The two tech giants Google and Yahoo have decided to join forces in creating a tool that will increase security for email users by encrypting sent and received messages between users.

According to The Wall Street Journal, PGP encryption will be utilized in creating the tool that would encrypt the data contained in the messages. However, the email addresses and subject lines would not be encrypted. PGP encryption is the preferred method since it has not been cracked yet as it relies on keys stored on the user's devices used for sending emails.

The encryption key stored in computers, tablets, laptops and smartphones would be used instead of those that are found in traditional webmail services that hold the usernames and passwords of their users. Moreover, the new feature would do away with the password-reset function.

PGP encryption, as the companies have said, is so powerful and secure that even the providers of email services would not be able to decrypt the messages themselves. Nonetheless, it would be an optional service that could be switched on and off with a single click. Users would not be forced by the companies to make use of the said encryption.

A more important thing to note here is that hackers and government officials, whom private users have been trying to avoid due to the fear over loss of privacy, would not even be able to peek at the encrypted messages. Since the secrets of the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States have been revealed by Edward Snowden, netizens have become conscious of online privacy, DailyTech reports.

In line with the rising concerns, U.S. President Barack Obama was prompted to meet with global tech leaders including top officers of Google, Facebook and Apple to discuss privacy issues. So it's not surprising that the biggest providers of email services have decided to look into ways of making their features more secure.