1 <!-- include virtual="head.html" -->
3 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ GnuPG Header and introduction text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
4 <header class=
"row" id=
"header"><div>
6 <h1>Email Self-Defense
</h1>
8 <!-- include virtual="translist.html" -->
10 <ul id=
"menu" class=
"os">
11 <!-- START DELETION 01, KEEP IN index -->
12 <li class=
"spacer"><a href=
"index.html" class=
"current">GNU/Linux
</a></li>
13 <li><a href=
"mac.html">Mac OS
</a></li>
14 <li><a href=
"windows.html">Windows
</a></li>
15 <li class=
"spacer"><a href=
"workshops.html">Teach your friends
</a></li>
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18 <li class=
"spacer"><a href=
"index.html">GNU/Linux
</a></li>
19 <li><a href=
"mac.html" class=
"current">Mac OS
</a></li>
20 <li><a href=
"windows.html">Windows
</a></li>
21 <li class=
"spacer"><a href=
"workshops.html">Teach your friends
</a></li>
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24 <li class=
"spacer"><a href=
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</a></li>
25 <li><a href=
"mac.html">Mac OS
</a></li>
26 <li><a href=
"windows.html" class=
"current">Windows
</a></li>
27 <li class=
"spacer"><a href=
"workshops.html">Teach your friends
</a></li>
28 <!-- END DELETION 03 -->
30 href=
"https://fsf.org/share?u=https://u.fsf.org/zb&t=Email encryption for everyone via %40fsf">
32 <img src=
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"share-logo"
33 alt=
"[GNU Social]" />
34 <img src=
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"share-logo"
35 alt=
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36 <img src=
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38 <img src=
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"share-logo"
39 alt=
"[Hacker News]" /></a></li>
42 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FSF Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
45 <h3><a href=
"http://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
46 alt=
"Free Software Foundation"
47 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/fsf-logo.png" />
50 <div class=
"fsf-emphasis">
52 <p>We fight for computer users' rights, and promote the development of free (as
53 in freedom) software. Resisting bulk surveillance is very important to us.
</p>
55 <p><strong>Please donate to support Email Self-Defense. We need to keep
56 improving it, and making more materials, for the benefit of people around
57 the world taking the first step towards protecting their privacy.
</strong></p>
62 href=
"https://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=14&pk_campaign=email_self_defense&pk_kwd=guide_donate"><img
64 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/donate.png" /></a></p>
66 </div><!-- End #fsf-intro -->
68 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Guide Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
71 <p><a id=
"infographic" href=
"infographic.html"><img
72 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/infographic-button.png"
73 alt=
"View & share our infographic →" /></a>
74 Bulk surveillance violates our fundamental rights and makes free speech
75 risky. This guide will teach you a basic surveillance self-defense skill:
76 email encryption. Once you've finished, you'll be able to send and receive
77 emails that are scrambled to make sure anyone, including a surveillance agent
78 or thief, intercepting your email can't read them. All you need is a computer
79 with an Internet connection, an email account, and about forty minutes.
</p>
81 <p>Even if you have nothing to hide, using encryption helps protect the privacy
82 of people you communicate with, and makes life difficult for bulk surveillance
83 systems. If you do have something important to hide, you're in good company;
84 these are the same tools that whistleblowers use to protect their identities
85 while shining light on human rights abuses, corruption and other crimes.
</p>
87 <p>In addition to using encryption, standing up
88 to surveillance requires fighting politically for a
<a
89 href=
"http://gnu.org/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">reduction
90 in the amount of data collected on us
</a>, but the essential first step is
91 to protect yourself and make surveillance of your communication as difficult
92 as possible. This guide helps you do that. It is designed for beginners, but
93 if you already know the basics of GnuPG or are an experienced free software
94 user, you'll enjoy the advanced tips and the
<a href=
"workshops.html">guide
95 to teaching your friends
</a>.
</p>
97 </div><!-- End .intro -->
98 </div></header><!-- End #header -->
100 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 1: Get the pieces ~~~~~~~~~ -->
101 <section class=
"row" id=
"section1"><div>
103 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
104 <div class=
"section-intro">
106 <h2><em>#
1</em> Get the pieces
</h2>
108 <!-- START DELETION 04, KEEP IN index -->
109 <p class=
"notes">This guide relies on software which is
<a
110 href=
"https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">freely licensed
</a>;
111 it's completely transparent and anyone can copy it or make their
112 own version. This makes it safer from surveillance than proprietary
113 software (like Windows). Learn more about free software at
<a
114 href=
"https://u.fsf.org/ys">fsf.org
</a>.
</p>
116 <p>Most GNU/Linux operating systems come with GnuPG installed on them,
117 so you don't have to download it. Before configuring GnuPG though, you'll
118 need the IceDove desktop email program installed on your computer. Most
119 GNU/Linux distributions have IceDove installed already, though it may be
120 under the alternate name
"Thunderbird." Email programs are another way to
121 access the same email accounts you can access in a browser (like Gmail),
122 but provide extra features.
