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5 <title>Email Self-Defense - a guide to fighting surveillance with GnuPG
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9 <meta name=
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10 rights and makes free speech risky. This guide will teach you email
11 self-defense in 40 minutes with GnuPG." />
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249 <div id=
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250 <div id=
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251 <div id=
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252 <i class=
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254 <h2>Join us and make an impact!
</h2>
256 <div id=
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257 <div id=
"fsf-modal-window-elem-text">
261 Our associate members are the heart of the FSF's commitment to a society where software respects our freedom and dignity. Every individual that takes a stand will help us reach our goal to welcome
600 new free software advocates by December
31st.
265 <p><span id=
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269 <div id=
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272 <a style=
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275 <div style=
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276 <a style=
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279 <div style=
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280 <a style=
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"https://my.fsf.org/donate?pk_campaign=frfall2019&pk_source=modal" onclick=
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</a>
284 <div id="fsf-modal-window-elem-maybe-later">
285 <a onclick="//fsfModalWindowElemMaybeLater();">maybe later</a>
292 <script type=
"text/javascript">
293 // @license magnet:?xt=urn:btih:
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3.0.txt GPL-
3.0
295 // licensed GPLv3-or-later by Andrew Engelbrecht
297 var startTime, endTime, switchTextTime;
299 startTime = new Date('
2019-
11-
18T04:
00:
00Z');
300 switchTextTime = new Date('
2019-
12-
12T04:
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01T04:
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311 return; // don't switch the dbd text
315 document.getElementById(
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317 <p>Our associate members are the heart of the FSF\'s commitment to a society where software respects our freedom and dignity. Every individual that takes a stand will help us reach our goal to welcome
600 new free software advocates by December
31st.
</p> \
319 <p><span id=
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322 // show fsf-modal-window-elem if it hasn't been previously closed by
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330 // if (now.getTime() < startTime.getTime() || now.getTime()
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335 pattern = /showFsfFall2019FundraiserModalWindowElementP\s*=\s*false/;
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418 window.addEventListener(
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421 fsfModalWindowElemDontShowForAWhile();
431 <!-- end fsf-modal-window-elem campaign element -->
433 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ GnuPG Header and introduction text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
434 <header class=
"row" id=
"header"><div>
436 <h1>Email Self-Defense
</h1>
438 <!-- Language list for browsers that do not have JS enabled -->
439 <ul id=
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440 <li><a class=
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452 <li><a href=
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456 <li><a href=
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457 <strong><span style=
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460 <ul id=
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461 <li class=
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462 <li><a href=
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</a></li>
463 <li><a href=
"windows.html">Windows
</a></li>
464 <li class=
"spacer"><a href=
"workshops.html">Teach your friends
</a></li>
465 <li class=
"spacer"><a
466 href=
"https://fsf.org/share?u=https://u.fsf.org/zb&t=Email encryption for everyone via %40fsf">
468 <img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/gnu-social.png" class=
"share-logo"
469 alt=
"[GNU Social]" />
470 <img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/pump.io.png" class=
"share-logo"
471 alt=
"[Pump.io]" />
472 <img src=
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"share-logo"
473 alt=
"[Reddit]" />
474 <img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/hacker-news.png" class=
"share-logo"
475 alt=
"[Hacker News]" /></a></li>
478 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FSF Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
481 <h3><a href=
"http://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
482 alt=
"Free Software Foundation"
483 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/fsf-logo.png" />
486 <div class=
"fsf-emphasis">
488 <p>We fight for computer users' rights, and promote the development of free (as
489 in freedom) software. Resisting bulk surveillance is very important to us.
</p>
491 <p><strong>Please donate to support Email Self-Defense. We need to keep
492 improving it, and making more materials, for the benefit of people around
493 the world taking the first step towards protecting their privacy.
</strong></p>
498 href=
"https://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=14&pk_campaign=email_self_defense&pk_kwd=guide_donate"><img
500 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/donate.png" /></a></p>
502 </div><!-- End #fsf-intro -->
504 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Guide Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
507 <p><a id=
"infographic" href=
"infographic.html"><img
508 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/infographic-button.png"
509 alt=
"View & share our infographic →" /></a>
510 Bulk surveillance violates our fundamental rights and makes free speech
511 risky. This guide will teach you a basic surveillance self-defense skill: email
512 encryption. Once you've finished, you'll be able to send and receive emails
513 that are scrambled to make sure a surveillance agent or thief intercepting
514 your email can't read them. All you need is a computer with an Internet
515 connection, an email account, and about forty minutes.
</p>
517 <p>Even if you have nothing to hide, using encryption helps protect the privacy
518 of people you communicate with, and makes life difficult for bulk surveillance
519 systems. If you do have something important to hide, you're in good company;
520 these are the same tools that whistleblowers use to protect their identities
521 while shining light on human rights abuses, corruption and other crimes.
</p>
523 <p>In addition to using encryption, standing up
524 to surveillance requires fighting politically for a
<a
525 href=
"http://gnu.org/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">reduction
526 in the amount of data collected on us
</a>, but the essential first step is
527 to protect yourself and make surveillance of your communication as difficult
528 as possible. This guide helps you do that. It is designed for beginners, but
529 if you already know the basics of GnuPG or are an experienced free software
530 user, you'll enjoy the advanced tips and the
<a href=
"workshops.html">guide
531 to teaching your friends
</a>.
