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1<!DOCTYPE html>
2<html lang="en">
3<head>
4<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
5<title>Email Self-Defense - a guide to fighting surveillance with GnuPG
6encryption</title>
7<meta name="keywords" content="GnuPG, GPG, openpgp, surveillance, privacy,
013b81e2 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" />
13<link rel="stylesheet" href="../static/css/main.css" />
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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to Enigmail's PGP functionality being migrated into Icedove and Thunderbird, steps 2 and 3 of the guide are currently out of date.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>-->
20
21<!-- PLACE FUNDRAISER MODAL WINDOW HERE -->
22
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23
24<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ GnuPG Header and introduction text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
25<header class="row" id="header"><div>
26
27
28<h1>Email Self-Defense</h1>
29
30<!-- Language list for browsers that do not have JS enabled -->
31<ul id="languages" class="os">
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32<li><a class="current" href="/en">English - v5.0</a></li>
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48<li><strong><a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Translation_Guide">
49Translate!</a></strong></li>
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50</ul>
51
52<ul id="menu" class="os">
53<li class="spacer"><a href="index.html" class="current">Set up guide</a></li>
54<!--<li><a href="mac.html">Mac OS</a></li>-->
55<!--<li><a href="windows.html">Windows</a></li>-->
56<li class="spacer"><a href="workshops.html">Teach your friends</a></li>
57<li class="spacer"><a
58href="https://fsf.org/share?u=https://u.fsf.org/zb&amp;t=Email%20encryption%20for%20everyone%20via%20%40fsf">
59Share&nbsp;
60<img src="../static/img/gnu-social.png" class="share-logo"
61alt="[GNU Social]" />&nbsp;
62<img src="../static/img/mastodon.png" class="share-logo"
63alt="[Mastodon]" />&nbsp;
64<img src="../static/img/reddit-alien.png" class="share-logo"
65alt="[Reddit]" />&nbsp;
66<img src="../static/img/hacker-news.png" class="share-logo"
67alt="[Hacker News]" /></a></li>
68</ul>
69
70<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FSF Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
71<div id="fsf-intro">
72
73<h3><a href="https://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
74alt="Free Software Foundation"
75src="../static/img/fsf-logo.png" />
76</a></h3>
77
78<div class="fsf-emphasis">
79
80<p>We fight for computer users' rights, and promote the development of free (as
81in freedom) software. Resisting bulk surveillance is very important to us.</p>
82
83<p><strong>Please donate to support Email Self-Defense. We need to keep
84improving it, and making more materials, for the benefit of people around
85the world taking the first step towards protecting their privacy.</strong></p>
86
87</div>
88
89<p><a
90href="https://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=14&amp;mtm_campaign=email_self_defense&amp;mtm_kwd=guide_donate"><img
91alt="Donate"
92src="../static/img/en/donate.png" /></a></p>
93
94</div><!-- End #fsf-intro -->
95
96<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Guide Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
97<div class="intro">
98
99<p><a id="infographic" href="infographic.html"><img
100src="../static/img/en/infographic-button.png"
101alt="View &amp; share our infographic &rarr;" /></a>
102Bulk surveillance violates our fundamental rights and makes free speech
103risky. This guide will teach you a basic surveillance self-defense skill: email
104encryption. Once you've finished, you'll be able to send and receive emails
105that are scrambled to make sure a surveillance agent or thief intercepting
106your email can't read them. All you need is a computer with an Internet
107connection, an email account, and about forty minutes.</p>
108
109<p>Even if you have nothing to hide, using encryption helps protect the privacy
110of people you communicate with, and makes life difficult for bulk surveillance
111systems. If you do have something important to hide, you're in good company;
112these are the same tools that whistleblowers use to protect their identities
113while shining light on human rights abuses, corruption, and other crimes.</p>
114
115<p>In addition to using encryption, standing up
116to surveillance requires fighting politically for a <a
117href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">reduction
118in the amount of data collected on us</a>, but the essential first step is
119to protect yourself and make surveillance of your communication as difficult
120as possible. This guide helps you do that. It is designed for beginners, but
121if you already know the basics of GnuPG or are an experienced free software
122user, you'll enjoy the advanced tips and the <a href="workshops.html">guide
123to teaching your friends</a>.</p>
124
125</div><!-- End .intro -->
126</div></header><!-- End #header -->
127
128<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 1: Get the pieces ~~~~~~~~~ -->
129<section class="row" id="section1"><div>
130
131<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
132<div class="section-intro">
133
134<h2><em>#1</em> Get the pieces</h2>
135
136<p class="notes">This guide relies on software which is <a
137href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">freely licensed</a>;
138it's completely transparent and anyone can copy it or make their
139own version. This makes it safer from surveillance than proprietary
140software (like Windows or macOS). Learn more about free software at <a
141href="https://u.fsf.org/ys">fsf.org</a>.</p>
142
572e3d5f 143<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
145<p>If you already have an email program, you can skip to <a
146href="#section2">Step 2</a>.</p>
147
148</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
149
150<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
151<div id="step-1a" class="step">
152<div class="sidebar">
153
154<p><img
155src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step1a-install-wizard.png"
156alt="Step 1.A: Install Wizard" /></p>
157
158</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
159<div class="main">
160
161<h3><em>Step 1.a</em> Set up your email program with your email account</h3>
162