</p>
123 <!-- END DELETION 04 -->
124 <!-- START DELETION 05, KEEP IN mac windows -->
125 <p class=
"notes">This guide relies on software which is
<a
126 href=
"https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">freely licensed
</a>; it's
127 completely transparent and anyone can copy it or make their own version. This
128 makes it safer from surveillance than proprietary software (like Windows or Mac
129 OS). To defend your freedom as well as protect yourself from surveillance, we
130 recommend you switch to a free software operating system like GNU/Linux. Learn
131 more about free software at
<a href=
"https://u.fsf.org/ys">fsf.org
</a>.
</p>
133 <p>To get started, you'll need the IceDove desktop email program installed
134 on your computer. For your system, IceDove may be known by the alternate name
135 "Thunderbird." Email programs are another way to access the same email accounts
136 you can access in a browser (like Gmail), but provide extra features.
</p>
137 <!-- END DELETION 05 -->
139 <p>If you already have an email program, you can skip to
<a
140 href=
"#step-1b">Step
1.b
</a>.
</p>
142 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
144 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
145 <div id=
"step-1a" class=
"step">
146 <div class=
"sidebar">
149 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1a-install-wizard.png"
150 alt=
"Step 1.A: Install Wizard" /></p>
152 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
155 <h3><em>Step
1.a
</em> Set up your email program with your email account
</h3>
157 <p>Open your email program and follow the wizard (step-by-step walkthrough)
158 that sets it up with your email account.
</p>
160 <p>Look for the letters SSL, TLS, or STARTTLS to the right of the servers
161 when you're setting up your account. If you don't see them, you will still
162 be able to use encryption, but this means that the people running your email
163 system are running behind the industry standard in protecting your security
164 and privacy. We recommend that you send them a friendly email asking them
165 to enable SSL, TLS, or STARTTLS for your email server. They will know what
166 you're talking about, so it's worth making the request even if you aren't
167 an expert on these security systems.
</p>
169 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
170 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
172 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
175 <dt>The wizard doesn't launch
</dt>
176 <dd>You can launch the wizard yourself, but the menu option for doing so is
177 named differently in each email program. The button to launch it will be in
178 the program's main menu, under
"New" or something similar, titled something
179 like
"Add account" or
"New/Existing email account."</dd>
181 <dt>The wizard can't find my account or isn't downloading my mail
</dt>
182 <dd>Before searching the Web, we recommend you start by asking other people
183 who use your email system, to figure out the correct settings.
</dd>
185 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
186 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
187 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
191 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
192 </div><!-- End .main -->
193 </div><!-- End #step1-a .step -->
195 <!-- START DELETION 06, KEEP IN mac -->
196 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
197 <div id=
"step-1b" class=
"step">
200 <h3><em>Step
1.b
</em> Get GnuPG by downloading GPGTools
</h3>
202 <p>GPGTools is a software package that includes GnuPG.
<a
203 href=
"https://gpgtools.org/#gpgsuite">Download
</a> and install it, choosing
204 default options whenever asked. After it's installed, you can close any
205 windows that it creates.
</p>
207 </div><!-- End .main -->
208 </div><!-- End #step1-b .step -->
209 <!-- END DELETION 06 -->
210 <!-- START DELETION 07, KEEP IN windows -->
211 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
212 <div id=
"step-1b" class=
"step">
215 <h3><em>Step
1.b
</em> Get GnuPG by downloading GPG4Win
</h3>
217 <p>GPG4Win is a software package that includes GnuPG.
<a
218 href=
"https://www.gpg4win.org/">Download
</a> and install it, choosing default
219 options whenever asked. After it's installed, you can close any windows that
222 </div><!-- End .main -->
223 </div><!-- End #step1-b .step -->
224 <!-- END DELETION 07 -->
225 <!-- START DELETION 08, KEEP IN index -->
226 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
227 <div id=
"step-1b" class=
"step">
228 <div class=
"sidebar">
230 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-01-tools-addons.png"
231 alt=
"Step 1.B: Tools -> Add-ons" /></li>
232 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-02-search.png"
233 alt=
"Step 1.B: Search Add-ons" /></li>
234 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-03-install.png"
235 alt=
"Step 1.B: Install Add-ons" /></li>
238 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
241 <h3><em>Step
1.b
</em> Install the Enigmail plugin for your email program
</h3>
242 <!-- END DELETION 08 -->
243 <!-- START DELETION 09, KEEP IN mac windows -->
245 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
246 <div id=
"step-1c" class=
"step">
247 <div class=
"sidebar">
249 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-01-tools-addons.png"
250 alt=
"Step 1.C: Tools -> Add-ons" /></li>
251 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-02-search.png"
252 alt=
"Step 1.C: Search Add-ons" /></li>
253 <li><img src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step1b-03-install.png"
254 alt=
"Step 1.C: Install Add-ons" /></li>
257 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
260 <h3><em>Step
1.c
</em> Install the Enigmail plugin for your email program
</h3>
261 <!-- END DELETION 09 -->
263 <p>In your email program's menu, select Add-ons (it may be in the Tools
264 section). Make sure Extensions is selected on the left. Do you see Enigmail? If
265 so, skip this step.