</p>
533 </div><!-- End .intro -->
534 </div></header><!-- End #header -->
536 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 1: Get the pieces ~~~~~~~~~ -->
537 <section class=
"row" id=
"section1"><div>
539 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
540 <div class=
"section-intro">
542 <h2><em>#
1</em> Get the pieces
</h2>
544 <p class=
"notes">This guide relies on software which is
<a
545 href=
"https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">freely licensed
</a>;
546 it's completely transparent and anyone can copy it or make their
547 own version. This makes it safer from surveillance than proprietary
548 software (like Windows). Learn more about free software at
<a
549 href=
"https://u.fsf.org/ys">fsf.org
</a>.
</p>
551 <p>Most GNU/Linux operating systems come with GnuPG installed on them,
552 so you don't have to download it. Before configuring GnuPG though, you'll
553 need the IceDove desktop email program installed on your computer. Most
554 GNU/Linux distributions have IceDove installed already, though it may be
555 under the alternate name
"Thunderbird." Email programs are another way to
556 access the same email accounts you can access in a browser (like Gmail),
557 but provide extra features.
</p>
559 <p>If you already have an email program, you can skip to
<a
560 href=
"#step-1b">Step
1.b
</a>.
</p>
562 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
564 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
565 <div id=
"step-1a" class=
"step">
566 <div class=
"sidebar">
569 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1a-install-wizard.png"
570 alt=
"Step 1.A: Install Wizard" /></p>
572 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
575 <h3><em>Step
1.a
</em> Set up your email program with your email account
</h3>
577 <p>Open your email program and follow the wizard (step-by-step walkthrough)
578 that sets it up with your email account.
</p>
580 <p>Look for the letters SSL, TLS, or STARTTLS to the right of the servers
581 when you're setting up your account. If you don't see them, you will still
582 be able to use encryption, but this means that the people running your email
583 system are running behind the industry standard in protecting your security
584 and privacy. We recommend that you send them a friendly email asking them
585 to enable SSL, TLS, or STARTTLS for your email server. They will know what
586 you're talking about, so it's worth making the request even if you aren't
587 an expert on these security systems.
</p>
589 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
590 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
592 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
595 <dt>The wizard doesn't launch
</dt>
596 <dd>You can launch the wizard yourself, but the menu option for doing so is
597 named differently in each email program. The button to launch it will be in
598 the program's main menu, under
"New" or something similar, titled something
599 like
"Add account" or
"New/Existing email account."</dd>
601 <dt>The wizard can't find my account or isn't downloading my mail
</dt>
602 <dd>Before searching the Web, we recommend you start by asking other people
603 who use your email system, to figure out the correct settings.
</dd>
605 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
606 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
607 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
611 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
612 </div><!-- End .main -->
613 </div><!-- End #step1-a .step -->
615 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
616 <div id=
"step-1b" class=
"step">
617 <div class=
"sidebar">
619 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-01-tools-addons.png"
620 alt=
"Step 1.B: Tools -> Add-ons" /></li>
621 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-02-search.png"
622 alt=
"Step 1.B: Search Add-ons" /></li>
623 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-03-install.png"
624 alt=
"Step 1.B: Install Add-ons" /></li>
627 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
630 <h3><em>Step
1.b
</em> Install the Enigmail plugin for your email program
</h3>
632 <p>In your email program's menu, select Add-ons (it may be in the Tools
633 section). Make sure Extensions is selected on the left. Do you see Enigmail?
634 Make sure it's the latest version. If so, skip this step.
</p>
636 <p>If not, search
"Enigmail" with the search bar in the upper right. You
637 can take it from here. Restart your email program when you're done.
</p>
639 <p>There are major security flaws in versions of GnuPG prior to
2.2.8, and
640 Enigmail prior to
2.0.7. Make sure you have GnuPG
2.2.8 and Enigmail
2.0.7,
641 or later versions.
</p>
643 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
644 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
646 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
649 <dt>I can't find the menu.
</dt>
650 <dd>In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image of
651 three stacked horizontal bars.
</dd>
653 <dt>My email looks weird
</dt>
654 <dd>Enigmail doesn't tend to play nice with HTML, which is used to format
655 emails, so it may disable your HTML formatting automatically. To send an
656 HTML-formatted email without encryption or a signature, hold down the Shift
657 key when you select compose. You can then write an email as if Enigmail
660 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
661 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
662 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
666 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
667 </div><!-- End .main -->
668 </div><!-- End #step-1b .step -->
669 </div></section><!-- End #section1 -->
671 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 2: Make your keys ~~~~~~~~~ -->
672 <section class=
"row" id=
"section2"><div>
674 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
675 <div class=
"section-intro">
677 <h2><em>#
2</em> Make your keys
</h2>
679 <p>To use the GnuPG system, you'll need a public key and a private key (known
680 together as a keypair). Each is a long string of randomly generated numbers
681 and letters that are unique to you. Your public and private keys are linked
682 together by a special mathematical function.
</p>
684 <p>Your public key isn't like a physical key, because it's stored in the open
685 in an online directory called a keyserver. People download it and use it,
686 along with GnuPG, to encrypt emails they send to you. You can think of the
687 keyserver as a phonebook; people who want to send you encrypted email can
688 look up your public key.
