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5<title>Email Self-Defense - a guide to fighting surveillance with GnuPG
6encryption</title>
7<meta name="keywords" content="GnuPG, GPG, openpgp, surveillance, privacy,
77aea16c 8email, security, GnuPG2, encryption" />
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9<meta name="description" content="Email surveillance violates our fundamental
10rights and makes free speech risky. This guide will teach you email
11self-defense in 40 minutes with GnuPG." />
12<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
14c5f099 13<link rel="stylesheet" href="../static/css/main.css" />
19bce4d7 14<link rel="shortcut icon"
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e59c77da 19<!--<div style="text-align: center; padding: 2.5px; background-color: #a94442; color:#fcf8e3;"><p>Due to Enigmail's PGP functionality being migrated into Icedove and Thunderbird, steps 2 and 3 of the guide are currently out of date.</p><p> Thank you for your patience while we're working on a new round of updates.</p></div>-->
0e203e6f 20
f12cd56f 21<!-- PLACE FUNDRAISER MODAL WINDOW HERE -->
aa082aba 22
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23<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ GnuPG Header and introduction text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
24<header class="row" id="header"><div>
116f80c3 25
e59c77da 26
19bce4d7 27<h1>Email Self-Defense</h1>
116f80c3 28
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29<!-- Language list for browsers that do not have JS enabled -->
30<ul id="languages" class="os">
de17dfbe 31<li><a class="current" href="/en">English - v5.0</a></li>
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47<li><strong><a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Translation_Guide">
48Translate!</a></strong></li>
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49</ul>
50
51<ul id="menu" class="os">
37d0bc33 52<li class="spacer"><a href="index.html" class="current">Set up guide</a></li>
53<!--<li><a href="mac.html">Mac OS</a></li>-->
54<!--<li><a href="windows.html">Windows</a></li>-->
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55<li class="spacer"><a href="workshops.html">Teach your friends</a></li>
56<li class="spacer"><a
770452f9 57href="https://fsf.org/share?u=https://u.fsf.org/zb&amp;t=Email%20encryption%20for%20everyone%20via%20%40fsf">
f211d856 58Share&nbsp;
14c5f099 59<img src="../static/img/gnu-social.png" class="share-logo"
19bce4d7 60alt="[GNU Social]" />&nbsp;
14c5f099 61<img src="../static/img/mastodon.png" class="share-logo"
d06ce723 62alt="[Mastodon]" />&nbsp;
14c5f099 63<img src="../static/img/reddit-alien.png" class="share-logo"
19bce4d7 64alt="[Reddit]" />&nbsp;
14c5f099 65<img src="../static/img/hacker-news.png" class="share-logo"
f211d856 66alt="[Hacker News]" /></a></li>
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67</ul>
68
69<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FSF Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
70<div id="fsf-intro">
71
6003a573 72<h3><a href="https://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
19bce4d7 73alt="Free Software Foundation"
14c5f099 74src="../static/img/fsf-logo.png" />
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75</a></h3>
76
77<div class="fsf-emphasis">
78
79<p>We fight for computer users' rights, and promote the development of free (as
80in freedom) software. Resisting bulk surveillance is very important to us.</p>
81
82<p><strong>Please donate to support Email Self-Defense. We need to keep
83improving it, and making more materials, for the benefit of people around
84the world taking the first step towards protecting their privacy.</strong></p>
85
86</div>
87
88<p><a
0dacb163 89href="https://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=14&amp;mtm_campaign=email_self_defense&amp;mtm_kwd=guide_donate"><img
19bce4d7 90alt="Donate"
14c5f099 91src="../static/img/en/donate.png" /></a></p>
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92
93</div><!-- End #fsf-intro -->
94
95<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Guide Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
96<div class="intro">
97
98<p><a id="infographic" href="infographic.html"><img
14c5f099 99src="../static/img/en/infographic-button.png"
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100alt="View &amp; share our infographic &rarr;" /></a>
101Bulk surveillance violates our fundamental rights and makes free speech
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102risky. This guide will teach you a basic surveillance self-defense skill: email
103encryption. Once you've finished, you'll be able to send and receive emails
104that are scrambled to make sure a surveillance agent or thief intercepting
105your email can't read them. All you need is a computer with an Internet
106connection, an email account, and about forty minutes.</p>
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107
108<p>Even if you have nothing to hide, using encryption helps protect the privacy
109of people you communicate with, and makes life difficult for bulk surveillance
110systems. If you do have something important to hide, you're in good company;
111these are the same tools that whistleblowers use to protect their identities
80b64e11 112while shining light on human rights abuses, corruption, and other crimes.</p>
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113
114<p>In addition to using encryption, standing up
115to surveillance requires fighting politically for a <a
e59c77da 116href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">reduction
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117in the amount of data collected on us</a>, but the essential first step is
118to protect yourself and make surveillance of your communication as difficult
119as possible. This guide helps you do that. It is designed for beginners, but
120if you already know the basics of GnuPG or are an experienced free software
121user, you'll enjoy the advanced tips and the <a href="workshops.html">guide
122to teaching your friends</a>.</p>
123
124</div><!-- End .intro -->
125</div></header><!-- End #header -->
126
127<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 1: Get the pieces ~~~~~~~~~ -->
128<section class="row" id="section1"><div>
129
130<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
131<div class="section-intro">
132
133<h2><em>#1</em> Get the pieces</h2>
134
135<p class="notes">This guide relies on software which is <a
136href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">freely licensed</a>;
137it's completely transparent and anyone can copy it or make their
138own version. This makes it safer from surveillance than proprietary
80b64e11 139software (like Windows or macOS). Learn more about free software at <a
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140href="https://u.fsf.org/ys">fsf.org</a>.</p>
141
c174e65c 142<p>Most GNU/Linux operating systems come with GnuPG installed on them, so if you're running one of these systems, you don't have to download it. If you're running macOS or Windows, steps to download GnuPG are below. Before configuring your encryption setup with this guide, though, you'll need a desktop email program installed on your computer. Many GNU/Linux distributions have one installed already, such as Icedove, which may be under the alternate name "Thunderbird." Programs like these are another way to access the same email accounts you can access in a browser (like Gmail), but provide extra features.</p>
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144</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
145
146<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
147<div id="step-1a" class="step">
148<div class="sidebar">
149
69e314de 150<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 151src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step1a-install-wizard.png"
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152alt="Step 1.A: Install Wizard" /></p>
153
154</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
155<div class="main">
156
157<h3><em>Step 1.a</em> Set up your email program with your email account</h3>
158
159<p>Open your email program and follow the wizard (step-by-step walkthrough)
37d0bc33 160that sets it up with your email account. This usually starts from "Account Settings" &rarr; "Add Mail Account". You should get the email server settings from your systems administrator or the help section of your email account.</p>
77aea16c 161
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162
163<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
164<div class="troubleshooting">
165
166<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
167
168<dl>
169<dt>The wizard doesn't launch</dt>
170<dd>You can launch the wizard yourself, but the menu option for doing so is
171named differently in each email program. The button to launch it will be in
172the program's main menu, under "New" or something similar, titled something
173like "Add account" or "New/Existing email account."</dd>
174
175<dt>The wizard can't find my account or isn't downloading my mail</dt>
176<dd>Before searching the Web, we recommend you start by asking other people
177who use your email system, to figure out the correct settings.</dd>