</p>
267 <p>If not, search
"Enigmail" with the search bar in the upper right. You
268 can take it from here. Restart your email program when you're done.
</p>
270 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
271 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
273 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
276 <dt>I can't find the menu.
</dt>
277 <dd>In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image of
278 three stacked horizontal bars.
</dd>
280 <dt>My email looks weird
</dt>
281 <dd>Enigmail doesn't tend to play nice with HTML, which is used to format
282 emails, so it may disable your HTML formatting automatically. To send an
283 HTML-formatted email without encryption or a signature, hold down the Shift
284 key when you select compose. You can then write an email as if Enigmail
287 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
288 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
289 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
293 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
294 </div><!-- End .main -->
295 </div><!-- End #step-1b .step -->
296 </div></section><!-- End #section1 -->
298 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 2: Make your keys ~~~~~~~~~ -->
299 <section class=
"row" id=
"section2"><div>
301 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
302 <div class=
"section-intro">
304 <h2><em>#
2</em> Make your keys
</h2>
306 <p>To use the GnuPG system, you'll need a public key and a private key (known
307 together as a keypair). Each is a long string of randomly generated numbers
308 and letters that are unique to you. Your public and private keys are linked
309 together by a special mathematical function.
</p>
311 <p>Your public key isn't like a physical key, because it's stored in the open
312 in an online directory called a keyserver. People download it and use it,
313 along with GnuPG, to encrypt emails they send to you. You can think of the
314 keyserver as a phonebook; people who want to send you encrypted email can
315 look up your public key.
</p>
317 <p>Your private key is more like a physical key, because you keep it to
318 yourself (on your computer). You use GnuPG and your private key together to
319 descramble encrypted emails other people send to you.
<span style=
"font-weight:
320 bold;">You should never share you private key with anyone, under any
321 circumstances.
</span></p>
323 <p>In addition to encryption and decryption, you can also use these keys to
324 sign messages and check the authenticity of other people's signatures. We'll
325 discuss this more in the next section.
</p>
327 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
329 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
330 <div id=
"step-2a" class=
"step">
331 <div class=
"sidebar">
334 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/step2a-01-make-keypair.png"
335 alt=
"Step 2.A: Make a Keypair" /></p>
337 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
340 <h3><em>Step
2.a
</em> Make a keypair
</h3>
342 <p>The Enigmail Setup wizard may start automatically. If it doesn't, select
343 Enigmail
→ Setup Wizard from your email program's menu. You don't need
344 to read the text in the window that pops up unless you'd like to, but it's
345 good to read the text on the later screens of the wizard. Click Next with
346 the default options selected, except in these instances, which are listed
347 in the order they appear:
</p>
350 <li>On the screen titled
"Encryption," select
"Encrypt all of my messages
351 by default, because privacy is critical to me."</li>
353 <li>On the screen titled
"Signing," select
"Don't sign my messages by
356 <li>On the screen titled
"Key Selection," select
"I want to create a new
357 key pair for signing and encrypting my email."</li>
359 <li>On the screen titled
"Create Key," pick a strong password! You can
360 do it manually, or you can use the Diceware method. Doing it manually
361 is faster but not as secure. Using Diceware takes longer and requires
362 dice, but creates a password that is much harder for attackers figure
363 out. To use it, read the section
"Make a secure passphrase with Diceware" in
<a
364 href=
"https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/">
365 this article
</a> by Micah Lee.
</li>
368 <p>If you'd like to pick a password manually, come up with something
369 you can remember which is at least twelve characters long, and includes
370 at least one lower case and upper case letter and at least one number or
371 punctuation symbol. Never pick a password you've used elsewhere. Don't use
372 any recognizable patterns, such as birthdays, telephone numbers, pets' names,
373 song lyrics, quotes from books, and so on.
</p>
375 <p class=
"notes">The program will take a little while to finish the next
376 step, the
"Key Creation" screen. While you wait, do something else with your
377 computer, like watching a movie or browsing the Web. The more you use the
378 computer at this point, the faster the key creation will go.
</p>
380 <p><span style=
"font-weight: bold;">When the
"Key Generation Completed" screen
381 pops up, select Generate Certificate and choose to save it in a safe place on
382 your computer (we recommend making a folder called
"Revocation Certificate"
383 in your home folder and keeping it there). This step is essential for your
384 email self-defense, as you'll learn more about in
<a href=
"#section5">Section
387 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
388 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
390 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
393 <dt>I can't find the Enigmail menu.
</dt>
394 <dd>In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image
395 of three stacked horizontal bars. Enigmail may be inside a section called
398 <dt>The wizard says that it cannot find GnuPG.
