The World's Email Encryption Software Relies on One Guy Who is Going Broke [telecom]

by Julia Angwin

Werner Koch's code powers the email encryption programs around the world. If only somebody would pay him for the work.

The man who built the free email encryption software used by whistleblower Edward Snowden, as well as hundreds of thousands of journalists, dissidents and security-minded people around the world, is running out of money to keep his project alive.

Werner Koch wrote the software, known as Gnu Privacy Guard, in 1997, and since then has been almost single-handedly keeping it alive with patches and updates from his home in Erkrath, Germany. Now 53, he is running out of money and patience with being underfunded.

-or-

read more and respond »

Posted 5 years ago by Bill Horne in General Telecommunications Forum

Report misuse