</p>
690 <p>Your private key is more like a physical key, because you keep it to
691 yourself (on your computer). You use GnuPG and your private key together to
692 descramble encrypted emails other people send to you.
<span style=
"font-weight:
693 bold;">You should never share your private key with anyone, under any
694 circumstances.
</span></p>
696 <p>In addition to encryption and decryption, you can also use these keys to
697 sign messages and check the authenticity of other people's signatures. We'll
698 discuss this more in the next section.
</p>
700 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
702 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
703 <div id=
"step-2a" class=
"step">
704 <div class=
"sidebar">
707 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step2a-01-make-keypair.png"
708 alt=
"Step 2.A: Make a Keypair" /></p>
710 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
713 <h3><em>Step
2.a
</em> Make a keypair
</h3>
715 <p>The Enigmail Setup wizard may start automatically. If it doesn't, select
716 Enigmail
→ Setup Wizard from your email program's menu. You don't need
717 to read the text in the window that pops up unless you'd like to, but it's
718 good to read the text on the later screens of the wizard. Click Next with
719 the default options selected, except in these instances, which are listed
720 in the order they appear:
</p>
723 <li>On the screen titled
"Encryption," select
"Encrypt all of my messages
724 by default, because privacy is critical to me."</li>
726 <li>On the screen titled
"Signing," select
"Don't sign my messages by
729 <li>On the screen titled
"Key Selection," select
"I want to create a new
730 key pair for signing and encrypting my email."</li>
732 <li>On the screen titled
"Create Key," pick a strong password! You can
733 do it manually, or you can use the Diceware method. Doing it manually
734 is faster but not as secure. Using Diceware takes longer and requires
735 dice, but creates a password that is much harder for attackers to figure
736 out. To use it, read the section
"Make a secure passphrase with Diceware" in
<a
737 href=
"https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/">
738 this article
</a> by Micah Lee.
</li>
741 <p>If you'd like to pick a password manually, come up with something
742 you can remember which is at least twelve characters long, and includes
743 at least one lower case and upper case letter and at least one number or
744 punctuation symbol. Never pick a password you've used elsewhere. Don't use
745 any recognizable patterns, such as birthdays, telephone numbers, pets' names,
746 song lyrics, quotes from books, and so on.
</p>
748 <p class=
"notes">The program will take a little while to finish the next
749 step, the
"Key Creation" screen. While you wait, do something else with your
750 computer, like watching a movie or browsing the Web. The more you use the
751 computer at this point, the faster the key creation will go.
</p>
753 <p><span style=
"font-weight: bold;">When the
"Key Generation Completed" screen
754 pops up, select Generate Certificate and choose to save it in a safe place on
755 your computer (we recommend making a folder called
"Revocation Certificate"
756 in your home folder and keeping it there). This step is essential for your
757 email self-defense, as you'll learn more about in
<a href=
"#section5">Section
760 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
761 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
763 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
766 <dt>I can't find the Enigmail menu.
</dt>
767 <dd>In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image
768 of three stacked horizontal bars. Enigmail may be inside a section called
771 <dt>The wizard says that it cannot find GnuPG.
</dt>
772 <dd>Open whatever program you usually use for installing software, and search
773 for GnuPG, then install it. Then restart the Enigmail setup wizard by going
774 to Enigmail
→ Setup Wizard.
</dd>
776 <dt>More resources
</dt>
777 <dd>If you're having trouble with our
778 instructions or just want to learn more, check out
<a
779 href=
"https://www.enigmail.net/documentation/Key_Management#Generating_your_own_key_pair">
780 Enigmail's wiki instructions for key generation
</a>.
</dd>
782 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
783 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
784 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
788 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
790 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
791 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
796 <dt>Command line key generation
</dt>
797 <dd>If you prefer using the command line for a higher
798 degree of control, you can follow the documentation from
<a
799 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/c14.html#AEN25">The GNU Privacy
800 Handbook
</a>. Make sure you stick with
"RSA and RSA" (the default),
801 because it's newer and more secure than the algorithms the documentation
802 recommends. Also make sure your key is at least
2048 bits, or
4096 if you
803 want to be extra secure.
</dd>
805 <dt>Advanced key pairs
</dt>
806 <dd>When GnuPG creates a new keypair, it compartmentalizes
807 the encryption function from the signing function through
<a
808 href=
"https://wiki.debian.org/Subkeys">subkeys
</a>. If you use
809 subkeys carefully, you can keep your GnuPG identity much more
810 secure and recover from a compromised key much more quickly.
<a
811 href=
"https://alexcabal.com/creating-the-perfect-gpg-keypair/">Alex Cabal
</a>
812 and
<a href=
"http://keyring.debian.org/creating-key.html">the Debian wiki
</a>
813 provide good guides for setting up a secure subkey configuration.
</dd>
816 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
817 </div><!-- End .main -->
818 </div><!-- End #step-2a .step -->
820 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
821 <div id=
"step-2b" class=
"step">
824 <h3><em>Step
2.b
</em> Upload your public key to a keyserver
</h3>
826 <p>In your email program's menu, select Enigmail
→ Key Management.