</dt>
399 <dd>Open whatever program you usually use for installing software, and search
400 for GnuPG, then install it. Then restart the Enigmail setup wizard by going
401 to Enigmail
→ Setup Wizard.
</dd>
403 <dt>My email looks weird
</dt>
404 <dd>Enigmail doesn't tend to play nice with HTML, which is used to format
405 emails, so it may disable your HTML formatting automatically. To send an
406 HTML-formatted email without encryption or a signature, hold down the Shift
407 key when you select compose. You can then write an email as if Enigmail
410 <dt>More resources
</dt>
411 <dd>If you're having trouble with our
412 instructions or just want to learn more, check out
<a
413 href=
"https://enigmail.wiki/Key_Management#Generating_your_own_key_pair">
414 Enigmail's wiki instructions for key generation
</a>.
</dd>
416 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
417 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
418 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
422 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
424 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
425 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
430 <dt>Command line key generation
</dt>
431 <dd>If you prefer using the command line for a higher
432 degree of control, you can follow the documentation from
<a
433 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/c14.html#AEN25">The GNU Privacy
434 Handbook
</a>. Make sure you stick with
"RSA and RSA" (the default),
435 because it's newer and more secure than the algorithms the documentation
436 recommends. Also make sure your key is at least
2048 bits, or
4096 if you
437 want to be extra secure.
</dd>
439 <dt>Advanced key pairs
</dt>
440 <dd>When GnuPG creates a new keypair, it compartmentalizes
441 the encryption function from the signing function through
<a
442 href=
"https://wiki.debian.org/Subkeys">subkeys
</a>. If you use
443 subkeys carefully, you can keep your GnuPG identity much more
444 secure and recover from a compromised key much more quickly.
<a
445 href=
"https://alexcabal.com/creating-the-perfect-gpg-keypair/">Alex Cabal
</a>
446 and
<a href=
"http://keyring.debian.org/creating-key.html">the Debian wiki
</a>
447 provide good guides for setting up a secure subkey configuration.
</dd>
450 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
451 </div><!-- End .main -->
452 </div><!-- End #step-2a .step -->
454 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
455 <div id=
"step-2b" class=
"step">
458 <h3><em>Step
2.b
</em> Upload your public key to a keyserver
</h3>
460 <p>In your email program's menu, select Enigmail
→ Key Management.
</p>
462 <p>Right click on your key and select Upload Public Keys to Keyserver. Use
463 the default keyserver in the popup.
</p>
465 <p class=
"notes">Now someone who wants to send you an encrypted message can
466 download your public key from the Internet. There are multiple keyservers
467 that you can select from the menu when you upload, but they are all copies
468 of each other, so it doesn't matter which one you use. However, it sometimes
469 takes a few hours for them to match each other when a new key is uploaded.
</p>
471 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
472 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
474 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
477 <dt>The progress bar never finishes
</dt>
478 <dd>Close the upload popup, make sure you are connected to the Internet,
479 and try again. If that doesn't work, try again, selecting a different
482 <dt>My key doesn't appear in the list
</dt>
483 <dd>Try checking
"Display All Keys by Default."</dd>
485 <dt>More documentation
</dt>
486 <dd>If you're having trouble with our
487 instructions or just want to learn more, check out
<a
488 href=
"https://www.enigmail.net/documentation/quickstart-ch2.php#id2533620">
489 Enigmail's documentation
</a>.
</dd>
491 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
492 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
493 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
497 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
499 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
500 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
505 <dt>Uploading a key from the command line
</dt>
506 <dd>You can also upload your keys to a keyserver through the
<a
507 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x457.html">command line
</a>.
<a
508 href=
"https://sks-keyservers.net/overview-of-pools.php">The sks Web site
</a>
509 maintains a list of highly interconnected keyservers. You can also
<a
510 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x56.html#AEN64">directly export
511 your key
</a> as a file on your computer.
</dd>
514 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
515 </div><!-- End .main -->
516 </div><!-- End #step-2b .step -->
518 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
519 <div id=
"terminology" class=
"step">
522 <h3>GnuPG, OpenPGP, what?
</h3>
524 <p>In general, the terms GnuPG, GPG, GNU Privacy Guard, OpenPGP and PGP
525 are used interchangeably. Technically, OpenPGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the
526 encryption standard, and GNU Privacy Guard (often shortened to GPG or GnuPG)
527 is the program that implements the standard. Enigmail is a plug-in program
528 for your email program that provides an interface for GnuPG.
</p>
530 </div><!-- End .main -->
531 </div><!-- End #terminology.step-->
532 </div></section><!-- End #section2 -->
534 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 3: Try it out ~~~~~~~~~ -->
535 <section class=
"row" id=
"section3"><div>
537 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
538 <div class=
"section-intro">
540 <h2><em>#
3</em> Try it out!
</h2>
542 <p>Now you'll try a test correspondence with a computer program named Edward,
543 who knows how to use encryption. Except where noted, these are the same
544 steps you'd follow when corresponding with a real, live person.