178
b7f7b4a2 179<dt>I can't find the menu</dt>
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180<dd>In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image of
181three stacked horizontal bars.</dd>
182
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183<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
184<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
185href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
186page</a>.</dd>
187</dl>
188
189</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
190</div><!-- End .main -->
191</div><!-- End #step1-a .step -->
192
193<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
194<div id="step-1b" class="step">
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195<div class="main">
196
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197<h3><em>Step 1.b</em> Install GnuPG</h3>
198
199<p>If you are using a GNU/Linux machine, you should already have GnuPG installed, and you can skip to <a href="#section2">Section 2</a>.</p>
19bce4d7 200
63fe86d5 201<p>If you are using a macOS or Windows machine, however, you need to first install the GnuPG program. Select your operating system below and follow the instructions. For the rest of this guide, the steps are the same for all operating systems. </p>
19bce4d7 202
37d0bc33 203<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ MACOS ~~~~~~~~~ -->
204<div class="troubleshooting">
19bce4d7 205
77aea16c 206<h4>macOS</h4>
64af8734 207
37d0bc33 208<dl>
209<dt>Use a third-party package manager to install GnuPG</dt>
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210<dd>
211<p>The default macOS package manager makes it difficult to install GnuPG and other pieces of free software (like Emacs, GIMP, or Inkscape). To make things easier, we recommend setting up the third-party package manager "Homebrew" to install GnuPG. For this, we will use a program called "Terminal," which is pre-installed on macOS.</p>
212
213<p># Copy the first command on the home page of <a href="https://brew.sh/">Homebrew</a> by clicking on the clipboard icon, and paste it in Terminal. Click "Enter" and wait for the installation to finalize.</p>
214<p># Then install GnuPG by entering the following code in Terminal:<br/>
215<code>brew install gnupg gnupg2</code></p>
216</dd>
37d0bc33 217</dl>
218
219</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
220
221<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ WINDOWS ~~~~~~~~~ -->
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222<div class="troubleshooting">
223
37d0bc33 224<h4>Windows</h4>
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225
226<dl>
37d0bc33 227<dt>Get GnuPG by downloading GPG4Win</dt>
b4a6695d 228<dd><p><a href="https://www.gpg4win.org/">GPG4Win</a> is an email and file encryption software package that includes GnuPG. Download and install the latest version, choosing default options whenever asked. After it's installed, you can close any windows that it creates.</p>
37d0bc33 229</dd>
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230</dl>
231
232</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
233</div><!-- End .main -->
37d0bc33 234</div><!-- End #step1-b .step -->
235
80b64e11 236<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
237<div id="terminology" class="step">
238<div class="main">
239
a4eb3926 240<h3>GnuPG, OpenPGP, what?</h3>
80b64e11 241
242<p>In general, the terms GnuPG, GPG, GNU Privacy Guard, OpenPGP and PGP
243are used interchangeably. Technically, OpenPGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the
244encryption standard, and GNU Privacy Guard (often shortened to GPG or GnuPG)
245is the program that implements the standard. Most email programs provide an interface for GnuPG. There is also a newer version of GnuPG, called GnuPG2.</p>
246
247</div><!-- End .main -->
248</div><!-- End #terminology.step-->
249
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250</div></section><!-- End #section1 -->
251
252<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 2: Make your keys ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 253<section id="section2" class="row"><div>
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254
255<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
256<div class="section-intro">
257
258<h2><em>#2</em> Make your keys</h2>
69e314de 259<p class="float medium"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-01-make-keypair.png" alt="A robot with a head shaped like a key holding a private and a public key"/></p>
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260
261<p>To use the GnuPG system, you'll need a public key and a private key (known
262together as a keypair). Each is a long string of randomly generated numbers
263and letters that are unique to you. Your public and private keys are linked
264together by a special mathematical function.</p>
265
266<p>Your public key isn't like a physical key, because it's stored in the open
267in an online directory called a keyserver. People download it and use it,
268along with GnuPG, to encrypt emails they send to you. You can think of the
269keyserver as a phonebook; people who want to send you encrypted email can
270look up your public key.</p>
271
272<p>Your private key is more like a physical key, because you keep it to
273yourself (on your computer). You use GnuPG and your private key together to
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274descramble encrypted emails other people send to you. <strong>You should never share your private key with anyone, under any
275circumstances.</strong></p>
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276
277<p>In addition to encryption and decryption, you can also use these keys to
278sign messages and check the authenticity of other people's signatures. We'll
279discuss this more in the next section.</p>
280
281</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
282
283<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
284<div id="step-2a" class="step">
285<div class="sidebar">
69e314de 286<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 287src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-02-make-keypair.png"
35f08087 288alt="Step 2.A: Make your Keypair" /></p>
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289
290<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 291src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-03-make-keypair.png"
7b83f7f9 292alt="Step 2.A: Set your passphrase" /></p>
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293
294</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
295<div class="main">
296
297<h3><em>Step 2.a</em> Make a keypair</h3>
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298
299<h4>Make your keypair</h4>
19bce4d7 300
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301<p>We will use the command line in a terminal to create a keypair using the
302GnuPG program.</p>
19bce4d7 303
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304<p class="notes">Whether on GNU/Linux, macOS or Windows, you can launch your
305terminal ("Terminal" in macOS, "PowerShell" in Windows) from the Applications
306menu (some GNU/Linux systems respond to the <kbd>Ctrl + Alt + T</kbd>
307shortcut).</p>
308
309<p># Enter <code>gpg --full-generate-key</code> to start the process.</p>
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310<p># To answer what kind of key you would like to create, select the default option: <samp>1&nbsp;RSA&nbsp;and&nbsp;RSA</samp>.</p>
311<p># Enter the following keysize: <code>4096</code> for a strong key.</p>
63fe86d5 312<p># Choose the expiration date; we suggest <code>2y</code> (2 years).</p>
e59c77da 313<p>Follow the prompts to continue setting up with your personal details.</p>
19bce4d7 314
77aea16c 315<h4>Set your passphrase</h4>
7b83f7f9 316<p>On the screen titled "Passphrase," pick a strong password! You can
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317do it manually, or you can use the Diceware method. Doing it manually
318is faster but not as secure. Using Diceware takes longer and requires
4d10d72d 319dice, but creates a password that is much harder for attackers to figure
19bce4d7 320out. To use it, read the section "Make a secure passphrase with Diceware" in <a
f211d856 321href="https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/">
7b83f7f9 322this article</a> by Micah Lee.</p>
323
19bce4d7 324
7b83f7f9 325<p>If you'd like to pick a passphrase manually, come up with something
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326you can remember which is at least twelve characters long, and includes
327at least one lower case and upper case letter and at least one number or
328punctuation symbol. Never pick a password you've used elsewhere. Don't use
329any recognizable patterns, such as birthdays, telephone numbers, pets' names,
330song lyrics, quotes from books, and so on.</p>
331
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332<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
333<div class="troubleshooting">
334
335<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
19bce4d7 336<dl>
e59c77da 337<dt>GnuPG is not installed</dt>
7b83f7f9 338<dd>
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339You can check if this is the case with the command <code>gpg --version</code>&#65279;.
