Introduction

What is PGP?

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) gives your e-mail something that it otherwise doesn't have: privacy. It does this by encrypting your mail so that nobody but the intended person can read it. Additionally, PGP allows others to send encrypted email which only you can read. When encrypted, the message looks like a meaningless jumble of random characters. PGP has proven itself quite capable of resisting even the most sophisticated forms of analysis aimed at reading the encrypted text.

When combined with an online form and SSL (a secure web protocol), PGP allows visitors to your site to send secure credit card transactions or submit confidential information.

Important Note: BU policy requires that all online fundraising at BU be managed by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. If you intend to use your secure form to raise funds, you must contact the Manager of New Media (8-1217) at the Development office so that your proposal can be reviewed by the appropriate staff.

Request space on www.bu.edu

PGP services are available for web sites on the central server, www.bu.edu, which is a secure server. Faculty and staff who do not have a web directory on www.bu.edu can request a site for a research center, academic department, or administrative unit.

Choose a departmental e-mail account

We require that you use a departmental or administrative e-mail address, such as your-department@bu.edu, rather than and individual's e-mail address, such as joe@bu.edu. The decryption of e-mails should not be associated with a personal BU login name, nor with one employee.

Six steps to secure web transactions