</p>
546 <!-- <p>NOTE: Edward is currently having some technical difficulties, so he
547 may take a long time to respond, or not respond at all. We're sorry about
548 this and we're working hard to fix it. Your key will still work even without
549 testing with Edward.</p> -->
550 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
552 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
553 <div id=
"step-3a" class=
"step">
554 <div class=
"sidebar">
557 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section3-try-it-out.png"
558 alt=
"Try it out." /></p>
560 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
563 <h3><em>Step
3.a
</em> Send Edward your public key
</h3>
565 <p>This is a special step that you won't have to do when corresponding
566 with real people. In your email program's menu, go to Enigmail
→ Key
567 Management. You should see your key in the list that pops up. Right click
568 on your key and select Send Public Keys by Email. This will create a new
569 draft message, as if you had just hit the Write button.
</p>
571 <p>Address the message to
<a
572 href=
"mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org
</a>. Put at least one word
573 (whatever you want) in the subject and body of the email. Don't send yet.
</p>
575 <p>The lock icon in the top left should be yellow, meaning encryption is
576 turned on. We want this first special message to be unencrypted, so
577 click the icon once to turn it off. The lock should become grey, with a
578 blue dot on it (to alert you that the setting has been changed from the
579 default). Once encryption is off, hit Send.
</p>
581 <p class=
"notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
582 respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the
<a
583 href=
"#section5">Use it Well
</a> section of this guide. Once he's responded,
584 head to the next step. From here on, you'll be doing just the same thing as
585 when corresponding with a real person.
</p>
587 <p>When you open Edward's reply, GnuPG may prompt you for your password
588 before using your private key to decrypt it.
</p>
590 </div><!-- End .main -->
591 </div><!-- End #step-3a .step -->
593 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
594 <div id=
"step-3b" class=
"step">
597 <h3><em>Step
3.b
</em> Send a test encrypted email
</h3>
599 <p>Write a new email in your email program, addressed to
<a
600 href=
"mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org
</a>. Make the subject
601 "Encryption test" or something similar and write something in the body.
</p>
603 <p>The lock icon in the top left of the window should be yellow, meaning
604 encryption is on. This will be your default from now on.
</p>
606 <p class=
"notes">Next to the lock, you'll notice an icon of a pencil. We'll
607 get to this in a moment.
</p>
609 <p>Click Send. Enigmail will pop up a window that says
"Recipients not valid,
610 not trusted or not found."</p>
612 <p>To encrypt an email to Edward, you need his public key, so now you'll have
613 Enigmail download it from a keyserver. Click Download Missing Keys and use
614 the default in the pop-up that asks you to choose a keyserver. Once it finds
615 keys, check the first one (Key ID starting with C), then select ok. Select
616 ok in the next pop-up.
</p>
618 <p>Now you are back at the
"Recipients not valid, not trusted or not found"
619 screen. Check the box in front of Edward's key and click Send.
</p>
621 <p class=
"notes">Since you encrypted this email with Edward's public key,
622 Edward's private key is required to decrypt it. Edward is the only one with
623 his private key, so no one except him can decrypt it.
</p>
625 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
626 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
628 <h4>Troubleshooting
</h4>
631 <dt>Enigmail can't find Edward's key
</dt>
632 <dd>Close the pop-ups that have appeared since you clicked Send. Make sure
633 you are connected to the Internet and try again. If that doesn't work, repeat
634 the process, choosing a different keyserver when it asks you to pick one.
</dd>
636 <dt>Unscrambled messages in the Sent folder
</dt>
637 <dd>Even though you can't decrypt messages encrypted to someone else's key,
638 your email program will automatically save a copy encrypted to your public key,
639 which you'll be able to view from the Sent folder like a normal email. This
640 is normal, and it doesn't mean that your email was not sent encrypted.
</dd>
642 <dt>More resources
</dt>
643 <dd>If you're still having trouble with our
644 instructions or just want to learn more, check out
<a
645 href=
"https://enigmail.wiki/Signature_and_Encryption#Encrypting_a_message">
646 Enigmail's wiki
</a>.
</dd>
648 <dt class=
"feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?
</dt>
649 <dd class=
"feedback">Please let us know on the
<a
650 href=
"https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
654 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
656 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
657 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
662 <dt>Encrypt messages from the command line
</dt>
663 <dd>You can also encrypt and decrypt messages and files from the
<a
664 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x110.html">command line
</a>,
665 if that's your preference. The option --armor makes the encrypted output
666 appear in the regular character set.
</dd>
669 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
670 </div><!-- End .main -->
671 </div><!-- End #step-3b .step -->
673 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
674 <div id=
"step-headers_unencrypted" class=
"step">
677 <h3><em>Important:
</em> Security tips
</h3>
679 <p>Even if you encrypt your email, the subject line is not encrypted, so
680 don't put private information there. The sending and receiving addresses
681 aren't encrypted either, so a surveillance system can still figure out who
682 you're communicating with. Also, surveillance agents will know that you're
683 using GnuPG, even if they can't figure out what you're saying. When you
684 send attachments, Enigmail will give you the choice to encrypt them or not,
685 independent of the actual email.
