Chrome extension enables email encrypting

A Google Chrome Internet browser extension has been released, which allows encryption of emails on Google’s free webmail service Gmail.

GPG4Browsers extension has been written in JavaScript programming language according to an open source cryptographic standard OpenPGP (Open Pretty Good Privacy). This extension allows encrypting emails in symmetrical and asymmetrical algorithms and reading of almost all email encrypted with algorithms supported by GnuPG encryption program. The only algorithm that is not supported is the IDEA (International Data Encryption Algorithm) algorithm. The experts are a bit skeptical towards this extension because it uses HTML5 (HyperText Markup Language) programming language for temporary storage of users secret keys and JavaScript for encrypting messages. Both of them are most commonly exploited in Internet browser attacks, and most susceptible to vulnerabilities. Also, as user keys have to be saved to browsers memory on each start, this method isn’t very practical, especially for use on public computers. For more information it is possible to visit The Register web site.