</p>
828 <p>Right click on your key and select Upload Public Keys to Keyserver. You
829 don't have to use the default keyserver. If, after research, you would like
830 to change to a different default keyserver, you can change that setting
831 manually in the Enigmail preferences.
</p>
833 <p class=
"notes">Now someone who wants to send you an encrypted message can
834 download your public key from the Internet. There are multiple keyservers
835 that you can select from the menu when you upload, but they are all copies
836 of each other, so it doesn't matter which one you use. However, it sometimes
837 takes a few hours for them to match each other when a new key is uploaded.
</p>
839 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
840 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
842 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
845 <dt>The progress bar never finishes
</dt>
846 <dd>Close the upload popup, make sure you are connected to the Internet,
847 and try again. If that doesn't work, try again, selecting a different
850 <dt>My key doesn't appear in the list
</dt>
851 <dd>Try checking
"Display All Keys by Default."</dd>
853 <dt>More documentation
</dt>
854 <dd>If you're having trouble with our
855 instructions or just want to learn more, check out
<a
856 href=
"https://www.enigmail.net/documentation/Key_Management#Distributing_your_public_key">
857 Enigmail's documentation
</a>.
</dd>
859 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
860 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
861 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
865 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
867 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
868 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
873 <dt>Uploading a key from the command line
</dt>
874 <dd>You can also upload your keys to a keyserver through the
<a
875 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x457.html">command line
</a>.
<a
876 href=
"https://sks-keyservers.net/overview-of-pools.php">The sks Web site
</a>
877 maintains a list of highly interconnected keyservers. You can also
<a
878 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x56.html#AEN64">directly export
879 your key
</a> as a file on your computer.
</dd>
882 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
883 </div><!-- End .main -->
884 </div><!-- End #step-2b .step -->
886 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
887 <div id=
"terminology" class=
"step">
890 <h3>GnuPG, OpenPGP, what?
</h3>
892 <p>In general, the terms GnuPG, GPG, GNU Privacy Guard, OpenPGP and PGP
893 are used interchangeably. Technically, OpenPGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the
894 encryption standard, and GNU Privacy Guard (often shortened to GPG or GnuPG)
895 is the program that implements the standard. Enigmail is a plug-in program
896 for your email program that provides an interface for GnuPG.
</p>
898 </div><!-- End .main -->
899 </div><!-- End #terminology.step-->
900 </div></section><!-- End #section2 -->
902 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 3: Try it out ~~~~~~~~~ -->
903 <section class=
"row" id=
"section3"><div>
905 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
906 <div class=
"section-intro">
908 <h2><em>#
3</em> Try it out!
</h2>
910 <p>Now you'll try a test correspondence with a computer program named Edward,
911 who knows how to use encryption. Except where noted, these are the same
912 steps you'd follow when corresponding with a real, live person.
</p>
914 <!-- <p>NOTE: Edward is currently having some technical difficulties, so he
915 may take a long time to respond, or not respond at all. We're sorry about
916 this and we're working hard to fix it. Your key will still work even without
917 testing with Edward.</p> -->
918 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
920 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
921 <div id=
"step-3a" class=
"step">
922 <div class=
"sidebar">
925 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section3-try-it-out.png"
926 alt=
"Try it out." /></p>
928 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
931 <h3><em>Step
3.a
</em> Send Edward your public key
</h3>
933 <p>This is a special step that you won't have to do when corresponding
934 with real people. In your email program's menu, go to Enigmail
→ Key
935 Management. You should see your key in the list that pops up. Right click
936 on your key and select Send Public Keys by Email. This will create a new
937 draft message, as if you had just hit the Write button.
</p>
939 <p>Address the message to
<a
940 href=
"mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org
</a>. Put at least one word
941 (whatever you want) in the subject and body of the email. Don't send yet.
</p>
943 <p>The lock icon in the top left should be yellow, meaning encryption is
944 turned on. We want this first special message to be unencrypted, so
945 click the icon once to turn it off. The lock should become grey, with a
946 blue dot on it (to alert you that the setting has been changed from the
947 default). Once encryption is off, hit Send.
</p>
949 <p class=
"notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
950 respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the
<a
951 href=
"#section5">Use it Well
</a> section of this guide. Once he's responded,
952 head to the next step. From here on, you'll be doing just the same thing as
953 when corresponding with a real person.
</p>
955 <p>When you open Edward's reply, GnuPG may prompt you for your password
956 before using your private key to decrypt it.
</p>
958 </div><!-- End .main -->
959 </div><!-- End #step-3a .step -->
961 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
962 <div id=
"step-3b" class=
"step">
965 <h3><em>Step
3.b
</em> Send a test encrypted email
</h3>
967 <p>Write a new email in your email program, addressed to
<a
968 href=
"mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org
</a>. Make the subject
969 "Encryption test" or something similar and write something in the body.
</p>
971 <p>The lock icon in the top left of the window should be yellow, meaning
972 encryption is on. This will be your default from now on.
</p>
974 <p class=
"notes">Next to the lock, you'll notice an icon of a pencil. We'll
975 get to this in a moment.
</p>
977 <p>Click Send. Enigmail will pop up a window that says
"Recipients not valid,
978 not trusted or not found."</p>
980 <p>To encrypt an email to Edward, you need his public key, so now you'll have
981 Enigmail download it from a keyserver. Click Download Missing Keys and use
982 the default in the pop-up that asks you to choose a keyserver. Once it finds
983 keys, check the first one (Key ID starting with C), then select ok. Select
984 ok in the next pop-up.
