PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is an encryption program that helps keep your data secure. With PGP, the sender uses the recipient’s public key to encrypt files, and the recipient uses their private key to decrypt them, ensuring that only the intended recipient can read the data.
Forma customers can choose to enable PGP encryption for any files sent to us as an added layer of security. Encrypted files can also be armored before being sent. Armoring is only available when encryption has been enabled for a given file.
If you’d like to enable encryption, please contact your Forma team to request our public key.
Encryption Setup
Encryption and armoring are configured per file type:
- Post-tax demographics
- Pre-tax demographics
- Pre-tax elections
- Pre-tax contributions
- Pre-tax demographics/elections
Once encryption is enabled for a file type:
- Any file you send must be properly encrypted (and armored, if applicable).
- Files that are not encrypted/armored correctly per your settings will fail to process.
- Example: If the pre-tax demographics file is set to be encrypted and armored, but you send a file that is encrypted but not armored, it will fail.
- Manual uploads must also follow the same encryption/armoring rules.
- If you need to load an unencrypted file (e.g., for manual testing), you can temporarily disable encryption for that file type, then re-enable it for future files.
Testing Encrypted Files
If encryption is enabled for a file type, when uploading a test file in File Manager, you’ll see a checkbox to test file encryption.
For detailed steps, see Forma Admin: File Manager Guide – Testing Files.
Updating File Settings in Forma Admin
To view or update file settings:
- Log in to your Forma Admin account.
- Go to Settings.
- Click File Configurations in the top menu.
- Next to SFTP Files, click Edit to modify settings for post-tax and pre-tax files.
- Once you’re done, click Save Changes.
⚠️ If you do not click Save Changes, your updates will not be saved. - A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm. Click Save Changes again to finalize.
For more information about Notification Settings, see Managing file notifications in Forma Admin.