</p>
687 </div><!-- End .main -->
688 </div><!-- End #step-headers_unencrypted .step-->
690 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
691 <div id=
"step-3c" class=
"step">
694 <h3><em>Step
3.c
</em> Receive a response
</h3>
696 <p>When Edward receives your email, he will use his private key to decrypt
697 it, then use your public key (which you sent him in
<a href=
"#step-3a">Step
698 3.A
</a>) to encrypt his reply to you.
</p>
700 <p class=
"notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
701 respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the
<a
702 href=
"#section5">Use it Well
</a> section of this guide.
</p>
704 <p>When you receive Edward's email and open it, Enigmail will automatically
705 detect that it is encrypted with your public key, and then it will use your
706 private key to decrypt it.
</p>
708 <p>Notice the bar that Enigmail shows you above the message, with information
709 about the status of Edward's key.
</p>
711 </div><!-- End .main -->
712 </div><!-- End #step-3c .step -->
714 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
715 <div id=
"step-3d" class=
"step">
718 <h3><em>Step
3.d
</em> Send a test signed email
</h3>
720 <p>GnuPG includes a way for you to sign messages and files, verifying that
721 they came from you and that they weren't tampered with along the way. These
722 signatures are stronger than their pen-and-paper cousins -- they're impossible
723 to forge, because they're impossible to create without your private key
724 (another reason to keep your private key safe).
</p>
726 <p>You can sign messages to anyone, so it's a great way to make people
727 aware that you use GnuPG and that they can communicate with you securely. If
728 they don't have GnuPG, they will be able to read your message and see your
729 signature. If they do have GnuPG, they'll also be able to verify that your
730 signature is authentic.
</p>
732 <p>To sign an email to Edward, compose any message to him and click the
733 pencil icon next to the lock icon so that it turns gold. If you sign a
734 message, GnuPG may ask you for your password before it sends the message,
735 because it needs to unlock your private key for signing.
</p>
737 <p>With the lock and pencil icons, you can choose whether each message will
738 be encrypted, signed, both, or neither.
</p>
743 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
744 <div id=
"step-3e" class=
"step">
747 <h3><em>Step
3.e
</em> Receive a response
</h3>
749 <p>When Edward receives your email, he will use your public key (which you
750 sent him in
<a href=
"#step-3a">Step
3.A
</a>) to verify that your signature
751 is authentic and the message you sent has not been tampered with.
</p>
753 <p class=
"notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
754 respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the
<a
755 href=
"#section5">Use it Well
</a> section of this guide.
</p>
757 <p>Edward's reply will arrive encrypted, because he prefers to use encryption
758 whenever possible. If everything goes according to plan, it should say
759 "Your signature was verified." If your test signed email was also encrypted,
760 he will mention that first.
</p>
762 </div><!-- End .main -->
763 </div><!-- End #step-3e .step -->
766 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 4: Learn the Web of Trust ~~~~~~~~~ -->
767 <section class=
"row" id=
"section4"><div>
769 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
770 <div class=
"section-intro">
772 <h2><em>#
4</em> Learn the Web of Trust
</h2>
774 <p>Email encryption is a powerful technology, but it has a weakness;
775 it requires a way to verify that a person's public key is actually
776 theirs. Otherwise, there would be no way to stop an attacker from making
777 an email address with your friend's name, creating keys to go with it and
778 impersonating your friend. That's why the free software programmers that
779 developed email encryption created keysigning and the Web of Trust.
</p>
781 <p>When you sign someone's key, you are publicly saying that you've verified
782 that it belongs to them and not someone else.
</p>
784 <p>Signing keys and signing messages use the same type of mathematical
785 operation, but they carry very different implications. It's a good practice
786 to generally sign your email, but if you casually sign people's keys, you
787 may accidently end up vouching for the identity of an imposter.
</p>
789 <p>People who use your public key can see who has signed it. Once you've
790 used GnuPG for a long time, your key may have hundreds of signatures. You
791 can consider a key to be more trustworthy if it has many signatures from
792 people that you trust. The Web of Trust is a constellation of GnuPG users,
793 connected to each other by chains of trust expressed through signatures.
</p>
795 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
797 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
798 <div id=
"step-4a" class=
"step">
799 <div class=
"sidebar">
802 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section4-web-of-trust.png"
803 alt=
"Section 4: Web of Trust" /></p>
805 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
808 <h3><em>Step
4.a
</em> Sign a key
</h3>
810 <p>In your email program's menu, go to Enigmail
→ Key Management.
</p>
812 <p>Right click on Edward's public key and select Sign Key from the context
815 <p>In the window that pops up, select
"I will not answer" and click ok.
