Simple snoop-proof email launched

Ciphire, developed by Ciphire Labs in Munich, Germany, uses a technique called "public key cryptography" to sign and encrypt email messages. Once loaded on to a computer hard drive the software performs all of the complex tasks involved behind the scenes. Ciphire also works with almost any email software client - like Microsoft Outlook, for example - without requiring prior configuration.
"The real benefit is the ease of use," says Laird Brown, chief strategist at Ciphire. "Everything is automated, so it's much like a virus scanner. It just sits quietly in the background."
...Each time a message is sent Ciphire checks with its servers to see if the recipient already has their own public key. If they do, the program uses this to encrypt the message. At the other end of the exchange, the recipient's version of the program should automatically retrieve the sender's public key and perform the necessary decryption.
If the recipient does not have a key pair the program simply "signs" a message - this key allows the recipient to confirm an email's authenticity but does not protect it from eavesdroppers.