340If GnuPG is not installed, it will bring up the following result on most GNU/Linux operating systems, or something like it:
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341<samp>Command 'gpg' not found, but can be installed with:
342 sudo apt install gnupg</samp>. Follow that command and install the program.</dd>
7b83f7f9 343
344<dt>I took too long to create my passphrase</dt>
b7f7b4a2 345<dd>That's okay. It's important to think about your passphrase. When you're ready, just follow the steps from the beginning again to create your key.</dd>
19bce4d7 346
b7f7b4a2 347<dt>How can I see my key?</dt>
7b83f7f9 348<dd>
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349Use the following command to see all keys: <code>gpg --list-keys</code>&#65279;. Yours should be listed in there, and later, so will Edward's (<a href="#section3">Section 3</a>).<br />
350If you want to see only your key, you can use <code>gpg --list-key [your@email]</code>&#65279;.<br />
77aea16c 351You can also use <code>gpg --list-secret-key</code> to see your own private key.</dd>
19bce4d7 352
19bce4d7 353<dt>More resources</dt>
7b83f7f9 354<dd>For more information about this process, you can also refer to <a
355href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/c14.html#AEN25">The GNU Privacy
356Handbook</a>. Make sure you stick with "RSA and RSA" (the default),
357because it's newer and more secure than the algorithms the documentation
63fe86d5 358recommends. Also make sure your key is at least 4096&nbsp;bits if you
80b64e11 359want to be secure.</dd>
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360
361<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
362<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
363href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
364page</a>.</dd>
365</dl>
366
367</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
368
369<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
370<div class="troubleshooting">
371
372<h4>Advanced</h4>
19bce4d7 373<dl>
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374<dt>Advanced key pairs</dt>
375<dd>When GnuPG creates a new keypair, it compartmentalizes
376the encryption function from the signing function through <a
377href="https://wiki.debian.org/Subkeys">subkeys</a>. If you use
7b83f7f9 378subkeys carefully, you can keep your GnuPG identity more
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379secure and recover from a compromised key much more quickly. <a
380href="https://alexcabal.com/creating-the-perfect-gpg-keypair/">Alex Cabal</a>
6003a573 381and <a href="https://keyring.debian.org/creating-key.html">the Debian wiki</a>
19bce4d7 382provide good guides for setting up a secure subkey configuration.</dd>
64f8f564 383</dl>
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384
385</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
386</div><!-- End .main -->
387</div><!-- End #step-2a .step -->
388
389<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
390<div id="step-2b" class="step">
7b83f7f9 391<div class="sidebar">
69e314de 392<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 393src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2b-04-upload-and-certificate.png"
80b64e11 394alt="Step 2.B: Send to server and generate a certificate" /></p>
19bce4d7 395
7b83f7f9 396</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
397<div class="main">
19bce4d7 398
7b83f7f9 399<h3><em>Step 2.b</em> Some important steps following creation</h3>
19bce4d7 400
77aea16c 401<h4>Upload your key to a keyserver</h4>
7b83f7f9 402<p>We will upload your key to a keyserver, so if someone wants to send you an encrypted message, they can download your public key from the Internet. There are multiple keyservers
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403that you can select from the menu when you upload, but they are all copies
404of each other, so it doesn't matter which one you use. However, it sometimes
405takes a few hours for them to match each other when a new key is uploaded.</p>
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406<p># Copy your keyID: <code>gpg --list-key [your@email]</code> will list your public ("pub") key information, including your keyID, which is a unique list of numbers and letters. Copy this keyID, so you can use it in the following command.</p>
407<p># Upload your key to a server:
408<code>gpg --send-key [keyID]</code></p>
7b83f7f9 409
77aea16c 410<h4>Export your key to a file</h4>
4f41943f 411<p>Use the following command to export your secret key so you can import it into your email client at the next <a href="#section3">step</a>. To avoid getting your key compromised, store this in a safe place, and make sure that if it is transferred, it is done so in a trusted way. Exporting your keys can be done with the following commands:</p>
77aea16c 412<p><code>
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413$ gpg --export-secret-keys -a [keyID] > my_secret_key.asc<br/>
414$ gpg --export -a [keyID] > my_public_key.asc
77aea16c 415</code></p>
7b83f7f9 416
77aea16c 417<h4>Generate a revocation certificate</h4>
63fe86d5 418<p>Just in case you lose your key, or it gets compromised, you want to generate a certificate and choose to save it in a safe place on your computer for now (please refer to <a href="#step-6c">Step 6.C</a> for how to best store your revocation cerficate safely). This step is essential for your email self-defense, as you'll learn more about in <a href="#section5">Section 5</a>.</p>
b7f7b4a2 419
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420<p># Copy your keyID: <code>gpg --list-key [your@email]</code> will list your public ("pub") key information, including your keyID, which is a unique list of numbers and letters. Copy this keyID, so you can use it in the following command.</p>
421<p># Generate a revocation certificate: <code>gpg --gen-revoke --output revoke.asc [keyID]</code></p>
422<p># It will prompt you to give a reason for revocation, we recommend to use <samp>1&nbsp;=&nbsp;key has been compromised</samp>.</p>
63fe86d5 423<p># You don't have to fill in a reason, but you can; then press "Enter" for an empty line, and confirm your selection.</p>
80b64e11 424
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425
426<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
427<div class="troubleshooting">
428
429<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
430
431<dl>
b7f7b4a2 432<dt>My key doesn't seem to be working or I get a "permission denied."</dt>
e4fa2e82 433<dd><p>Like every other file or folder, gpg keys are subject to permissions. If these are not set correctly, your system may not be accepting your keys. You can follow the next steps to check, and update to the right permissions.</p>
19bce4d7 434
77aea16c 435<p># Check your permissions: <code>ls -l ~/.gnupg/*</code></p>
