Philip Zimmermann

Interview

• "Privacy: "Pretty Good", the revolutionary software" (Rome 26/03/1999)

Biography

Philip Zimmermann received his bachelor's degree in computer science from Florida Atlantic University in 1978. He is the creator of Pretty Good Privacy, the most widely used email encryption software in the world. When PGP spread all around the world following its 1991 publication as freeware the US government held that export restrictions for cryptographic software were violated and he became the target of a three-year criminal investigation,. After the government dropped its case in early 1996, Zimmermann founded PGP Inc, which was acquired by Network Associates in December 1997.

Before founding PGP Inc, Zimmermann was a software engineer with more than 20 years of experience, specializing in cryptography and data security, data communications, and real-time embedded systems.

Zimmermann is now a Senior Fellow at Network Associates, as well as an independent consultant on cryptographic problems.

He has received numerous technical and humanitarian awards for his pioneering work in cryptography. In 1998 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Secure Computing Magazine, and in 1996 the Norbert Wiener Award from Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility for promoting the responsible use of technology. He also received the 1995 Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design, the 1995 Pioneer Award from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the 1996 PC Week IT Excellence Award, and the 1996 Network Computing Well-Connected Award for "Best Security Product." PGP was selected by Information Week as one of the Top 10 Most Important Products of 1994. Time Magazine also named Zimmermann one of the "Net 50," the 50 most influential people on the Internet in 1995.