</p>
817 <p>Now you should be back at the Key Management menu. Select Keyserver
→
818 Upload Public Keys and hit ok.
</p>
820 <p class=
"notes">You've just effectively said
"I trust that Edward's public
821 key actually belongs to Edward." This doesn't mean much because Edward isn't
822 a real person, but it's good practice.
</p>
824 <!--<div id="pgp-pathfinder">
826 <form enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded" action="/mk_path.cgi"
829 <p><strong>From:</strong><input type="text" placeholder="xD41A008"
832 <p><strong>To:</strong><input type="text" placeholder="50BD01x4" name="TO"></p>
834 <p class="buttons"><input type="submit" value="trust paths" name="PATHS"><input
835 type="reset" value="reset" name=".reset"></p>
839 </div>End #pgp-pathfinder -->
840 </div><!-- End .main -->
841 </div><!-- End #step-4a .step -->
843 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
844 <div id=
"step-identify_keys" class=
"step">
847 <h3>Identifying keys: Fingerprints and IDs
</h3>
849 <p>People's public keys are usually identified by their key fingerprint,
850 which is a string of digits like F357AA1A5B1FA42CFD9FE52A9FF2194CC09A61E8
851 (for Edward's key). You can see the fingerprint for your public key, and
852 other public keys saved on your computer, by going to Enigmail
→ Key
853 Management in your email program's menu, then right clicking on the key
854 and choosing Key Properties. It's good practice to share your fingerprint
855 wherever you share your email address, so that people can double-check that
856 they have the correct public key when they download yours from a keyserver.
</p>
858 <p class=
"notes">You may also see public keys referred to by their key ID,
859 which is simply the last eight digits of the fingerprint, like C09A61E8 for
860 Edward. The key ID is visible directly from the Key Management window. This
861 key ID is like a person's first name (it is a useful shorthand but may not be
862 unique to a given key), whereas the fingerprint actually identifies the key
863 uniquely without the possibility of confusion. If you only have the key ID,
864 you can still look up the key (as well as its fingerprint), like you did in
865 Step
3, but if multiple options appear, you'll need the fingerprint of the
866 person to whom you are trying to communicate to verify which one to use.
</p>
868 </div><!-- End .main -->
869 </div><!-- End #step-identify_keys .step-->
871 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
872 <div id=
"check-ids-before-signing" class=
"step">
875 <h3><em>Important:
</em> What to consider when signing keys
</h3>
877 <p>Before signing a person's key, you need to be confident that it actually
878 belongs to them, and that they are who they say they are. Ideally, this
879 confidence comes from having interactions and conversations with them over
880 time, and witnessing interactions between them and others. Whenever signing
881 a key, ask to see the full public key fingerprint, and not just the shorter
882 key ID. If you feel it's important to sign the key of someone you've just
883 met, also ask them to show you their government identification, and make
884 sure the name on the ID matches the name on the public key. In Enigmail,
885 answer honestly in the window that pops up and asks
"How carefully have you
886 verified that the key you are about to sign actually belongs to the person(s)
889 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
890 <div class=
"troubleshooting">
895 <dt>Master the Web of Trust
</dt>
896 <dd>Unfortunately, trust does not spread between users the way
<a
897 href=
"http://fennetic.net/irc/finney.org/~hal/web_of_trust.html">many people
898 think
</a>. One of best ways to strengthen the GnuPG community is to deeply
<a
899 href=
"https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x334.html">understand
</a> the Web of
900 Trust and to carefully sign as many people's keys as circumstances permit.
</dd>
902 <dt>Set ownertrust
</dt>
903 <dd>If you trust someone enough to validate other people's keys, you can assign
904 them an ownertrust level through Enigmails's key management window. Right
905 click on the other person's key, go to the
"Select Owner Trust" menu option,
906 select the trustlevel and click OK. Only do this once you feel you have a
907 deep understanding of the Web of Trust.
</dd>
910 </div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
911 </div><!-- End .main -->
912 </div><!-- End #check-ids-before-signing .step-->
913 </div></section><!-- End #section4 -->
915 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 5: Use it well ~~~~~~~~~ -->
916 <section id=
"section5" class=
"row"><div>
918 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
919 <div class=
"section-intro">
921 <h2><em>#
5</em> Use it well
</h2>
923 <p>Everyone uses GnuPG a little differently, but it's important to follow
924 some basic practices to keep your email secure. Not following them, you
925 risk the privacy of the people you communicate with, as well as your own,
926 and damage the Web of Trust.
</p>
928 </div><!-- End .section-intro -->
930 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
931 <div id=
"step-5a" class=
"step">
932 <div class=
"sidebar">
935 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section5-01-use-it-well.png"
936 alt=
"Section 5: Use it Well (1)" /></p>
938 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
941 <h3>When should I encrypt? When should I sign?
</h3>
943 <p>The more you can encrypt your messages, the better. If you only encrypt
944 emails occasionally, each encrypted message could raise a red flag for
945 surveillance systems. If all or most of your email is encrypted, people
946 doing surveillance won't know where to start. That's not to say that only
947 encrypting some of your email isn't helpful -- it's a great start and it
948 makes bulk surveillance more difficult.