163<p>Open your email program and follow the wizard (step-by-step walkthrough)
164that 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>
df371bd3 165
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166
167<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
168<div class="troubleshooting">
169
170<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
171
172<dl>
173<dt>The wizard doesn't launch</dt>
174<dd>You can launch the wizard yourself, but the menu option for doing so is
175named differently in each email program. The button to launch it will be in
176the program's main menu, under "New" or something similar, titled something
177like "Add account" or "New/Existing email account."</dd>
178
179<dt>The wizard can't find my account or isn't downloading my mail</dt>
180<dd>Before searching the Web, we recommend you start by asking other people
181who use your email system, to figure out the correct settings.</dd>
182
183<dt>I can't find the menu</dt>
184<dd>In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image of
185three stacked horizontal bars.</dd>
186
187<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
188<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
189href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
190page</a>.</dd>
191</dl>
192
193</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
194</div><!-- End .main -->
195</div><!-- End #step1-a .step -->
196
197<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
198<div id="step-1b" class="step">
199<div class="main">
200
201<h3><em>Step 1.b</em> Get your terminal ready and install GnuPG</h3>
202
203<p>If you are using a GNU/Linux machine, you should already have GnuPG installed, and you can skip to <a href="#section2">Step 2</a>.</p>
204<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 steps. For the rest of the steps in this guide, the steps are the same for all operating systems. </p>
205
206<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ MACOS ~~~~~~~~~ -->
207<div class="troubleshooting">
208
013b81e2 209<h4>macOS</h4>
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210
211<dl>
212<dt>Use a third-party package manager to install GnuPG</dt>
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213<dd>Your macOS comes with a program called "Terminal" pre-installed, which we'll use to set up your encryption with GnuPG, using the command line. However, the default macOS package manager makes it difficult to install GnuPG and other pieces of free software (like Emacs, GIMP, or Inkscape).<br/>
214To make things easier, we recommend setting up the third-party package manager "Homebrew" to install GnuPG. Copy the link on the home page of <a href="https://brew.sh/">Homebrew</a> and paste it in Terminal. Click "Enter" and wait for it to finalize.<br/>
215When it is done, install the program by entering the following code in Terminal:<br/>
df371bd3 216<code>brew install gnupg gnupg2</code>. After installation is done, you can follow the steps of the rest of this guide.</dd>
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217</dl>
218
219</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
220
221<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ WINDOWS ~~~~~~~~~ -->
222<div class="troubleshooting">
223
224<h4>Windows</h4>
225
226<dl>
227<dt>Get GnuPG by downloading GPG4Win</dt>
625cf53d 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>
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229
230<p class="notes">To follow the rest of the steps in this guide, you'll use the program called "PowerShell", which is a program you'll see elsewhere referred to as a "terminal." This allows you to operate your computer using the command line.</p>
231</dd>
232</dl>
233
234</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
235</div><!-- End .main -->
236</div><!-- End #step1-b .step -->
237
238<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
239<div id="terminology" class="step">
240<div class="main">
241
242<h3>GnuPG, OpenPGP, what?</h3>
243
244<p>In general, the terms GnuPG, GPG, GNU Privacy Guard, OpenPGP and PGP
245are used interchangeably. Technically, OpenPGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the
246encryption standard, and GNU Privacy Guard (often shortened to GPG or GnuPG)
247is 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>
248
249</div><!-- End .main -->
250</div><!-- End #terminology.step-->
251
252</div></section><!-- End #section1 -->
253
254<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 2: Make your keys ~~~~~~~~~ -->
255<section id="section2" class="row"><div>
256
257<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
258<div class="section-intro">
259
260<h2><em>#2</em> Make your keys</h2>
261<p><img style="float:right; width:400px; margin-bottom:20px;" 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>
262
263<p>To use the GnuPG system, you'll need a public key and a private key (known
264together as a keypair). Each is a long string of randomly generated numbers
265and letters that are unique to you. Your public and private keys are linked
266together by a special mathematical function.</p>
267
268<p>Your public key isn't like a physical key, because it's stored in the open
269in an online directory called a keyserver. People download it and use it,
270along with GnuPG, to encrypt emails they send to you. You can think of the
271keyserver as a phonebook; people who want to send you encrypted email can
272look up your public key.</p>
273
274<p>Your private key is more like a physical key, because you keep it to
275yourself (on your computer). You use GnuPG and your private key together to
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276descramble encrypted emails other people send to you. <strong>You should never share your private key with anyone, under any
277circumstances.</strong></p>
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278
279<p>In addition to encryption and decryption, you can also use these keys to
280sign messages and check the authenticity of other people's signatures. We'll
281discuss this more in the next section.</p>
282
283</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
284
285<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
286<div id="step-2a" class="step">
287<div class="sidebar">
288<p><img
289src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-02-make-keypair.png"
290alt="Step 2.A: Make your Keypair" /></p>
291<br />
292<p><img
293src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-03-make-keypair.png"