</p>
986 <p>Now you are back at the
"Recipients not valid, not trusted or not found"
987 screen. Check the box in front of Edward's key and click Send.
</p>
989 <p class=
"notes">Since you encrypted this email with Edward's public key,
990 Edward's private key is required to decrypt it. Edward is the only one with
991 his private key, so no one except him can decrypt it.
</p>
993 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
994 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
996 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
999 <dt>Enigmail can't find Edward's key
</dt>
1000 <dd>Close the pop-ups that have appeared since you clicked Send. Make sure
1001 you are connected to the Internet and try again. If that doesn't work, repeat
1002 the process, choosing a different keyserver when it asks you to pick one.
</dd>
1004 <dt>Unscrambled messages in the Sent folder
</dt>
1005 <dd>Even though you can't decrypt messages encrypted to someone else's key,
1006 your email program will automatically save a copy encrypted to your public key,
1007 which you'll be able to view from the Sent folder like a normal email. This
1008 is normal, and it doesn't mean that your email was not sent encrypted.
</dd>
1010 <dt>More resources
</dt>
1011 <dd>If you're still having trouble with our
1012 instructions or just want to learn more, check out
<a
1013 href=
"https://www.enigmail.net/documentation/Signature_and_Encryption#Encrypting_a_message">
1014 Enigmail's wiki
</a>.
</dd>
1016 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
1017 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
1018 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
1022 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
1024 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1025 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
1030 <dt>Encrypt messages from the command line
</dt>
1031 <dd>You can also encrypt and decrypt messages and files from the
<a
1032 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x110.html">command line
</a>,
1033 if that's your preference. The option --armor makes the encrypted output
1034 appear in the regular character set.
</dd>
1037 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
1038 </div><!-- End .main -->
1039 </div><!-- End #step-3b .step -->
1041 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1042 <div id=
"step-headers_unencrypted" class=
"step">
1045 <h3><em>Important:
</em> Security tips
</h3>
1047 <p>Even if you encrypt your email, the subject line is not encrypted, so
1048 don't put private information there. The sending and receiving addresses
1049 aren't encrypted either, so a surveillance system can still figure out who
1050 you're communicating with. Also, surveillance agents will know that you're
1051 using GnuPG, even if they can't figure out what you're saying. When you
1052 send attachments, Enigmail will give you the choice to encrypt them or not,
1053 independent of the actual email.
</p>
1055 <p>For greater security against potential attacks, you can turn off
1056 HTML. Instead, you can render the message body as plain text. In order
1057 to do this in Thunderbird, go to View
> Message Body As
> Plain
1060 </div><!-- End .main -->
1061 </div><!-- End #step-headers_unencrypted .step-->
1063 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1064 <div id=
"step-3c" class=
"step">
1067 <h3><em>Step
3.c
</em> Receive a response
</h3>
1069 <p>When Edward receives your email, he will use his private key to decrypt
1070 it, then reply to you.
</p>
1072 <p class=
"notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
1073 respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the
<a
1074 href=
"#section5">Use it Well
</a> section of this guide.
</p>
1076 </div><!-- End .main -->
1077 </div><!-- End #step-3c .step -->
1079 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1080 <div id=
"step-3d" class=
"step">
1083 <h3><em>Step
3.d
</em> Send a test signed email
</h3>
1085 <p>GnuPG includes a way for you to sign messages and files, verifying that
1086 they came from you and that they weren't tampered with along the way. These
1087 signatures are stronger than their pen-and-paper cousins -- they're impossible
1088 to forge, because they're impossible to create without your private key
1089 (another reason to keep your private key safe).
</p>
1091 <p>You can sign messages to anyone, so it's a great way to make people
1092 aware that you use GnuPG and that they can communicate with you securely. If
1093 they don't have GnuPG, they will be able to read your message and see your
1094 signature. If they do have GnuPG, they'll also be able to verify that your
1095 signature is authentic.
</p>
1097 <p>To sign an email to Edward, compose any message to him and click the
1098 pencil icon next to the lock icon so that it turns gold. If you sign a
1099 message, GnuPG may ask you for your password before it sends the message,
1100 because it needs to unlock your private key for signing.
</p>
1102 <p>With the lock and pencil icons, you can choose whether each message will
1103 be encrypted, signed, both, or neither.
</p>
1108 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1109 <div id=
"step-3e" class=
"step">
1112 <h3><em>Step
3.e
</em> Receive a response
</h3>
1114 <p>When Edward receives your email, he will use your public key (which
1115 you sent him in
<a href=
"#step-3a">Step
3.A
</a>) to verify the message
1116 you sent has not been tampered with and to encrypt his reply to you.
</p>
1118 <p class=
"notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
1119 respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the
<a
1120 href=
"#section5">Use it Well
</a> section of this guide.
</p>
1122 <p>Edward's reply will arrive encrypted, because he prefers to use encryption
1123 whenever possible. If everything goes according to plan, it should say
1124 "Your signature was verified." If your test signed email was also encrypted,
1125 he will mention that first.