e4fa2e82 436<p># Set permissions to read, write, execute for only yourself, no others. These are the recommended permissions for your folder. <br/>
77aea16c 437You can use the code: <code>chmod 700 ~/.gnupg</code></p>
e4fa2e82 438<p># Set permissions to read and write for yourself only, no others. These are the recommended permissions for the keys inside your folder. <br/>
77aea16c 439You can use the code: <code>chmod 600 ~/.gnupg/*</code></p>
19bce4d7 440
e4fa2e82 441<p class="notes">If you have (for any reason) created your own folders inside ~/.gnupg, you must also additionally apply execute permissions to that folder. Folders require execution privileges to be opened. For more information on permissions, you can check out <a href="https://helpdeskgeek.com/linux-tips/understanding-linux-permissions-chmod-usage/">this detailed information guide</a>.</p>
7b83f7f9 442</dd>
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443<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
444<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
445href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
446page</a>.</dd>
447</dl>
448
449</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
450
451<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
452<div class="troubleshooting">
453
454<h4>Advanced</h4>
455
456<dl>
7b83f7f9 457<dt>More about keyservers</dt>
458<dd>You can find some more keyserver information<a
803e8e2e 459href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x457.html"> in this manual</a>. <a
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460href="https://sks-keyservers.net/overview-of-pools.php">The sks Web site</a>
461maintains a list of highly interconnected keyservers. You can also <a
462href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x56.html#AEN64">directly export
463your key</a> as a file on your computer.</dd>
7b83f7f9 464
465<dt>Transferring your keys</dt>
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466<dd>
467<p>Use the following commands to transfer your keys. To avoid getting your key compromised, store it in a safe place, and make sure that if it is transferred, it is done so in a trusted way. Importing and exporting a key can be done with the following commands:</p>
7b83f7f9 468
77aea16c 469<p><code>
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470$ gpg --export-secret-keys -a [keyID] > my_private_key.asc<br />
471$ gpg --export -a [keyID] > my_public_key.asc<br />
472$ gpg --import my_private_key.asc<br />
e4fa2e82 473$ gpg --import my_public_key.asc
77aea16c 474</code></p>
7b83f7f9 475
35f08087 476<p>Ensure that the keyID printed is the correct one, and if so, then go ahead and add ultimate trust for it:</p>
e4fa2e82 477
77aea16c 478<p><code>
35f08087 479$ gpg --edit-key [your@email]
77aea16c 480</code></p>
7b83f7f9 481
dbfeba09 482<p>Because this is your key, you should choose <code>ultimate</code>&#65279;. You shouldn't trust anyone else's key ultimately.</p>
80b64e11 483
63fe86d5 484<p class="notes"> Refer to <a href="#step-2b">Troubleshooting in Step 2.B</a> for more information on permissions. When transferring keys, your permissions may get mixed, and errors may be prompted. These are easily avoided when your folders and files have the right permissions</p>
7b83f7f9 485</dd>
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486</dl>
487
488</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
489</div><!-- End .main -->
490</div><!-- End #step-2b .step -->
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491</div></section><!-- End #section2 -->
492
7b83f7f9 493<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 3: Set up email encryption ~~~~~~~~~ -->
494<section id="section3" class="row"><div>
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495
496<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
497<div class="section-intro">
498
7b83f7f9 499<h2><em>#3</em> Set up email encryption</h2>
64f8f564 500<p class="notes">The Icedove (or Thunderbird) email program has PGP functionality integrated, which makes it pretty easy to work with. We'll take you through the steps of integrating and using your key in these email clients.</p>
7b83f7f9 501
502</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
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503
504<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 505<div id="step-3a" class="step">
506<div class="sidebar">
507
69e314de 508<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-open-key-manager.png"
fedfd572 509alt="Step 3.A: Email Menu" /></p>
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510
511<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-import-from-file.png"
7b83f7f9 512alt="Step 3.A: Import From File" /></p>
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513
514<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-success.png"
7b83f7f9 515alt="Step 3.A: Success" /></p>
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516
517<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-troubleshoot.png"
40833450 518alt="Step 3.A: Troubleshoot" /></p>
7b83f7f9 519</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
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520<div class="main">
521
7b83f7f9 522<h3><em>Step 3.a</em> Set up your email with encryption</h3>
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523
524<p>Once you have set up your email with encryption, you can start contributing to encrypted traffic on the Internet. First we'll get your email client to import your secret key, and we will also learn how to get other people's public keys from servers so you can send and receive encrypted email.</p>
19bce4d7 525
fb4dff9b 526<p># Open your email client and use "Tools" &rarr; <i>OpenPGP Key Manager</i></p>
77aea16c 527<p># Under "File" &rarr; <i>Import Secret Key(s) From File</i></p>
63fe86d5 528<p># Select the file you saved under the name [my_secret_key.asc] in <a href="#step-2b">Step 2.B</a> when you exported your key</p>
7b83f7f9 529<p># Unlock with your passphrase</p>
530<p># You will receive a "OpenPGP keys successfully imported" window to confirm success</p>
fb4dff9b 531<p># Go to "Account settings" &rarr; "End-To-End Encryption," and make sure your key is imported and select <i>Treat this key as a Personal Key</i>.</p>
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532
533</div><!-- End .main -->
19bce4d7 534
7b83f7f9 535<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 536<div class="main">
537<div class="troubleshooting">
538<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
539<dl>
540<dt>I'm not sure the import worked correctly</dt>
541<dd>
fb4dff9b 542Look for "Account settings" &rarr; "End-To-End Encryption." Here you can see if your personal key associated with this email is found. If it is not, you can try again via the <i>Add key</i> option. Make sure you have the correct, active, secret key file.