294alt="Step 2.A: Set your passphrase" /></p>
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295
296</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
297<div class="main">
298
299<h3><em>Step 2.a</em> Make a keypair</h3>
300<h6>Make your keypair</h6>
f0e2af22 301<p>Open a terminal. You should be able to find it in your applications (some GNU/Linux systems respond to the the <span style="color:#2f5faa; font-family: monospace;">ctrl + alt + t</span> shortcut). Use the following code to create your keypair in the terminal:</p>
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302
303<p class="notes">We will use the command line in a terminal to create a keypair using the GnuPG program. A terminal should be installed on your GNU/Linux operating system, if you are using a macOS or Windows OS system, use the programs "Terminal" (macOS) or "PowerShell" (Windows) that were also used in section 1.</p>
304
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305<p># <code>gpg --full-generate-key</code> to start the process.</p>
306<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>
307<p># Enter the following keysize: <code>4096</code> for a strong key.</p>
308<p># Choose the expiration date, we suggest <code>2y</code> (2 years).</p>
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309<p>Follow the prompts to continue setting up with your personal details.</p>
310
df371bd3 311<h4>Set your passphrase</h4>
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312<p>On the screen titled "Passphrase," pick a strong password! You can
313do it manually, or you can use the Diceware method. Doing it manually
314is faster but not as secure. Using Diceware takes longer and requires
315dice, but creates a password that is much harder for attackers to figure
316out. To use it, read the section "Make a secure passphrase with Diceware" in <a
317href="https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/">
318this article</a> by Micah Lee.</p>
319
320
321<p>If you'd like to pick a passphrase manually, come up with something
322you can remember which is at least twelve characters long, and includes
323at least one lower case and upper case letter and at least one number or
324punctuation symbol. Never pick a password you've used elsewhere. Don't use
325any recognizable patterns, such as birthdays, telephone numbers, pets' names,
326song lyrics, quotes from books, and so on.</p>
327
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328<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
329<div class="troubleshooting">
330
331<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
332<dl>
333<dt>GnuPG is not installed</dt>
334<dd>
df371bd3 335GPG is not installed. You can check if this is the case with the command <code>gpg --version</code>.
a6ffc443 336If GnuPG is not installed, it would bring up the following result on most GNU/Linux operating systems, or something like it:
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337<samp>Command 'gpg' not found, but can be installed with:
338 sudo apt install gnupg</samp>. Follow that command and install the program.</dd>
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339
340<dt>I took too long to create my passphrase</dt>
341<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>
342
343<dt>How can I see my key?</dt>
344<dd>
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345Use the following command to see all keys: <code>gpg--list-keys</code>. Yours should be listed in there, and later, so will Edward's (<a href="#section3">section 3</a>). If you want to see only your key, you can use <code>gpg --list-key [your@email]</code>.
346You can also use <code>gpg --list-secret-key</code> to see your own private key.</dd>
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347
348<dt>More resources</dt>
349<dd>For more information about this process, you can also refer to <a
350href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/c14.html#AEN25">The GNU Privacy
351Handbook</a>. Make sure you stick with "RSA and RSA" (the default),
352because it's newer and more secure than the algorithms the documentation
353recommends. Also make sure your key is at least 4096 bits if you
354want to be secure.</dd>
355
356<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
357<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
358href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
359page</a>.</dd>
360</dl>
361
362</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
363
364<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
365<div class="troubleshooting">
366
367<h4>Advanced</h4>
368<dl>
369<dt>Advanced key pairs</dt>
370<dd>When GnuPG creates a new keypair, it compartmentalizes
371the encryption function from the signing function through <a
372href="https://wiki.debian.org/Subkeys">subkeys</a>. If you use
373subkeys carefully, you can keep your GnuPG identity more
374secure and recover from a compromised key much more quickly. <a
375href="https://alexcabal.com/creating-the-perfect-gpg-keypair/">Alex Cabal</a>
376and <a href="https://keyring.debian.org/creating-key.html">the Debian wiki</a>
377provide good guides for setting up a secure subkey configuration.</dd>
5e3f938b 378</dl>
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379
380</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
381</div><!-- End .main -->
382</div><!-- End #step-2a .step -->
383
384<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
385<div id="step-2b" class="step">
386<div class="sidebar">
387<p><img
388src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2b-04-upload-and-certificate.png"
389alt="Step 2.B: Send to server and generate a certificate" /></p>
390
391</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
392<div class="main">
393
394<h3><em>Step 2.b</em> Some important steps following creation</h3>
395
df371bd3 396<h4>Upload your key to a keyserver</h4>
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397<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
398that you can select from the menu when you upload, but they are all copies
399of each other, so it doesn't matter which one you use. However, it sometimes
400takes a few hours for them to match each other when a new key is uploaded.</p>
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401<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>
402<p># Upload your key to a server:
403<code>gpg --send-key [keyID]</code></p>
a6ffc443 404
df371bd3 405<h4>Export your key to a file</h4>
