worker in another location, she can encrypt the file with Tom's public key and then place it on a common server on the network with the knowledge that only Tom can read it. PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 makes the once daunting task of encrypting email and files easy to do and manage.

On June 16, 1997, Pretty Good Privacy, Inc. will make trying PGP even easier by offering a free 30-day trial ware version of PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 at http://www.pgp.com.

Public Keys Provide Privacy: In Brief

In public key cryptography, a person creates a key pair: a public key which he/she distributes and a private key which he/she keeps confidential. Each one complements the other, but is useless without the other. For example, if Alice wishes to send a secure message to Bob, she encrypts her message with Bob's public key. Bob retrieves the message and decrypts Alice's message to him with his private key. (Bob alone should be the keeper of his private key). Using his private key, only Bob can decipher those messages which were encrypted using his public key.

Upgrades for Existing Customers.

Existing customers interested in upgrading to PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 should visit the Pretty Good Privacy website at http://www.pgp.com for details.

New Features in PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0

• Key Server Integration: A user can easily and automatically post a public key to a public key server with a single mouse click. By storing one's public key on a server, it is easily obtained by others who wish to communicate with the creator. Likewise, one is easily able to search the key server for other's public keys.
• Multiple Message Cryptography: PGP speeds up information access and dissemination by allowing a user to type in his/her passphrase just once during a timed session, enabling the user to decrypt or sign several messages without having to continually type in the passphrase.
• Selective Text Cryptography: On a PC running Eudora, one can selectively choose text then use the PGP pop up menu to perform any PGP operation. On a Macintosh, the new PGP menu establishes text encryption and digital signatures via the PGP icon in the menu bar. Via PGP menu or PGP tools, the application's main function bar, the user can engage the functions of PGP for Personal Privacy.
• Algorithm choice: As mentioned earlier, PGP for Personal Privacy is now offering a choice of algorithms: DSS/Diffie-Hellman (the El Gamal variation of Diffie-Hellman)and RSA.

Further Documentation is available as follows:

Features and Benefits at http://www.pgp.com/products/pgp50-fab.cgi

Datasheet athttp://www.pgp.com/products/pgp50-datasheet.cgi

Frequently Asked Questions at http://www.pgp.com/products/pgp50-faq.cgi

Systems Requirements:

Windows:

• Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0
• 8 MB RAM, 15 MB free disk space

Macintosh:

• Macintosh System 7.5 or later
• 68020 Processor or later, including PowerPC
• 8 MB RAM, 10 MB free disk space

Plug-in requirements:

• Microsoft Outlook 8.0 for Windows 95 and NT 4.0
• Microsoft Exchange 4.0 for Windows 95 and NT 4.0
• QUALCOMM Eudora Pro or Light 3.0.2 for Windows 95and Windows NT 4.0
• QUALCOMM Eudora Pro or Light 3.0 for Macintosh
• Claris Emailer 2.0 v1 or greater for Macintosh

Availability

PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 is available as of June16, 1997 for download from the Pretty Good Privacy, Inc. website at http://www.pgp.com. Boxed versions will be available on June 30, 1997 from the website or by calling Pretty Good Privacy sales at 888-747-3011.

Pricing

Before August 15, 1997, the price for PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 is:

$39 download from the web

$49 boxed (when available)

After August 15, 1997, the price for PGP for Personal Privacy, Version 5.0 will be:

$49 download from the web

$59 boxed

About Pretty Good Privacy, Inc.

Pretty Good Privacy, www.pgp.com, founded in March 1996, is the leading provider of digital-privacy products for private communications and the secure storage of data for businesses and individuals. Pretty Good Privacy's original encryption software for email applications (PGP) was distributed as freeware in 1991 by Phil Zimmermann, Chief Technical Officer and one of the Founders of Pretty Good Privacy, and allowed individuals, for the first time, to send information without risk of interception. With millions of users, it has since become the world leader in email encryption and the de facto standard for Internet mail encryption. Over one half of the Fortune 100 companies use PGP. In order to provide only the strongest encryption software, Pretty Good Privacy publishes all of its encryption source code and algorithms for extensive peer review and public scrutiny. The company can be reached at415-572-0430; http://www.pgp.com.

SOURCE Pretty Good Privacy, Inc.

/CONTACT: Paul Lanyi, Senior Manager, Public Relations of Pretty Good Privacy, Inc., 415-524-6229, planyi@pgp.com; or David Krane of Niehaus Ryan Group, Inc., 415-827-7081, davidk@nrgrp.com/