</p>
1127 <p>When you receive Edward's email and open it, Enigmail will
1128 automatically detect that it is encrypted with your public key, and
1129 then it will use your private key to decrypt it.
</p>
1131 <p>Notice the bar that Enigmail shows you above the message, with
1132 information about the status of Edward's key.
</p>
1134 </div><!-- End .main -->
1135 </div><!-- End #step-3e .step -->
1138 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 4: Learn the Web of Trust ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1139 <section class=
"row" id=
"section4"><div>
1141 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1142 <div class=
"section-intro">
1144 <h2><em>#
4</em> Learn the Web of Trust
</h2>
1146 <p>Email encryption is a powerful technology, but it has a weakness;
1147 it requires a way to verify that a person's public key is actually
1148 theirs. Otherwise, there would be no way to stop an attacker from making
1149 an email address with your friend's name, creating keys to go with it and
1150 impersonating your friend. That's why the free software programmers that
1151 developed email encryption created keysigning and the Web of Trust.
</p>
1153 <p>When you sign someone's key, you are publicly saying that you've verified
1154 that it belongs to them and not someone else.
</p>
1156 <p>Signing keys and signing messages use the same type of mathematical
1157 operation, but they carry very different implications. It's a good practice
1158 to generally sign your email, but if you casually sign people's keys, you
1159 may accidently end up vouching for the identity of an imposter.
</p>
1161 <p>People who use your public key can see who has signed it. Once you've
1162 used GnuPG for a long time, your key may have hundreds of signatures. You
1163 can consider a key to be more trustworthy if it has many signatures from
1164 people that you trust. The Web of Trust is a constellation of GnuPG users,
1165 connected to each other by chains of trust expressed through signatures.
</p>
1167 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
1169 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1170 <div id=
"step-4a" class=
"step">
1171 <div class=
"sidebar">
1174 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section4-web-of-trust.png"
1175 alt=
"Section 4: Web of Trust" /></p>
1177 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
1180 <h3><em>Step
4.a
</em> Sign a key
</h3>
1182 <p>In your email program's menu, go to Enigmail
→ Key Management.
</p>
1184 <p>Right click on Edward's public key and select Sign Key from the context
1187 <p>In the window that pops up, select
"I will not answer" and click ok.
</p>
1189 <p>Now you should be back at the Key Management menu. Select Keyserver
→
1190 Upload Public Keys and hit ok.
</p>
1192 <p class=
"notes">You've just effectively said
"I trust that Edward's public
1193 key actually belongs to Edward." This doesn't mean much because Edward isn't
1194 a real person, but it's good practice.
</p>
1196 <!--<div id="pgp-pathfinder">
1198 <form enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded" action="/mk_path.cgi"
1201 <p><strong>From:</strong><input type="text" value="xD41A008"
1204 <p><strong>To:</strong><input type="text" value="50BD01x4" name="TO"></p>
1206 <p class="buttons"><input type="submit" value="trust paths" name="PATHS"><input
1207 type="reset" value="reset" name=".reset"></p>
1211 </div>End #pgp-pathfinder -->
1212 </div><!-- End .main -->
1213 </div><!-- End #step-4a .step -->
1215 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1216 <div id=
"step-identify_keys" class=
"step">
1219 <h3>Identifying keys: Fingerprints and IDs
</h3>
1221 <p>People's public keys are usually identified by their key fingerprint,
1222 which is a string of digits like F357AA1A5B1FA42CFD9FE52A9FF2194CC09A61E8
1223 (for Edward's key). You can see the fingerprint for your public key, and
1224 other public keys saved on your computer, by going to Enigmail
→ Key
1225 Management in your email program's menu, then right clicking on the key
1226 and choosing Key Properties. It's good practice to share your fingerprint
1227 wherever you share your email address, so that people can double-check that
1228 they have the correct public key when they download yours from a keyserver.
</p>
1230 <p class=
"notes">You may also see public keys referred to by a shorter
1231 key ID. This key ID is visible directly from the Key Management
1232 window. These eight character key IDs were previously used for
1233 identification, which used to be safe, but is no longer reliable. You
1234 need to check the full fingerprint as part of verifying you have the
1235 correct key for the person you are trying to contact. Spoofing, in
1236 which someone intentionally generates a key with a fingerprint whose
1237 final eight characters are the same as another, is unfortunately
1240 </div><!-- End .main -->
1241 </div><!-- End #step-identify_keys .step-->
1243 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1244 <div id=
"check-ids-before-signing" class=
"step">
1247 <h3><em>Important:
</em> What to consider when signing keys
</h3>
1249 <p>Before signing a person's key, you need to be confident that it actually
1250 belongs to them, and that they are who they say they are. Ideally, this
1251 confidence comes from having interactions and conversations with them over
1252 time, and witnessing interactions between them and others. Whenever signing
1253 a key, ask to see the full public key fingerprint, and not just the shorter
1254 key ID. If you feel it's important to sign the key of someone you've just
1255 met, also ask them to show you their government identification, and make
1256 sure the name on the ID matches the name on the public key. In Enigmail,
1257 answer honestly in the window that pops up and asks
"How carefully have you
1258 verified that the key you are about to sign actually belongs to the person(s)
1261 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1262 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
1267 <dt>Master the Web of Trust
</dt>
1268 <dd>Unfortunately, trust does not spread between users the way
<a
1269 href=
"http://fennetic.net/irc/finney.org/~hal/web_of_trust.html">many people
1270 think
</a>. One of best ways to strengthen the GnuPG community is to deeply
<a
1271 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x334.html">understand
</a> the Web of
1272 Trust and to carefully sign as many people's keys as circumstances permit.
</dd>
1274 <dt>Set ownertrust
</dt>
1275 <dd>If you trust someone enough to validate other people's keys, you can assign
1276 them an ownertrust level through Enigmails's key management window. Right
1277 click on the other person's key, go to the
"Select Owner Trust" menu option,
1278 select the trustlevel and click OK. Only do this once you feel you have a
1279 deep understanding of the Web of Trust.