00991279 406<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>
a6ffc443 407
df371bd3 408<p><code>
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409$ gpg --export-secret-keys -a [keyID] > my_secret_key.asc<br/>
410$ gpg --export -a [keyID] > my_public_key.asc
df371bd3 411</code></p>
a6ffc443 412
df371bd3 413<h4>Generate a revocation certificate</h4>
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414<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>
415
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416<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>
417<p># Generate a revocation certificate: <code>gpg --gen-revoke --output revoke.asc [keyID]</code></p>
418<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>
d6e718b0 419<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>
a6ffc443 420
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421
422<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
423<div class="troubleshooting">
424
425<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
426
427<dl>
428<dt>My key doesn't seem to be working or I get a "permission denied."</dt>
dfee0188 429<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>
a6ffc443 430
df371bd3 431<p># Check your permissions: <code>ls -l ~/.gnupg/*</code></p>
dfee0188 432<p># Set permissions to read, write, execute for only yourself, no others. These are the recommended permissions for your folder. <br/>
df371bd3 433You can use the code: <code>chmod 700 ~/.gnupg</code></p>
dfee0188 434<p># Set permissions to read and write for yourself only, no others. These are the recommended permissions for the keys inside your folder. <br/>
df371bd3 435You can use the code: <code>chmod 600 ~/.gnupg/*</code></p>
a6ffc443 436
dfee0188 437<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>
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438</dd>
439<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
440<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
441href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
442page</a>.</dd>
443</dl>
444
445</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
446
447<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
448<div class="troubleshooting">
449
450<h4>Advanced</h4>
451
452<dl>
453<dt>More about keyservers</dt>
454<dd>You can find some more keyserver information<a
455href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x457.html"> in this manual</a>. <a
456href="https://sks-keyservers.net/overview-of-pools.php">The sks Web site</a>
457maintains a list of highly interconnected keyservers. You can also <a
458href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x56.html#AEN64">directly export
459your key</a> as a file on your computer.</dd>
460
461<dt>Transferring your keys</dt>
dfee0188
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462<dd>
463<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>
a6ffc443 464
df371bd3 465<p><code>
32ebf674
TG
466$ gpg --export-secret-keys -a [keyID] > my_private_key.asc<br/>
467$ gpg --export -a [keyID] > my_public_key.asc<br/>
5e3f938b 468$ gpg --import my_private_key.asc<br/>
dfee0188 469$ gpg --import my_public_key.asc
df371bd3 470</code></p>
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471
472<p>Ensure that the keyID printed is the correct one, and if so, then go ahead and add ultimate trust for it:</p>
dfee0188 473
df371bd3 474<p><code>
a6ffc443 475$ gpg --edit-key [your@email]
df371bd3 476</code></p>
a6ffc443 477
df371bd3 478<p>Because this is your key, you should choose <code>ultimate</code>. You shouldn't trust anyone else's key ultimately.</p>
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479
480<p class="notes"> Refer to <a href="#step-2b">troubleshoot 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>
481</dd>
482</dl>
483
484</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
485</div><!-- End .main -->
486</div><!-- End #step-2b .step -->
487</div></section><!-- End #section2 -->
488
489<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 3: Set up email encryption ~~~~~~~~~ -->
490<section id="section3" class="row"><div>
491
492<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
493<div class="section-intro">
494
495<h2><em>#3</em> Set up email encryption</h2>
5e3f938b 496<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>
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497
498</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
499
500<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
501<div id="step-3a" class="step">
502<div class="sidebar">
503
504<p><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-open-key-manager.png"
505alt="Step 3.A: Email Menu" /></p>
506<br />
507<p><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-import-from-file.png"
508alt="Step 3.A: Import From File" /></p>
509<br />
510<p><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-success.png"
511alt="Step 3.A: Success" /></p>
512<br />
513<p><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-troubleshoot.png"
514alt="Step 3.A: Troubleshoot" /></p>
515</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
516<div class="main">
517
518<h3><em>Step 3.a</em> Set up your email with encryption</h3>
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519
520<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>
a6ffc443 521
df371bd3
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522<p># Open your email client and use "Tools" &rarr; <i>OpenPGP Manager</i></p>
523<p># Under "File" &rarr; <i>Import Secret Key(s) From File</i></p>
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524<p># Select the file you saved under the name [my_secret_key.asc] in step <a href="#step-3b">step 3.b</a> when you exported your key</p>
525<p># Unlock with your passphrase</p>
526<p># You will receive a "OpenPGP keys successfully imported" window to confirm success</p>
df371bd3 527<p># Go to "Edit" (in Icedove) or "Tools" (in Thunderbird) &rarr; "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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528
529</div><!-- End .main -->
530
531<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
532<div class="main">
533<div class="troubleshooting">
534<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
535<dl>
536<dt>I'm not sure the import worked correctly</dt>
537<dd>
013b81e2 538Look 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 <span style="color:#2f5faa;">Add key</span> option. Make sure you have the correct, active, secret key file.
