PGP for registrars

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is the term for a group of asymmetrical encrypting mechanisms, which are used in combination with various (compatible) programs. Asymmetrical means that there is always a pair of keys – a public and a private key – that are protected by a safe password.

PGP application areas

Basically, there are two fields of use. One is the encoding of messages in order to protect confidential information from unauthorised access. On the other hand, PGP secures the authentication of a document with regard to its integrity and origin.

PGP and the nic.at registrar system

Within the nic.at registrar system, PGP is used to sign and authenticate the registrar applications. This way, nic.at and the registrar can make sure that the applications are transmitted unchanged. The confirmed origin also guarantees that the correct invoice recipient is charged with the domain fees.

PGP programs and installation

There are two different systems – GnuPG (GPG) and PGPfreeware. The latter is lo longer developed, so it is recommended to use GnuPG (GPG), which is freely available on all platforms. Programs, manuals and installation guidelines can be found at www.pgpi.org .

Generating keys

At any time users can generate an unlimited number of keys. Therefore, the allocation of key <-> person (= authenticity) must be guaranteed by other mechanisms, e.g. personal transfer of keys, fingerprint verification via telephone or Web of Trust.

Public keys from nic.at

nic.at uses two PGP keys – one for sending invoice documents and the other one for information from the registry’s technical department to the registrars.