</dd>
1282 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
1283 </div><!-- End .main -->
1284 </div><!-- End #check-ids-before-signing .step-->
1285 </div></section><!-- End #section4 -->
1287 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 5: Use it well ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1288 <section id=
"section5" class=
"row"><div>
1290 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1291 <div class=
"section-intro">
1293 <h2><em>#
5</em> Use it well
</h2>
1295 <p>Everyone uses GnuPG a little differently, but it's important to follow
1296 some basic practices to keep your email secure. Not following them, you
1297 risk the privacy of the people you communicate with, as well as your own,
1298 and damage the Web of Trust.
</p>
1300 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
1302 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1303 <div id=
"step-5a" class=
"step">
1304 <div class=
"sidebar">
1307 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section5-01-use-it-well.png"
1308 alt=
"Section 5: Use it Well (1)" /></p>
1310 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
1313 <h3>When should I encrypt? When should I sign?
</h3>
1315 <p>The more you can encrypt your messages, the better. If you only encrypt
1316 emails occasionally, each encrypted message could raise a red flag for
1317 surveillance systems. If all or most of your email is encrypted, people
1318 doing surveillance won't know where to start. That's not to say that only
1319 encrypting some of your email isn't helpful -- it's a great start and it
1320 makes bulk surveillance more difficult.
</p>
1322 <p>Unless you don't want to reveal your own identity (which requires other
1323 protective measures), there's no reason not to sign every message, whether or
1324 not you are encrypting. In addition to allowing those with GnuPG to verify
1325 that the message came from you, signing is a non-intrusive way to remind
1326 everyone that you use GnuPG and show support for secure communication. If you
1327 often send signed messages to people that aren't familiar with GnuPG, it's
1328 nice to also include a link to this guide in your standard email signature
1329 (the text kind, not the cryptographic kind).
</p>
1331 </div><!-- End .main -->
1332 </div><!-- End #step-5a .step -->
1334 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1335 <div id=
"step-5b" class=
"step">
1336 <div class=
"sidebar">
1339 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section5-02-use-it-well.png"
1340 alt=
"Section 5: Use it Well (2)" /></p>
1342 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
1345 <h3>Be wary of invalid keys
</h3>
1347 <p>GnuPG makes email safer, but it's still important to watch out for invalid
1348 keys, which might have fallen into the wrong hands. Email encrypted with
1349 invalid keys might be readable by surveillance programs.
</p>
1351 <p>In your email program, go back to the first encrypted email that Edward
1352 sent you. Because Edward encrypted it with your public key, it will have a
1353 message from Enigmail at the top, which most likely says
"Enigmail: Part of
1354 this message encrypted."</p>
1356 <p><b>When using GnuPG, make a habit of glancing at that bar. The program
1357 will warn you there if you get an email signed with a key that can't
1360 </div><!-- End .main -->
1361 </div><!-- End #step-5b .step -->
1363 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1364 <div id=
"step-5c" class=
"step">
1367 <h3>Copy your revocation certificate to somewhere safe
</h3>
1369 <p>Remember when you created your keys and saved the revocation certificate
1370 that GnuPG made? It's time to copy that certificate onto the safest digital
1371 storage that you have -- the ideal thing is a flash drive, disk, or hard
1372 drive stored in a safe place in your home, not on a device you carry with
1375 <p>If your private key ever gets lost or stolen, you'll need this certificate
1376 file to let people know that you are no longer using that keypair.
</p>
1378 </div><!-- End .main -->
1379 </div><!-- End #step-5c .step -->
1381 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1382 <div id=
"step-lost_key" class=
"step">
1385 <h3><em>Important:
</em> act swiftly if someone gets your private key
</h3>
1387 <p>If you lose your private key or someone else gets ahold
1388 of it (say, by stealing or cracking your computer), it's
1389 important to revoke it immediately before someone else uses
1390 it to read your encrypted email or forge your signature. This
1391 guide doesn't cover how to revoke a key, but you can follow these
<a
1392 href=
"https://www.hackdiary.com/2004/01/18/revoking-a-gpg-key/">instructions
</a>.
1393 After you're done revoking, make a new key and send an email to everyone
1394 with whom you usually use your key to make sure they know, including a copy
1395 of your new key.