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539</dd>
540
541<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
542<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
543href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
544page</a>.</dd>
545</dl>
546
547</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
548</div><!-- End .main -->
549</div><!-- End #step3-a .step -->
550</div></section><!-- End #section3 -->
551
552<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 4: Try it out ~~~~~~~~~ -->
553<section class="row" id="section4"><div>
554
555<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
556<div class="section-intro">
557
558<h2><em>#4</em> Try it out!</h2>
559<p><img style="float:right; width:250px; margin-bottom:20px;" 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>
560<p>Now you'll try a test correspondence with an FSF computer program named Edward,
561who knows how to use encryption. Except where noted, these are the same
562steps you'd follow when corresponding with a real, live person.</p>
563
564<!-- <p>NOTE: Edward is currently having some technical difficulties, so he
565may take a long time to respond, or not respond at all. We're sorry about
566this and we're working hard to fix it. Your key will still work even without
567testing with Edward.</p> -->
568</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
569
570<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
571<div id="step-4a" class="step">
572<div class="sidebar">
573
574<p><img
575src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4a-send-key-to-Edward.png"
576alt="Step 4.A Send key to Edward." /></p>
577
578</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
579<div class="main">
580
581<h3><em>Step 4.a</em> Send Edward your public key</h3>
582
583<p>This is a special step that you won't have to do when corresponding
584with real people. In your email program's menu, go to "Tools" &rarr; "OpenPGP Key
585Manager." You should see your key in the list that pops up. Right click
df371bd3 586on 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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587
588<p>Address the message to <a
589href="mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org</a>. Put at least one word
590(whatever you want) in the subject and body of the email. Don't send yet.</p>
591
df371bd3 592<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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593
594<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
595respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
596href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide. Once you have received a response,
597head to the next step. From here on, you'll be doing just the same thing as
598when corresponding with a real person.</p>
599
600<p>When you open Edward's reply, GnuPG may prompt you for your passphrase
601before using your private key to decrypt it.</p>
602
603</div><!-- End .main -->
604</div><!-- End #step-4a .step -->
605
606<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
607<div id="step-4b" class="step">
608<div class="sidebar">
609
610<p><img
611src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4b-option1-verify-key.png"
612alt="Step 4.B Option 1. Verify key" /></p>
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613<br />
614<p><img
615src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4b-option2-import-key.png"
616alt="Step 4.B Option 2. Import key" /></p>
617</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
618
619<div class="main">
620
621<h3><em>Step 4.b</em> Send a test encrypted email</h3>
df371bd3
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622
623<h4>Get Edward's key</h4>
624
a6ffc443
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625<p>To encrypt an email to Edward, you need its public key, so now you'll have
626to download it from a keyserver. You can do this in two different ways:</p>
013b81e2 627<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 <span style="color:#2f5faa">Discover</span> 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>
a6ffc443 628
df371bd3 629<p><strong>Option 2.</strong> Open your OpenPGP manager and under "Keyserver" choose <i>Discover Keys Online</i>. Here, fill in Edward's email address, and import Edward's key.</p>
a6ffc443 630
df371bd3 631<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>
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632
633<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>
634
635<p class="notes">Since you encrypted this email with Edward's public key,
636Edward's private key is required to decrypt it. Edward is the only one with
637its private key, so no one except Edward can decrypt it.</p>
638
df371bd3 639<h4>Send Edward an encrypted email</h4>
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640
641<p> Write a new email in your email program, addressed to <a
642href="mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org</a>. Make the subject
643"Encryption test" or something similar and write something in the body.</p>
644
df371bd3 645<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>
a6ffc443 646
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647
648<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
649<div class="troubleshooting">
650
651<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
652
653<dl>
654<dt>"Recipients not valid, not trusted or not found"</dt>
013b81e2 655<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>
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656
657<dt>Unable to send message</dt>
df371bd3 658<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>
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659
660<dt>I can't find Edward's key</dt>
661<dd>Close the pop-ups that have appeared since you clicked Send. Make sure
662you are connected to the Internet and try again. If that doesn't work, repeat
663the process, choosing a different keyserver when it asks you to pick one.</dd>
664
665<dt>Unscrambled messages in the Sent folder</dt>
666<dd>Even though you can't decrypt messages encrypted to someone else's key,
667your email program will automatically save a copy encrypted to your public key,
668which you'll be able to view from the Sent folder like a normal email. This
669is normal, and it doesn't mean that your email was not sent encrypted.</dd>
670
671<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
672<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
673href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
674page</a>.</dd>
675</dl>
676
677</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
678
679<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
680<div class="troubleshooting">
681
682<h4>Advanced</h4>
683
684<dl>
685<dt>Encrypt messages from the command line</dt>
686<dd>You can also encrypt and decrypt messages and files from the <a
687href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x110.html">command line</a>,
688if that's your preference. The option --armor makes the encrypted output
689appear in the regular character set.</dd>
690</dl>
691
692</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
693</div><!-- End .main -->
694</div><!-- End #step-4b .step -->
695
696<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
697<div id="step-headers_unencrypted" class="step">
698<div class="main">
699
700<h3><em>Important:</em> Security tips</h3>
701
702<p>Even if you encrypt your email, the subject line is not encrypted, so
703don't put private information there. The sending and receiving addresses