7b83f7f9 543</dd>
544
545<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
546<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
547href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
548page</a>.</dd>
549</dl>
550
551</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
552</div><!-- End .main -->
553</div><!-- End #step3-a .step -->
554</div></section><!-- End #section3 -->
555
556<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 4: Try it out ~~~~~~~~~ -->
557<section class="row" id="section4"><div>
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558
559<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
560<div class="section-intro">
561
7b83f7f9 562<h2><em>#4</em> Try it out!</h2>
69e314de 563<p class="float small"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section3-try-it-out.png" alt="Illustration of a person in a house with a cat connected to a server"/></p>
a4eb3926 564<p>Now you'll try a test correspondence with an FSF computer program named Edward,
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565who knows how to use encryption. Except where noted, these are the same
566steps you'd follow when corresponding with a real, live person.</p>
567
568<!-- <p>NOTE: Edward is currently having some technical difficulties, so he
569may take a long time to respond, or not respond at all. We're sorry about
570this and we're working hard to fix it. Your key will still work even without
571testing with Edward.</p> -->
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572
573<div style="clear: both"></div>
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574</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
575
576<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 577<div id="step-4a" class="step">
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578<div class="sidebar">
579
69e314de 580<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 581src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4a-send-key-to-Edward.png"
7b83f7f9 582alt="Step 4.A Send key to Edward." /></p>
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583
584</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
585<div class="main">
586
7b83f7f9 587<h3><em>Step 4.a</em> Send Edward your public key</h3>
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588
589<p>This is a special step that you won't have to do when corresponding
7b83f7f9 590with real people. In your email program's menu, go to "Tools" &rarr; "OpenPGP Key
a4eb3926 591Manager." You should see your key in the list that pops up. Right click
77aea16c 592on your key and select <i>Send Public Keys by Email</i>. This will create a new draft message, as if you had just hit the "Write" button, but in the attachment you will find your public keyfile.</p>
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593
594<p>Address the message to <a
595href="mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org</a>. Put at least one word
596(whatever you want) in the subject and body of the email. Don't send yet.</p>
597
77aea16c 598<p>We want Edward to be able to open the email with your keyfile, so we want this first special message to be unencrypted. Make sure encryption is turned off by using the dropdown menu "Security" and select <i>Do Not Encrypt</i>. Once encryption is off, hit Send.</p>
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599
600<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
601respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
b7f7b4a2 602href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide. Once you have received a response,
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603head to the next step. From here on, you'll be doing just the same thing as
604when corresponding with a real person.</p>
605
7b83f7f9 606<p>When you open Edward's reply, GnuPG may prompt you for your passphrase
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607before using your private key to decrypt it.</p>
608
609</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 610</div><!-- End #step-4a .step -->
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611
612<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 613<div id="step-4b" class="step">
614<div class="sidebar">
19bce4d7 615
69e314de 616<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 617src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4b-option1-verify-key.png"
7b83f7f9 618alt="Step 4.B Option 1. Verify key" /></p>
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619
620<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 621src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4b-option2-import-key.png"
7b83f7f9 622alt="Step 4.B Option 2. Import key" /></p>
623</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
19bce4d7 624
7b83f7f9 625<div class="main">
19bce4d7 626
7b83f7f9 627<h3><em>Step 4.b</em> Send a test encrypted email</h3>
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628
629<h4>Get Edward's key</h4>
630
80b64e11 631<p>To encrypt an email to Edward, you need its public key, so now you'll have
7b83f7f9 632to download it from a keyserver. You can do this in two different ways:</p>
fb4dff9b 633<p><strong>Option 1.</strong> In the email answer you received from Edward as a response to your first email, Edward's public key was included. On the right of the email, just above the writing area, you will find an "OpenPGP" button that has a lock and a little wheel next to it. Click that, and select <i>Discover</i> next to the text: "This message was signed with a key that you don't yet have." A popup with Edward's key details will follow.</p>
19bce4d7 634
fb4dff9b 635<p><strong>Option 2.</strong> Open your OpenPGP Key manager, and under "Keyserver" choose <i>Discover Keys Online</i>. Here, fill in Edward's email address, and import Edward's key.</p>
19bce4d7 636
77aea16c 637<p>The option <i>Accepted (unverified)</i> will add this key to your key manager, and now it can be used to send encrypted emails and to verify digital signatures from Edward.</p>
19bce4d7 638
b7f7b4a2 639<p class="notes">In the popup window confirming if you want to import Edward's key, you'll see many different emails that are all associated with its key. This is correct; you can safely import the key.</p>
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640
641<p class="notes">Since you encrypted this email with Edward's public key,
642Edward's private key is required to decrypt it. Edward is the only one with
80b64e11 643its private key, so no one except Edward can decrypt it.</p>
19bce4d7 644
77aea16c 645<h4>Send Edward an encrypted email</h4>
7b83f7f9 646
a4eb3926 647<p> Write a new email in your email program, addressed to <a
7b83f7f9 648href="mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org</a>. Make the subject
649"Encryption test" or something similar and write something in the body.</p>
650
77aea16c 651<p>This time, make sure encryption is turned on by using the dropdown menu "Security" and select <i>Require Encryption</i>. Once encryption is on, hit Send.</p>
7b83f7f9 652
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653
654<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
655<div class="troubleshooting">
656
657<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
658
659<dl>
7b83f7f9 660<dt>"Recipients not valid, not trusted or not found"</dt>
77aea16c 661<dd>You could get the above error message, or something along these lines: "Unable to send this message with end-to-end encryption, because there are problems with the keys of the following recipients: ..." In these cases, you may be trying to send an encrypted email to someone when you do not have their public key yet. Make sure you follow the steps above to import the key to your key manager. Open OpenPGP Key Manager to make sure the recipient is listed there.</dd>
7b83f7f9 662
663<dt>Unable to send message</dt>
77aea16c 664<dd>You could get the following message when trying to send your encrypted email: "Unable to send this message with end-to-end encryption, because there are problems with the keys of the following recipients: edward-en@fsf.org." This usually means you imported the key with the "unaccepted (unverified) option." Go to the "key properties" of this key by right clicking on the key in the OpenPGP Key Manager, and select the option <i>Yes, but I have not verified that this is the correct key</i> in the "Acceptance" option at the bottom of this window. Resend the email.</dd>
7b83f7f9 665
666<dt>I can't find Edward's key</dt>
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667<dd>Close the pop-ups that have appeared since you clicked Send. Make sure
668you are connected to the Internet and try again. If that doesn't work, repeat
669the process, choosing a different keyserver when it asks you to pick one.</dd>
670
671<dt>Unscrambled messages in the Sent folder</dt>
672<dd>Even though you can't decrypt messages encrypted to someone else's key,
673your email program will automatically save a copy encrypted to your public key,
674which you'll be able to view from the Sent folder like a normal email. This
675is normal, and it doesn't mean that your email was not sent encrypted.</dd>
676
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677<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
678<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
679href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
680page</a>.</dd>
681</dl>
682
683</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
684
685<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
686<div class="troubleshooting">
687
688<h4>Advanced</h4>
689
690<dl>
691<dt>Encrypt messages from the command line</dt>
692<dd>You can also encrypt and decrypt messages and files from the <a
693href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x110.html">command line</a>,
694if that's your preference. The option --armor makes the encrypted output
