On this page, I've provided links to some free software packages that use OpenPGP for encryption and verification purposes. These are all Open Source projects, and most should be available on multiple platforms, so you don't have to use Windows to be able to protect your privacy!

Contents:
Email Client Plugins
PGP Links
Privacy Related Links

Frequent visitors to this site will know that I try to keep up with the most recent news stories related to privacy on the internet - there are several privacy related links on this page. I've now added a blog where I intend to keep adding these relevant links along with my personal opinions and a fuller write-up about them. If you're interested, I'd encourage you to visit my blog and join in the discussion - comments are always welcome!

Email Client Plugins:
These plugins allow you to use OpenPGP with the mail clients listed below. Others are available, so if you run into problems with one of these, try searching the web for one.  If you find a better plugin than one I have listed here, please contact me and I'll replace the link.

Outlook Express
Outlook
Mozilla Thunderbird

This site has a list of clients that support PGP/MIME, but also has a list of plugins required for different mail clients. If your mail client isn't listed above, check it out.

PGP Links:
The PGP software revolution was started by Phil Zimmermann.  You can read all the "war stories" about criminal proceedings brought against him for distributing PGP in 1991, and you can have a look at the very advanced PGP Commercial Software page and see how far it has come.

Privacy Related Links:
Here are a few links that will help you to understand why email encryption is a good thing in today's Big Brother society.

The UK Government are mulling-over a law that would make it a legal requirement for users of encrypted communications to hand over copies of their private keys!  This is just plain wrong. Read more:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39269746,00.htm

The US Govenment legal team have been in court recently. The FCC is arguing that a new law is required to make it easier for the government to tap IP voice communications. Fortunately, the judge seems to disagree with their reasoning. Read the whole story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12645488/

CNN have reported that the FBI have been requesting phone/internet records of citizens without getting court approval first.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/28/secret.subpoenas.ap/index.html

A recent news.com story reports that the US Government is considering making it compulsory for ISPs to permanently retain emails and web traffic data.  Bye-Bye personal privacy!
http://news.com.com/Congress+may+consider+mandatory+ISP+snooping

Google were recently ordered to hand over all contents of a user's Gmail account (including deleted items) by a judge.  If the comms were encrypted, it would be up to you and not a third party to decide what no-longer exists on your system and what remains.
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/03/17/1548216&from=rss

The FBI reserve the right to intercept your phonecalls apparently... and they're not too happy about VoIP users that have encryption enabled.
http://news.com.com/2061-10804_3-5884130.html?tag=nefd.aon

Apparently the Government is in talks with Microsoft to get them to add a "back door" to their encryption systems in the forthcoming Windows Vista:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4713018.stm

For all UK readers:  Were you aware that the UK Government employs an "Interception of Communications Commisioner"?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4614122.stm

This is a recent one, where an NSA (The American National Security Agency) insider has detailed the extent of communications tapping by the US government. This includes monitoring a blanket number of phonecalls searching for keywords such as "Jihad". Read all about it here:
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1491889

These are some more general links with information on monitoring policies etc:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/14/eu_data_retention_vote/
http://www.betanews.com/article/NSA_Monitoring_Net_Communications/1135406234
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4536018.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4538286.stm

These are a very few - there are thousands more, and I believe more will be coming our way.  Have a read at these, have a search on the web and I think you'll agree that it's time we encrypted every email.  We have nothing to hide, but they have no right.