704aren't encrypted either, so a surveillance system can still figure out who
705you're communicating with. Also, surveillance agents will know that you're
706using GnuPG, even if they can't figure out what you're saying. When you
707send attachments, you can choose to encrypt them or not,
708independent of the actual email.</p>
709
710<p>For greater security against potential attacks, you can turn off
711HTML. Instead, you can render the message body as plain text. In order
013b81e2 712to do this in Icedove or Thunderbird, go to "View" &rarr; "Message Body As" &rarr; "Plain
713Text."</p>
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714
715</div><!-- End .main -->
716</div><!-- End #step-headers_unencrypted .step-->
717
718<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
719<div id="step-4c" class="step">
720<div class="sidebar">
721
722<p><img
723src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4c-Edward-response.png"
724alt="Step 4.C Edward's response" /></p>
725
726</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
727
728<div class="main">
729
730<h3><em>Step 4.c</em> Receive a response</h3>
731
732<p>When Edward receives your email, it will use its private key to decrypt
733it, then reply to you. </p>
734
735<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
736respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
737href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide.</p>
738
8df3fe60 739<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>
a6ffc443 740
2a2a4521 741<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>
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742
743</div><!-- End .main -->
744</div><!-- End #step-4c .step -->
745
746<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
747<div id="step-4d" class="step">
748<div class="main">
749
750<h3><em>Step 4.d</em> Send a signed test email</h3>
751
752<p>GnuPG includes a way for you to sign messages and files, verifying that
753they came from you and that they weren't tampered with along the way. These
754signatures are stronger than their pen-and-paper cousins -- they're impossible
755to forge, because they're impossible to create without your private key
756(another reason to keep your private key safe).</p>
757
758<p>You can sign messages to anyone, so it's a great way to make people
759aware that you use GnuPG and that they can communicate with you securely. If
760they don't have GnuPG, they will be able to read your message and see your
761signature. If they do have GnuPG, they'll also be able to verify that your
762signature is authentic.</p>
763
764<p>To sign an email to Edward, compose any message to the email address and click the
765pencil icon next to the lock icon so that it turns gold. If you sign a
766message, GnuPG may ask you for your password before it sends the message,
767because it needs to unlock your private key for signing.</p>
768
df371bd3 769<p>In "Account Settings" &rarr; "End-To-End-Encryption" you can opt to <i>add digital signature by default</i>.</p>
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770
771</div><!-- End .main -->
772</div><!-- End #step-4d .step -->
773
774<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
775<div id="step-4e" class="step">
776<div class="main">
777
778<h3><em>Step 4.e</em> Receive a response</h3>
779
780<p>When Edward receives your email, he will use your public key (which
781you sent him in <a href="#step-3a">Step 3.A</a>) to verify the message
782you sent has not been tampered with and to encrypt a reply to you.</p>
783
784<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
785respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
786href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide.</p>
787
788<p>Edward's reply will arrive encrypted, because he prefers to use encryption
789whenever possible. If everything goes according to plan, it should say
790"Your signature was verified." If your test signed email was also encrypted,
791he will mention that first.</p>
792
793<p>When you receive Edward's email and open it, your email client will
794automatically detect that it is encrypted with your public key, and
795then it will use your private key to decrypt it.</p>
796
797</div><!-- End .main -->
798</div><!-- End #step-4e .step -->
799</div></section>
800
801<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 5: Learn About the Web of Trust ~~~~~~~~~ -->
802<section class="row" id="section5"><div>
803
804<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
805<div class="section-intro">
806
807<h2><em>#5</em> Learn about the Web of Trust</h2>
808<p><img style="float:right; width:250px; margin-bottom:20px;" src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section5-web-of-trust.png" alt="Illustration of keys all interconnected with a web of lines"/></p>
809
810<p>Email encryption is a powerful technology, but it has a weakness:
811it requires a way to verify that a person's public key is actually
812theirs. Otherwise, there would be no way to stop an attacker from making
813an email address with your friend's name, creating keys to go with it, and
814impersonating your friend. That's why the free software programmers that
815developed email encryption created keysigning and the Web of Trust.</p>
816
817<p>When you sign someone's key, you are publicly saying that you've verified
818that it belongs to them and not someone else.</p>
819
820<p>Signing keys and signing messages use the same type of mathematical
821operation, but they carry very different implications. It's a good practice
822to generally sign your email, but if you casually sign people's keys, you
823may accidently end up vouching for the identity of an imposter.</p>
824
825<p>People who use your public key can see who has signed it. Once you've
826used GnuPG for a long time, your key may have hundreds of signatures. You
827can consider a key to be more trustworthy if it has many signatures from
828people that you trust. The Web of Trust is a constellation of GnuPG users,
829connected to each other by chains of trust expressed through signatures.</p>
830
831</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
832
833<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
834<div id="step-5a" class="step">
835<div class="sidebar">
836
837<p><img
838src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step5a-key-properties.png"
839alt="Section 5: trusting a key" /></p>
840
841</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
842<div class="main">
843
844<h3><em>Step 5.a</em> Sign a key</h3>
845
df371bd3 846<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>
a6ffc443 847
df371bd3 848<p>Under "Your Acceptance," you can select <i>Yes, I've verified in person this key has the correct fingerprint"</i>.</p>
a6ffc443
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849
850<p class="notes">You've just effectively said "I trust that Edward's public
851key actually belongs to Edward." This doesn't mean much because Edward isn't
852a 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>
853
854<!--<div id="pgp-pathfinder">
855
856<form enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded" action="/mk_path.cgi"
857method="get">
858
859<p><strong>From:</strong><input type="text" value="xD41A008"
860name="FROM"></p>
861
862<p><strong>To:</strong><input type="text" value="50BD01x4" name="TO"></p>
863
864<p class="buttons"><input type="submit" value="trust paths" name="PATHS"><input
865type="reset" value="reset" name=".reset"></p>
866
867</form>
868