695appear in the regular character set.</dd>
696</dl>
697
698</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
699</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 700</div><!-- End #step-4b .step -->
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701
702<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
703<div id="step-headers_unencrypted" class="step">
704<div class="main">
705
706<h3><em>Important:</em> Security tips</h3>
19e80165 707
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708<p>Even if you encrypt your email, the subject line is not encrypted, so
709don't put private information there. The sending and receiving addresses
710aren't encrypted either, so a surveillance system can still figure out who
711you're communicating with. Also, surveillance agents will know that you're
712using GnuPG, even if they can't figure out what you're saying. When you
7b83f7f9 713send attachments, you can choose to encrypt them or not,
19bce4d7 714independent of the actual email.</p>
bdf319c4 715
e72398d7
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716<p>For greater security against potential attacks, you can turn off
717HTML. Instead, you can render the message body as plain text. In order
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718to do this in Icedove or Thunderbird, go to "View" &rarr; "Message Body As" &rarr; <i>Plain
719Text</i>.</p>
e72398d7 720
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721</div><!-- End .main -->
722</div><!-- End #step-headers_unencrypted .step-->
d85363e7 723
19bce4d7 724<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 725<div id="step-4c" class="step">
726<div class="sidebar">
727
69e314de 728<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 729src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4c-Edward-response.png"
7b83f7f9 730alt="Step 4.C Edward's response" /></p>
731
732</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
733
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734<div class="main">
735
7b83f7f9 736<h3><em>Step 4.c</em> Receive a response</h3>
19bce4d7 737
80b64e11 738<p>When Edward receives your email, it will use its private key to decrypt
f54f2134 739it, then reply to you. </p>
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740
741<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
742respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
7b83f7f9 743href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide.</p>
744
169c7097 745<p>Edward will send you an encrypted email back saying your email was received and decrypted. Your email client will automatically decrypt Edward's message.</p>
7b83f7f9 746
f2545138 747<p class="notes">The OpenPGP button in the email will show a little green checkmark over the lock symbol to show the message is encrypted, and a little orange warning sign which means that you have accepted the key, but not verified it. When you have not yet accepted the key, you will see a little question mark there. Clicking the prompts in this button will lead you to key properties as well.</p>
19bce4d7 748
19bce4d7 749</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 750</div><!-- End #step-4c .step -->
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751
752<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 753<div id="step-4d" class="step">
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754<div class="main">
755
80b64e11 756<h3><em>Step 4.d</em> Send a signed test email</h3>
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757
758<p>GnuPG includes a way for you to sign messages and files, verifying that
759they came from you and that they weren't tampered with along the way. These
760signatures are stronger than their pen-and-paper cousins -- they're impossible
761to forge, because they're impossible to create without your private key
762(another reason to keep your private key safe).</p>
763
764<p>You can sign messages to anyone, so it's a great way to make people
765aware that you use GnuPG and that they can communicate with you securely. If
766they don't have GnuPG, they will be able to read your message and see your
767signature. If they do have GnuPG, they'll also be able to verify that your
768signature is authentic.</p>
769
a4eb3926 770<p>To sign an email to Edward, compose any message to the email address and click the
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771pencil icon next to the lock icon so that it turns gold. If you sign a
772message, GnuPG may ask you for your password before it sends the message,
773because it needs to unlock your private key for signing.</p>
774
77aea16c 775<p>In "Account Settings" &rarr; "End-To-End-Encryption" you can opt to <i>add digital signature by default</i>.</p>
19bce4d7 776
7b83f7f9 777</div><!-- End .main -->
778</div><!-- End #step-4d .step -->
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779
780<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 781<div id="step-4e" class="step">
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782<div class="main">
783
7b83f7f9 784<h3><em>Step 4.e</em> Receive a response</h3>
19bce4d7 785
f54f2134
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786<p>When Edward receives your email, he will use your public key (which
787you sent him in <a href="#step-3a">Step 3.A</a>) to verify the message
80b64e11 788you sent has not been tampered with and to encrypt a reply to you.</p>
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789
790<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
791respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
7b83f7f9 792href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide.</p>
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793
794<p>Edward's reply will arrive encrypted, because he prefers to use encryption
795whenever possible. If everything goes according to plan, it should say
796"Your signature was verified." If your test signed email was also encrypted,
797he will mention that first.</p>
798
7b83f7f9 799<p>When you receive Edward's email and open it, your email client will
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800automatically detect that it is encrypted with your public key, and
801then it will use your private key to decrypt it.</p>
802
19bce4d7 803</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 804</div><!-- End #step-4e .step -->
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805</div></section>
806
803e8e2e 807<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 5: Learn About the Web of Trust ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 808<section class="row" id="section5"><div>
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809
810<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
811<div class="section-intro">
812
b7f7b4a2 813<h2><em>#5</em> Learn about the Web of Trust</h2>
69e314de 814<p class="float small"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section5-web-of-trust.png" alt="Illustration of keys all interconnected with a web of lines"/></p>
19bce4d7 815
b7f7b4a2 816<p>Email encryption is a powerful technology, but it has a weakness:
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817it requires a way to verify that a person's public key is actually
818theirs. Otherwise, there would be no way to stop an attacker from making
b7f7b4a2 819an email address with your friend's name, creating keys to go with it, and
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820impersonating your friend. That's why the free software programmers that
821developed email encryption created keysigning and the Web of Trust.</p>
822
823<p>When you sign someone's key, you are publicly saying that you've verified
824that it belongs to them and not someone else.</p>
825
826<p>Signing keys and signing messages use the same type of mathematical
827operation, but they carry very different implications. It's a good practice
828to generally sign your email, but if you casually sign people's keys, you
77aea16c 829may accidentally end up vouching for the identity of an imposter.</p>
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830
831<p>People who use your public key can see who has signed it. Once you've
832used GnuPG for a long time, your key may have hundreds of signatures. You
833can consider a key to be more trustworthy if it has many signatures from
834people that you trust. The Web of Trust is a constellation of GnuPG users,
835connected to each other by chains of trust expressed through signatures.</p>
836
837</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
838
839<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 840<div id="step-5a" class="step">
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841<div class="sidebar">
842
69e314de 843<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 844src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step5a-key-properties.png"
7b83f7f9 845alt="Section 5: trusting a key" /></p>
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846
847</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
848<div class="main">
849
7b83f7f9 850<h3><em>Step 5.a</em> Sign a key</h3>
19bce4d7 851
77aea16c 852<p>In your email program's menu, go to OpenPGP Key Manager and select <i>Key properties</i> by right clicking on Edward's key.</p>
19bce4d7 853
77aea16c 854<p>Under "Your Acceptance," you can select <i>Yes, I've verified in person this key has the correct fingerprint"</i>.</p>
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855
856<p class="notes">You've just effectively said "I trust that Edward's public
857key actually belongs to Edward." This doesn't mean much because Edward isn't
b7f7b4a2 858a real person, but it's good practice, and for real people it is important. You can read more about signing a person's key in the <a href="#check-ids-before-signing">check IDs before signing</a> section.</p>