</p>
1397 </div><!-- End .main -->
1398 </div><!-- End #step-lost_key .step-->
1400 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1401 <!---<div id="transfer-key" class="step">
1404 <h3>Transferring you key</h3>
1406 <p>You can use Enigmail's <a
1407 href="https://www.enigmail.net/documentation/Key_Management">key management
1408 window</a> to import and export keys. If you want to be able to read
1409 your encrypted email on a different computer, you will need to export
1410 your secret key from here. Be warned, if you transfer the key without <a
1411 href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EncryptedFilesystemsOnRemovableStorage">encrypting</a>
1412 the drive it's on the transfer will be dramatically less secure.</p>
1414 </div>--><!-- End .main
1415 </div> End #transfer-key .step-->
1417 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1418 <div id=
"webmail-and-GnuPG" class=
"step">
1421 <h3>Webmail and GnuPG
</h3>
1423 <p>When you use a web browser to access your email, you're using webmail,
1424 an email program stored on a distant website. Unlike webmail, your desktop
1425 email program runs on your own computer. Although webmail can't decrypt
1426 encrypted email, it will still display it in its encrypted form. If you
1427 primarily use webmail, you'll know to open your email client when you receive
1428 a scrambled email.
</p>
1430 </div><!-- End .main -->
1431 </div><!-- End #webmail-and-GnuPG .step-->
1433 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~
1434 <div id="step-5d" class="step">
1437 <h3>Make your public key part of your online identity</h3>
1439 <p> First add your public key fingerprint to your email signature, then
1440 compose an email to at least five of your friends, telling them you just
1441 set up GnuPG and mentioning your public key fingerprint. Link to this guide
1442 and ask them to join you. Don't forget that there's also an awesome <a
1443 href="infographic.html">infographic to share.</a></p>
1445 <p class="notes">Start writing your public key fingerprint anywhere someone
1446 would see your email address: your social media profiles, blog, Website,
1447 or business card. (At the Free Software Foundation, we put ours on our
1448 <a href="https://fsf.org/about/staff">staff page</a>.) We need to get our
1449 culture to the point that we feel like something is missing when we see an
1450 email address without a public key fingerprint.</p>
1452 </div>--><!-- End .main
1453 </div> End #step-5d .step-->
1454 </div></section><!-- End #section5 -->
1456 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 6: Next steps ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1457 <section class=
"row" id=
"section6">
1458 <div id=
"step-click_here" class=
"step">
1461 <h2><a href=
"next_steps.html">Great job! Check out the next steps.
</a></h2>
1463 </div><!-- End .main -->
1464 </div><!-- End #step-click_here .step-->
1465 </section><!-- End #section6 -->
1467 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FAQ ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1468 <!-- When un-commenting this section go to main.css and search
1469 for /* Guide Sections Background */ then add #faq to the desired color
1470 <section class="row" id="faq"><div>
1471 <div class="sidebar">
1479 <dt>My key expired</dt>
1480 <dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1482 <dt>Who can read encrypted messages? Who can read signed ones?</dt>
1483 <dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1485 <dt>My email program is opening at times I don't want it to open/is now my
1486 default program and I don't want it to be.</dt>
1487 <dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1492 </section> --><!-- End #faq -->
1494 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Footer ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1495 <footer class=
"row" id=
"footer"><div>
1496 <div id=
"copyright">
1498 <h4><a href=
"https://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
1499 alt=
"Free Software Foundation"
1500 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/fsf-logo.png" /></a></h4>
1502 <p>Copyright
© 2014-
2016 <a
1503 href=
"https://u.fsf.org/ys">Free Software Foundation
</a>, Inc.
<a
1504 href=
"https://my.fsf.org/donate/privacypolicy.html">Privacy Policy
</a>. Please
1505 support our work by
<a href=
"https://u.fsf.org/yr">joining us as an associate
1508 <p>The images on this page are under a
<a
1509 href=
"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons
1510 Attribution
4.0 license (or later version)
</a>, and the rest of it is under
1511 a
<a href=
"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">Creative Commons
1512 Attribution-ShareAlike
4.0 license (or later version)
</a>. Download the
<a
1513 href=
"http://agpl.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/edward/CURRENT/edward.tar.gz">
1514 source code of Edward reply bot
</a> by Andrew Engelbrecht
1515 <sudoman@ninthfloor.org
> and Josh Drake
<zamnedix@gnu.org
>,
1516 available under the GNU Affero General Public License.
<a
1517 href=
"http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#OtherLicenses">Why these
1520 <p>Fonts used in the guide
& infographic:
<a
1521 href=
"https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Dosis">Dosis
</a> by Pablo
1522 Impallari,
<a href=
"http://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Signika">Signika
</a>
1523 by Anna Giedry
ś,
<a
1524 href=
"http://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Archivo+Narrow">Archivo
1525 Narrow
</a> by Omnibus-Type,
<a
1526 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Graphics_Howto#Pitfalls">PXL-
2000</a>
1527 by Florian Cramer.
</p>
1529 <p>Download the
<a href=
"emailselfdefense_source.zip">source package
</a>
1530 for this guide, including fonts, image source files and the text of Edward's
1533 <p>This site uses the Weblabels standard for labeling
<a
1534 href=
"https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/freejs">free JavaScript
</a>. View
1535 the JavaScript
<a href=
"//weblabels.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/"
1536 rel=
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</a>.
</p>
1538 </div><!-- /#copyright -->
1540 <p class=
"credits">Infographic and guide design by
<a rel=
"external"
1541 href=
"http://jplusplus.org"><strong>Journalism++
</strong><img
1542 src=
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