869</div>End #pgp-pathfinder -->
870</div><!-- End .main -->
871</div><!-- End #step-5a .step -->
872
873<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
874<div id="step-identify_keys" class="step">
875<div class="main">
876
877<h3>Identifying keys: Fingerprints and IDs</h3>
878
879<p>People's public keys are usually identified by their key fingerprint,
880which is a string of digits like F357AA1A5B1FA42CFD9FE52A9FF2194CC09A61E8
881(for Edward's key). You can see the fingerprint for your public key, and
882other public keys saved on your computer, by going to OpenPGP Key
883Management in your email program's menu, then right clicking on the key
884and choosing Key Properties. It's good practice to share your fingerprint
885wherever you share your email address, so that people can double-check that
886they have the correct public key when they download yours from a keyserver.</p>
887
888<p class="notes">You may also see public keys referred to by a shorter
889keyID. This keyID is visible directly from the Key Management
890window. These eight character keyIDs were previously used for
891identification, which used to be safe, but is no longer reliable. You
892need to check the full fingerprint as part of verifying you have the
893correct key for the person you are trying to contact. Spoofing, in
894which someone intentionally generates a key with a fingerprint whose
895final eight characters are the same as another, is unfortunately
896common.</p>
897
898</div><!-- End .main -->
899</div><!-- End #step-identify_keys .step-->
900
901<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
902<div id="check-ids-before-signing" class="step">
903<div class="main">
904
905<h3><em>Important:</em> What to consider when signing keys</h3>
906
907<p>Before signing a person's key, you need to be confident that it actually
908belongs to them, and that they are who they say they are. Ideally, this
909confidence comes from having interactions and conversations with them over
910time, and witnessing interactions between them and others. Whenever signing
911a key, ask to see the full public key fingerprint, and not just the shorter
912keyID. If you feel it's important to sign the key of someone you've just
913met, also ask them to show you their government identification, and make
914sure the name on the ID matches the name on the public key.</p>
915
916<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
917<div class="troubleshooting">
918
919<h4>Advanced</h4>
920
921<dl>
922<dt>Master the Web of Trust</dt>
923<dd>Unfortunately, trust does not spread between users the way <a
924href="https://fennetic.net/irc/finney.org/~hal/web_of_trust.html">many people
925think</a>. One of the best ways to strengthen the GnuPG community is to deeply <a
926href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x334.html">understand</a> the Web of
927Trust and to carefully sign as many people's keys as circumstances permit.</dd>
928</dl>
929
930</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
931</div><!-- End .main -->
932</div><!-- End #check-ids-before-signing .step-->
933</div></section><!-- End #section5 -->
934
935<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 6: Use it well ~~~~~~~~~ -->
936<section id="section6" class="row"><div>
937
938<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
939<div class="section-intro">
940
941<h2><em>#6</em> Use it well</h2>
942
943<p>Everyone uses GnuPG a little differently, but it's important to follow
944some basic practices to keep your email secure. Not following them, you
945risk the privacy of the people you communicate with, as well as your own,
946and damage the Web of Trust.</p>
947
948</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
949
950<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
951<div id="step-6a" class="step">
952<div class="sidebar">
953
954<p><img
955src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section6-01-use-it-well.png"
956alt="Section 6: Use it Well (1)" /></p>
957
958</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
959<div class="main">
960
961<h3>When should I encrypt? When should I sign?</h3>
962
963<p>The more you can encrypt your messages, the better. If you only encrypt
964emails occasionally, each encrypted message could raise a red flag for
965surveillance systems. If all or most of your email is encrypted, people
966doing surveillance won't know where to start. That's not to say that only
967encrypting some of your email isn't helpful -- it's a great start and it
968makes bulk surveillance more difficult.</p>
969
970<p>Unless you don't want to reveal your own identity (which requires other
971protective measures), there's no reason not to sign every message, whether or
972not you are encrypting. In addition to allowing those with GnuPG to verify
973that the message came from you, signing is a non-intrusive way to remind
974everyone that you use GnuPG and show support for secure communication. If you
975often send signed messages to people that aren't familiar with GnuPG, it's
976nice to also include a link to this guide in your standard email signature
977(the text kind, not the cryptographic kind).</p>
978
979</div><!-- End .main -->
980</div><!-- End #step-6a .step -->
981
982<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
983<div id="step-6b" class="step">
984<div class="sidebar">
985
986<p><img
987src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section6-02-use-it-well.png"
988alt="Section 6: Use it Well (2)" /></p>
989
990</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
991<div class="main">
992
993<h3>Be wary of invalid keys</h3>
994
995<p>GnuPG makes email safer, but it's still important to watch out for invalid
996keys, which might have fallen into the wrong hands. Email encrypted with
997invalid keys might be readable by surveillance programs.</p>
998
999<p>In your email program, go back to the first encrypted email that Edward
1000sent you. Because Edward encrypted it with your public key, it will have a
1001green checkmark a at the top "OpenPGP" button.</p>
1002
df371bd3 1003<p><strong>When using GnuPG, make a habit of glancing at that button. The program
a6ffc443 1004will warn you there if you get an email signed with a key that can't
df371bd3 1005be trusted.</strong></p>
a6ffc443
AE
1006
1007</div><!-- End .main -->
1008</div><!-- End #step-6b .step -->
1009
1010<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1011<div id="step-6c" class="step">
1012<div class="main">
1013
1014<h3>Copy your revocation certificate to somewhere safe</h3>
1015
1016<p>Remember when you created your keys and saved the revocation certificate
1017that 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>
1018
1019<p>If your private key ever gets lost or stolen, you'll need this certificate
1020file to let people know that you are no longer using that keypair.</p>
1021
1022</div><!-- End .main -->
1023</div><!-- End #step-6c .step -->
1024
1025<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1026<div id="step-lost_key" class="step">
1027<div class="main">
1028
1029<h3><em>IMPORTANT:</em> ACT SWIFTLY if someone gets your private key</h3>
1030
1031<p>If you lose your private key or someone else gets a hold
1032of it (say, by stealing or cracking your computer), it's
1033important to revoke it immediately before someone else uses
1034it to read your encrypted email or forge your signature. This
1035guide doesn't cover how to revoke a key, but you can follow these <a
1036href="https://www.hackdiary.com/2004/01/18/revoking-a-gpg-key/">instructions</a>.