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859
860<!--<div id="pgp-pathfinder">
861
862<form enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded" action="/mk_path.cgi"
863method="get">
864
f211d856 865<p><strong>From:</strong><input type="text" value="xD41A008"
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866name="FROM"></p>
867
f211d856 868<p><strong>To:</strong><input type="text" value="50BD01x4" name="TO"></p>
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869
870<p class="buttons"><input type="submit" value="trust paths" name="PATHS"><input
871type="reset" value="reset" name=".reset"></p>
872
873</form>
874
875</div>End #pgp-pathfinder -->
876</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 877</div><!-- End #step-5a .step -->
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878
879<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
880<div id="step-identify_keys" class="step">
881<div class="main">
882
883<h3>Identifying keys: Fingerprints and IDs</h3>
884
885<p>People's public keys are usually identified by their key fingerprint,
886which is a string of digits like F357AA1A5B1FA42CFD9FE52A9FF2194CC09A61E8
887(for Edward's key). You can see the fingerprint for your public key, and
7b83f7f9 888other public keys saved on your computer, by going to OpenPGP Key
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889Management in your email program's menu, then right clicking on the key
890and choosing Key Properties. It's good practice to share your fingerprint
891wherever you share your email address, so that people can double-check that
892they have the correct public key when they download yours from a keyserver.</p>
893
c0c01f86 894<p class="notes">You may also see public keys referred to by a shorter
a4eb3926 895keyID. This keyID is visible directly from the Key Management
896window. These eight character keyIDs were previously used for
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897identification, which used to be safe, but is no longer reliable. You
898need to check the full fingerprint as part of verifying you have the
899correct key for the person you are trying to contact. Spoofing, in
900which someone intentionally generates a key with a fingerprint whose
901final eight characters are the same as another, is unfortunately
902common.</p>
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903
904</div><!-- End .main -->
905</div><!-- End #step-identify_keys .step-->
906
907<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
908<div id="check-ids-before-signing" class="step">
909<div class="main">
910
911<h3><em>Important:</em> What to consider when signing keys</h3>
912
913<p>Before signing a person's key, you need to be confident that it actually
914belongs to them, and that they are who they say they are. Ideally, this
915confidence comes from having interactions and conversations with them over
916time, and witnessing interactions between them and others. Whenever signing
917a key, ask to see the full public key fingerprint, and not just the shorter
a4eb3926 918keyID. If you feel it's important to sign the key of someone you've just
19bce4d7 919met, also ask them to show you their government identification, and make
7b83f7f9 920sure the name on the ID matches the name on the public key.</p>
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921
922<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
923<div class="troubleshooting">
924
925<h4>Advanced</h4>
926
927<dl>
928<dt>Master the Web of Trust</dt>
929<dd>Unfortunately, trust does not spread between users the way <a
6003a573 930href="https://fennetic.net/irc/finney.org/~hal/web_of_trust.html">many people
a4eb3926 931think</a>. One of the best ways to strengthen the GnuPG community is to deeply <a
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932href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x334.html">understand</a> the Web of
933Trust and to carefully sign as many people's keys as circumstances permit.</dd>
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934</dl>
935
936</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
937</div><!-- End .main -->
938</div><!-- End #check-ids-before-signing .step-->
7b83f7f9 939</div></section><!-- End #section5 -->
d85363e7 940
7b83f7f9 941<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 6: Use it well ~~~~~~~~~ -->
942<section id="section6" class="row"><div>
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943
944<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
945<div class="section-intro">
946
7b83f7f9 947<h2><em>#6</em> Use it well</h2>
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948
949<p>Everyone uses GnuPG a little differently, but it's important to follow
950some basic practices to keep your email secure. Not following them, you
951risk the privacy of the people you communicate with, as well as your own,
952and damage the Web of Trust.</p>
953
954</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
955
956<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 957<div id="step-6a" class="step">
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958<div class="sidebar">
959
69e314de 960<p class="medium"><img
1805f65d 961src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section6-01-use-it-well.png"
7b83f7f9 962alt="Section 6: Use it Well (1)" /></p>
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963
964</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
965<div class="main">
966
967<h3>When should I encrypt? When should I sign?</h3>
968
969<p>The more you can encrypt your messages, the better. If you only encrypt
970emails occasionally, each encrypted message could raise a red flag for
971surveillance systems. If all or most of your email is encrypted, people
972doing surveillance won't know where to start. That's not to say that only
973encrypting some of your email isn't helpful -- it's a great start and it
974makes bulk surveillance more difficult.</p>
975
976<p>Unless you don't want to reveal your own identity (which requires other
977protective measures), there's no reason not to sign every message, whether or
978not you are encrypting. In addition to allowing those with GnuPG to verify
979that the message came from you, signing is a non-intrusive way to remind
980everyone that you use GnuPG and show support for secure communication. If you
981often send signed messages to people that aren't familiar with GnuPG, it's
982nice to also include a link to this guide in your standard email signature
983(the text kind, not the cryptographic kind).</p>
984
985</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 986</div><!-- End #step-6a .step -->
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987
988<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 989<div id="step-6b" class="step">
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990<div class="sidebar">
991
69e314de 992<p class="medium"><img
1805f65d 993src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section6-02-use-it-well.png"
7b83f7f9 994alt="Section 6: Use it Well (2)" /></p>
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995
996</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
997<div class="main">
998
999<h3>Be wary of invalid keys</h3>
1000
1001<p>GnuPG makes email safer, but it's still important to watch out for invalid
1002keys, which might have fallen into the wrong hands. Email encrypted with
1003invalid keys might be readable by surveillance programs.</p>
1004
1005<p>In your email program, go back to the first encrypted email that Edward
1006sent you. Because Edward encrypted it with your public key, it will have a
80b64e11 1007green checkmark a at the top "OpenPGP" button.</p>
19bce4d7 1008
77aea16c 1009<p><strong>When using GnuPG, make a habit of glancing at that button. The program
4227f3fd 1010will warn you there if you get an email signed with a key that can't
77aea16c 1011be trusted.</strong></p>
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1012
1013</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 1014</div><!-- End #step-6b .step -->
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1015
1016<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 1017<div id="step-6c" class="step">
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1018<div class="main">
1019
1020<h3>Copy your revocation certificate to somewhere safe</h3>
1021
1022<p>Remember when you created your keys and saved the revocation certificate
80b64e11 1023that GnuPG made? It's time to copy that certificate onto the safest storage that you have -- a flash drive, disk, or hard drive stored in a safe place in your home could work, not on a device you carry with you regularly. The safest way we know is actually to print the revocation certificate and store it in a safe place.</p>
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1024
1025<p>If your private key ever gets lost or stolen, you'll need this certificate
1026file to let people know that you are no longer using that keypair.</p>
1027
1028</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 1029</div><!-- End #step-6c .step -->
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1030
1031<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1032<div id="step-lost_key" class="step">
1033<div class="main">
1034
b7f7b4a2 1035<h3><em>IMPORTANT:</em> ACT SWIFTLY if someone gets your private key</h3>
19bce4d7 1036
b7f7b4a2 1037<p>If you lose your private key or someone else gets a hold
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1038of it (say, by stealing or cracking your computer), it's
1039important to revoke it immediately before someone else uses
1040it to read your encrypted email or forge your signature. This
1041guide doesn't cover how to revoke a key, but you can follow these <a
1042href="https://www.hackdiary.com/2004/01/18/revoking-a-gpg-key/">instructions</a>.
