Home  |  About Us  |  Press Room  |  2000  |  THUS's Demon Internet customers can encrypt email with new Turnpike v5.00 and PGP

Press release

Thus plc, one of the UK's leading providers of voice, data, Internet and interactive services, today announces that customers using the ISP services of its Demon brand will be able to use encryption software with its Turnpike email software.

A fully-licenced copy of PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) will be available to customers downloading the free upgrade to Turnpike V5.00 from the Demon download website and on free 30-day trial discs. Thus, through its Demon brand, is also operating a public key server linked to the international network of key exchangers.

Thus is believed to be one of the first ISPs in the world to have "bundled" PGP in this way.

William Allan, Chief Executive of Thus, said:

"It will be increasingly important that users of email on the Internet can be assured of their privacy and security. We can offer this extra reassurance to Demon customers as they communicate and transact over the Internet.

"Demon customers can authenticate their messages with a digital signature and, by using the end to end encryption of PGP, their security will be assured."

What is PGP?

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is a popular program used to encrypt and decrypt e-mail over the Internet using an algorithm to produce a publicly-known encryption key and a private decryption key, known only to the user. It can also be used to send a digital signature that lets the receiver verify the sender's identity and know that the message was not changed en route. PGP is the most widely used privacy-ensuring program by individuals and is also used by many corporations. Developed by Philip R. Zimmermann in 1991, PGP can also be used to encrypt files.