1037After you're done revoking, make a new key and send an email to everyone
1038with whom you usually use your key to make sure they know, including a copy
1039of your new key.</p>
1040
1041</div><!-- End .main -->
1042</div><!-- End #step-lost_key .step-->
1043
1044<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1045<div id="webmail-and-GnuPG" class="step">
1046<div class="main">
1047
1048<h3>Webmail and GnuPG</h3>
1049
1050<p>When you use a web browser to access your email, you're using webmail,
1051an email program stored on a distant website. Unlike webmail, your desktop
1052email program runs on your own computer. Although webmail can't decrypt
1053encrypted email, it will still display it in its encrypted form. If you
1054primarily use webmail, you'll know to open your email client when you receive
1055a scrambled email.</p>
1056
1057</div><!-- End .main -->
1058</div><!-- End #webmail-and-GnuPG .step-->
1059
1060<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1061<div id="step-6d" class="step">
1062<div class="main">
1063
1064<h3>Make your public key part of your online identity</h3>
1065
1066<p> First add your public key fingerprint to your email signature, then
1067compose an email to at least five of your friends, telling them you just
1068set up GnuPG and mentioning your public key fingerprint. Link to this guide
1069and ask them to join you. Don't forget that there's also an awesome <a
1070href="infographic.html">infographic to share.</a></p>
1071
1072<p class="notes">Start writing your public key fingerprint anywhere someone
1073would see your email address: your social media profiles, blog, Website,
1074or business card. (At the Free Software Foundation, we put ours on our
1075<a href="https://fsf.org/about/staff">staff page</a>.) We need to get our
1076culture to the point that we feel like something is missing when we see an
1077email address without a public key fingerprint.</p>
1078
1079</div><!-- End .main-->
1080</div><!-- End #step-6d .step-->
1081</div></section><!-- End #section6 -->
1082
1083<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 7: Next steps ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1084<section class="row" id="section7">
1085<div id="step-click_here" class="step">
1086<div class="main">
1087
1088<h2><a href="next_steps.html">Great job! Check out the next steps.</a></h2>
1089
1090</div><!-- End .main -->
1091</div><!-- End #step-click_here .step-->
1092</section><!-- End #section7 -->
1093
1094<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FAQ ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1095<!-- When un-commenting this section go to main.css and search
1096for /* Guide Sections Background */ then add #faq to the desired color
1097<section class="row" id="faq"><div>
1098<div class="sidebar">
1099
1100<h2>FAQ</h2>
1101
1102</div>
1103<div class="main">
1104
1105<dl>
1106<dt>My key expired</dt>
1107<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1108
1109<dt>Who can read encrypted messages? Who can read signed ones?</dt>
1110<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1111
1112<dt>My email program is opening at times I don't want it to open/is now my
1113default program and I don't want it to be.</dt>
1114<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1115</dl>
1116
1117</div>
1118</div>
1119</section> --><!-- End #faq -->
1120
1121<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Footer ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1122<footer class="row" id="footer"><div>
1123<div id="copyright">
1124
1125<h4><a href="https://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
1126alt="Free Software Foundation"
1127src="../static/img/fsf-logo.png" /></a></h4>
1128
1129<p>Copyright &copy; 2014-2021 <a
1130href="https://u.fsf.org/ys">Free Software Foundation</a>, Inc. <a
1131href="https://my.fsf.org/donate/privacypolicy.html">Privacy Policy</a>. Please
1132support our work by <a href="https://u.fsf.org/yr">joining us as an associate
1133member.</a></p>
1134
1135<p>The images on this page are under a <a
1136href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons
1137Attribution 4.0 license (or later version)</a>, and the rest of it is under
1138a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">Creative Commons
1139Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license (or later version)</a>. Download the <a
1140href="https://agpl.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/edward/CURRENT/edward.tar.gz">
1141source code of Edward reply bot</a> by Andrew Engelbrecht
1142&lt;andrew@engelbrecht.io&gt; and Josh Drake &lt;zamnedix@gnu.org&gt;,
1143available under the GNU Affero General Public License. <a
1144href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#OtherLicenses">Why these
1145licenses?</a></p>
1146
1147<p>Fonts used in the guide &amp; infographic: <a
1148href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Dosis">Dosis</a> by Pablo
1149Impallari, <a href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Signika">Signika</a>
1150by Anna Giedry&#347;, <a
1151href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Archivo+Narrow">Archivo
1152Narrow</a> by Omnibus-Type, <a
1153href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Graphics_Howto#Pitfalls">PXL-2000</a>
1154by Florian Cramer.</p>
1155
1156<p>Download the <a href="emailselfdefense_source.zip">source package</a>
1157for this guide, including fonts, image source files and the text of Edward's
1158messages.</p>
1159
1160<p>This site uses the Weblabels standard for labeling <a
1161href="https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/freejs">free JavaScript</a>. View
1162the JavaScript <a href="https://weblabels.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/"
1163rel="jslicense">source code and license information</a>.</p>
1164
1165</div><!-- /#copyright -->
1166
1167<p class="credits">Infographic and guide design by <a rel="external"
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1170alt="Journalism++" /></a></p><!-- /.credits -->
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