1043After you're done revoking, make a new key and send an email to everyone
1044with whom you usually use your key to make sure they know, including a copy
1045of your new key.</p>
1046
1047</div><!-- End .main -->
1048</div><!-- End #step-lost_key .step-->
1049
35f08087 1050<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
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1051<div id="webmail-and-GnuPG" class="step">
1052<div class="main">
1053
1054<h3>Webmail and GnuPG</h3>
1055
1056<p>When you use a web browser to access your email, you're using webmail,
1057an email program stored on a distant website. Unlike webmail, your desktop
1058email program runs on your own computer. Although webmail can't decrypt
1059encrypted email, it will still display it in its encrypted form. If you
1060primarily use webmail, you'll know to open your email client when you receive
1061a scrambled email.</p>
1062
1063</div><!-- End .main -->
1064</div><!-- End #webmail-and-GnuPG .step-->
1065
35f08087 1066<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 1067<div id="step-6d" class="step">
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1068<div class="main">
1069
1070<h3>Make your public key part of your online identity</h3>
1071
1072<p> First add your public key fingerprint to your email signature, then
1073compose an email to at least five of your friends, telling them you just
1074set up GnuPG and mentioning your public key fingerprint. Link to this guide
1075and ask them to join you. Don't forget that there's also an awesome <a
1076href="infographic.html">infographic to share.</a></p>
1077
1078<p class="notes">Start writing your public key fingerprint anywhere someone
1079would see your email address: your social media profiles, blog, Website,
1080or business card. (At the Free Software Foundation, we put ours on our
1081<a href="https://fsf.org/about/staff">staff page</a>.) We need to get our
1082culture to the point that we feel like something is missing when we see an
1083email address without a public key fingerprint.</p>
1084
35f08087 1085</div><!-- End .main-->
1086</div><!-- End #step-6d .step-->
7b83f7f9 1087</div></section><!-- End #section6 -->
19bce4d7 1088
7b83f7f9 1089<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 7: Next steps ~~~~~~~~~ -->
b7f7b4a2 1090<section class="row" id="section7">
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1091<div id="step-click_here" class="step">
1092<div class="main">
0a225228 1093
19bce4d7 1094<h2><a href="next_steps.html">Great job! Check out the next steps.</a></h2>
bb28ee32 1095
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1096</div><!-- End .main -->
1097</div><!-- End #step-click_here .step-->
7b83f7f9 1098</section><!-- End #section7 -->
bdf319c4 1099
19bce4d7 1100<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FAQ ~~~~~~~~~ -->
f44dd62f 1101<!-- When un-commenting this section go to main.css and search
116f80c3 1102for /* Guide Sections Background */ then add #faq to the desired color
19bce4d7 1103<section class="row" id="faq"><div>
116f80c3 1104<div class="sidebar">
19bce4d7 1105
116f80c3 1106<h2>FAQ</h2>
6c495e2d 1107
19bce4d7 1108</div>
116f80c3 1109<div class="main">
19bce4d7 1110
116f80c3
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1111<dl>
1112<dt>My key expired</dt>
1113<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
6c495e2d 1114
116f80c3
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1115<dt>Who can read encrypted messages? Who can read signed ones?</dt>
1116<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
6c495e2d 1117
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1118<dt>My email program is opening at times I don't want it to open/is now my
1119default program and I don't want it to be.</dt>
116f80c3
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1120<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1121</dl>
19bce4d7 1122
116f80c3
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1123</div>
1124</div>
1125</section> --><!-- End #faq -->
bdf319c4 1126
19bce4d7
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1127<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Footer ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1128<footer class="row" id="footer"><div>
1129<div id="copyright">
1130
1131<h4><a href="https://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
1132alt="Free Software Foundation"
14c5f099 1133src="../static/img/fsf-logo.png" /></a></h4>
19bce4d7 1134
37d0bc33 1135<p>Copyright &copy; 2014-2021 <a
19bce4d7
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1136href="https://u.fsf.org/ys">Free Software Foundation</a>, Inc. <a
1137href="https://my.fsf.org/donate/privacypolicy.html">Privacy Policy</a>. Please
1138support our work by <a href="https://u.fsf.org/yr">joining us as an associate
1139member.</a></p>
1140
1141<p>The images on this page are under a <a
1142href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons
1143Attribution 4.0 license (or later version)</a>, and the rest of it is under
1144a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">Creative Commons
1145Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license (or later version)</a>. Download the <a
6003a573 1146href="https://agpl.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/edward/CURRENT/edward.tar.gz">
f211d856 1147source code of Edward reply bot</a> by Andrew Engelbrecht
a3a9a0ac 1148&lt;andrew@engelbrecht.io&gt; and Josh Drake &lt;zamnedix@gnu.org&gt;,
19bce4d7 1149available under the GNU Affero General Public License. <a
6003a573 1150href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#OtherLicenses">Why these
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1151licenses?</a></p>
1152
1153<p>Fonts used in the guide &amp; infographic: <a
1154href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Dosis">Dosis</a> by Pablo
6003a573 1155Impallari, <a href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Signika">Signika</a>
19bce4d7 1156by Anna Giedry&#347;, <a
6003a573 1157href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Archivo+Narrow">Archivo
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1158Narrow</a> by Omnibus-Type, <a
1159href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Graphics_Howto#Pitfalls">PXL-2000</a>
1160by Florian Cramer.</p>
1161
1162<p>Download the <a href="emailselfdefense_source.zip">source package</a>
1163for this guide, including fonts, image source files and the text of Edward's
1164messages.</p>
1165
1166<p>This site uses the Weblabels standard for labeling <a
1167href="https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/freejs">free JavaScript</a>. View
abf30801 1168the JavaScript <a href="https://weblabels.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/"
19bce4d7
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1169rel="jslicense">source code and license information</a>.</p>
1170
1171</div><!-- /#copyright -->
1172
1173<p class="credits">Infographic and guide design by <a rel="external"
6003a573 1174href="https://jplusplus.org"><strong>Journalism++</strong><img
138192ae 1175src="static/img/jplusplus.png"
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1176alt="Journalism++" /></a></p><!-- /.credits -->
1177</div></footer><!-- End #footer -->
116f80c3 1178
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