PGPP

PGPP refers to a public key packaging format associated with the PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) family of cryptographic tools. In many contexts, PGPP denotes the Public Key Package, a legacy container used by some PGP implementations to distribute a public key together with related information such as user IDs and certification signatures. The term is more common in older documentation and in workflows that rely on exporting keys as a single packet-based file with a .pgp extension or similar.

Relation to OpenPGP and modern standards: OpenPGP is the modern, de facto standard for PGP-like cryptography, defined by RFC 4880. It specifies a set of packet types, including Public-Key Packet and related data, that form the basis of OpenPGP keys. The PGPP concept is largely historical and shorthand for a self-contained public key representation in earlier PGP ecosystems. Contemporary tools based on OpenPGP typically use the OpenPGP packet format and keyrings, but may still encounter legacy PGPP-style export blocks in older archives or legacy systems.

Content and structure: A public key in a PGPP-style package generally includes the public key material, version information, creation timestamp, and algorithm identifier, often accompanied by user IDs and certification signatures that attest to key ownership. When used, the packaging aims to allow straightforward distribution of a usable public key for encryption and verification purposes, while private keys remain protected by equivalent best practices.

Usage and security: Public key packages are shared to enable others to encrypt data or verify signatures. Security best practices include obtaining keys from trusted sources, verifying fingerprints, and protecting private keys with strong passphrases. As OpenPGP remains the standard in modern tooling, many users encounter PGPP mainly as a historical or transitional packaging format.

See also: Pretty Good Privacy, OpenPGP, Public-Key Packet, RFC 4880.