ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pretty Good Privacy

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is a way of making sure your information is kept safe and secure. It does two main things: it scrambles your messages (encrypts them) so that only someone with the right key can read them, and it authenticates you so that the other person knows that you are really the one who sent them.

To do this, PGP first creates two "keys" - one public and one private. Your public key will be shared with anyone who you want to be able to read your messages, and your private key is only for you to keep safe.

When someone sends you a message, they encrypt it with your public key. That means it gets scrambled up so that only someone with the right key (your private key) can read it.

When you reply, you first encrypt your message with your private key, and then they use your public key to verify that it's really from you. That way, they know that it's not a fake or someone trying to pretend to be you.

In short, PGP keeps your messages safe and secure, and makes sure that only the right people can read them.