Messaging and data storage security firm PGP Corp. on Monday released a
public beta of PGP 8.0, an upgrade
that adds full compatibility with Windows XP, Office XP and Mac OS X
operation system.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based PGP Corp., which acquired the
PGP line of messaging security products from Network Associates in August, is aiming for a full release of the product in the
middle of December.
The latest iteration of the PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) software includes
improvements to PGP mail, PGP Disk and PGP Admin and full compatibility with
Microsoft’s Windows XP (including SP1) and Office XP.
Also new in PGP 8.0 is full server-side support for the Lotus Notes plug-in
and support for Novell GroupWise 5.5. and 6.0 messaging clients. The
message encryption tool also adds expanded Unicode support, directory
integration with iPlanet Directory Server, Microsoft Active Directory and
Novell NDS.
The Windows version of the popular software also allows PGP Admin to
preconfigure automatic creation of PGP Disk volumes and improved Smart Card
functionality including, support for Aladdin eTokens, the company said.
The company is also beta testing PGP 8.0 for Mac OS X, which features a new
Cocoa-based user interface for Apple’s new “Jaguar”
operating system. The Mac OS-X beta includes full PGP Disk interoperability
with PGP Disks created by all prior PGP Disk products for Mac OS, as well as
with PGP Disks created with PGP Disk for Windows 7.0 and later, the company
said.
The Mac version adds Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) support in PGP Disk,
expanded Unicode support and built-in support for Apple Mail and Microsoft
Entourage X.
PGP said encryption and digital signature features would be accessible
as a Mac OS X service from Cocoa applications and Carbon applications that
support services.
The PGP line of products combines personal firewall, intrusion detection,
VPN client, and encryption technologies into a single software that fully
protects computers against intruders and theft/loss of data.
The PGP
based on the public-key method. It has grown as such an effective
encryption tool that the U.S. government actually brought a lawsuit against
Zimmerman for putting it in the public domain and making it available to
enemies of the U.S.
After a public outcry, the U.S. lawsuit was dropped, but it is still illegal
to use PGP in many other countries.
“Bear in mind that US export restrictions only allow that the following
countries can download PGP 8.0: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA,” PGP Corp. warned on its
download site.
PGP Corp. owns and operates PGPMail, PGPfile, PGPdisk, PGPWireless,
PGPadmin, and PGPkeyserver, in addition to PGPsdk software development kit
and PGP Corporate Desktop.
