Summary: Open-Xchange’s encryption tool for email and files now fully supports PGP encryption to enable an easy way for average users to send encrypted emails and share files.
Details: Service providers offering OX Guard to their customers can now switch to the latest version of the security tool. In order to take away the confusion about managing keys, PGP format types and central key repositories, the OX Guard enhancement comes as a one-click- encryption without the need for the user to handle PGP keys at all. Advanced users may also choose the PGP management option to handle all PGP settings. OX Guard will automatically create keys for all users and share them with other users through a standard PGP API. When sending an email to external recipients, OX Guard will set up a guest account to securely connect the two users.
More details: OX Guard was originally developed to provide a security add-on to email and file storage offered through the OX App Suite. Namely a tool that would allow users to encrypt their data with a simple one-click setting. No technical knowledge is required so long as they send and receive emails via the App Suite. However, the encryption part was a proprietary piece of which OX was holding the AES key. In order to also open encrypted mails from systems other than Guard, OX has now implemented a new solution that uses standard PGP encryption.
Other: The first service provider to offer the new OX Guard version is Mailbox.org from Germany. Other large service providers are currently working on implementing this.
Angle: OX Guard was released about a year ago and attempts to bring email security to the larger SMB market. The UI and ease of use is crucial if adoption is to take place and OX looks to have this part down pat. The next step has been to open things up and try and widen reach and enable usage between other systems.
*Disclosure: Open-Xchange is a Structure Research subscriber