POP Peeper v5.5 released
This update has several security updates as well as a lot of fixes and minor updates.
You can download POP Peeper v5.5 here: https://www.esumsoft.com/download/
The Version History is also available on the download page.
Important: Because of the security updates (improved encryption), data saved in this version is not backward-compatible with previous versions. What this means is that once you update to v5.5, you should not restore the program files of an older version (e.g. v5.4.6) without also restoring a backup of the data files.
OpenSSL has been updated to v3.0. v1.1 is no longer being updated. OpenSSL v3.0 was chosen because it will be supported until September 2026, whereas support for v3.1/v3.2 ends in 2025.
Sensitive data is now encrypted using a more powerful and standard algorithm. This includes your login information as well as message data.
Norton 360 users have reported some issues with v5.5; specifically with the ‘Data protector’ module in Norton. Norton may prevent the Installer from installing the program and there may be other issues once running (e.g. reporting problems when saving certain file attachments such as .pdf). It is recommended that you add POP Peeper and the installer to the white list / exclusion list in Norton. A report has been submitted to Norton.
Windows XP — it has been reported that OpenSSL v3 no longer works on Windows XP. v3 is required for POP Peeper v5.5+, so it is recommended that you stay on POP Peeper v5.4.6 if you have Windows XP.
Behind-the-scenes changes
Digital signature — since the last release, Esumsoft has obtained a new provider for the code signing/digital signature. This change took significant effort to replace the old procedure and this change may be why Norton360 is reporting potential issues. ie. Norton may think it’s suspicious that the provider has changed. The good news is that Esumsoft has paid for a 10-year subscription, so if that is the problem, it shouldn’t be a problem again anytime soon. I hope that it also shows my commitment to POP Peeper and all other existing and future Esumsoft products.
Google / CASA Tier 2 security assessment — Google now requires a rigorous security review for apps that access your email and login with Oauth2. This review process is why many apps (not just email) have chosen not to use Oauth2 or are using ways to circumvent it. I am pleased to announce that POP Peeper has recently passed the assessment and is verified. This means that POP Peeper is one of the limited, independent email clients that can continue to use OAuth2 when logging into your Gmail accounts.