</p>
950 <p>Unless you don't want to reveal your own identity (which requires other
951 protective measures), there's no reason not to sign every message, whether or
952 not you are encrypting. In addition to allowing those with GnuPG to verify
953 that the message came from you, signing is a non-intrusive way to remind
954 everyone that you use GnuPG and show support for secure communication. If you
955 often send signed messages to people that aren't familiar with GnuPG, it's
956 nice to also include a link to this guide in your standard email signature
957 (the text kind, not the cryptographic kind).
</p>
959 </div><!-- End .main -->
960 </div><!-- End #step-5a .step -->
962 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
963 <div id=
"step-5b" class=
"step">
964 <div class=
"sidebar">
967 src=
"//static.fsf.org/nosvn/enc-dev0/img/en/screenshots/section5-02-use-it-well.png"
968 alt=
"Section 5: Use it Well (2)" /></p>
970 </div><!-- /.sidebar -->
973 <h3>Be wary of invalid keys
</h3>
975 <p>GnuPG makes email safer, but it's still important to watch out for invalid
976 keys, which might have fallen into the wrong hands. Email encrypted with
977 invalid keys might be readable by surveillance programs.
</p>
979 <p>In your email program, go back to the first encrypted email that Edward
980 sent you. Because Edward encrypted it with your public key, it will have a
981 message from Enigmail at the top, which most likely says
"Enigmail: Part of
982 this message encrypted."</p>
984 <p><b>When using GnuPG, make a habit of glancing at that bar. The program
985 will warn you there if you get an email encrypted with a key that can't
988 </div><!-- End .main -->
989 </div><!-- End #step-5b .step -->
991 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
992 <div id=
"step-5c" class=
"step">
995 <h3>Copy your revocation certificate to somewhere safe
</h3>
997 <p>Remember when you created your keys and saved the revocation certificate
998 that GnuPG made? It's time to copy that certificate onto the safest digital
999 storage that you have -- the ideal thing is a flash drive, disk, or hard
1000 drive stored in a safe place in your home, not on a device you carry with
1003 <p>If your private key ever gets lost or stolen, you'll need this certificate
1004 file to let people know that you are no longer using that keypair.
</p>
1006 </div><!-- End .main -->
1007 </div><!-- End #step-5c .step -->
1009 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1010 <div id=
"step-lost_key" class=
"step">
1013 <h3><em>Important:
</em> act swiftly if someone gets your private key
</h3>
1015 <p>If you lose your private key or someone else gets ahold
1016 of it (say, by stealing or cracking your computer), it's
1017 important to revoke it immediately before someone else uses
1018 it to read your encrypted email or forge your signature. This
1019 guide doesn't cover how to revoke a key, but you can follow these
<a
1020 href=
"https://www.hackdiary.com/2004/01/18/revoking-a-gpg-key/">instructions
</a>.
1021 After you're done revoking, make a new key and send an email to everyone
1022 with whom you usually use your key to make sure they know, including a copy
1023 of your new key.
</p>
1025 </div><!-- End .main -->
1026 </div><!-- End #step-lost_key .step-->
1028 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1029 <!---<div id="transfer-key" class="step">
1032 <h3>Transferring you key</h3>
1034 <p>You can use Enigmail's <a
1035 href="https://www.enigmail.net/documentation/keyman.php">key management
1036 window</a> to import and export keys. If you want to be able to read
1037 your encrypted email on a different computer, you will need to export
1038 your secret key from here. Be warned, if you transfer the key without <a
1039 href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EncryptedFilesystemsOnRemovableStorage">encrypting</a>
1040 the drive it's on the transfer will be dramatically less secure.</p>
1042 </div>--><!-- End .main
1043 </div> End #transfer-key .step-->
1045 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1046 <div id=
"webmail-and-GnuPG" class=
"step">
1049 <h3>Webmail and GnuPG
</h3>
1051 <p>When you use a web browser to access your email, you're using webmail,
1052 an email program stored on a distant website. Unlike webmail, your desktop
1053 email program runs on your own computer. Although webmail can't decrypt
1054 encrypted email, it will still display it in its encrypted form. If you
1055 primarily use webmail, you'll know to open your email client when you receive
1056 a scrambled email.
</p>
1058 </div><!-- End .main -->
1059 </div><!-- End #webmail-and-GnuPG .step-->
1061 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~
1062 <div id="step-5d" class="step">
1065 <h3>Make your public key part of your online identity</h3>
1067 <p> First add your public key fingerprint to your email signature, then
1068 compose an email to at least five of your friends, telling them you just
1069 set up GnuPG and mentioning your public key fingerprint. Link to this guide
1070 and ask them to join you. Don't forget that there's also an awesome <a
1071 href="infographic.html">infographic to share.</a></p>
1073 <p class="notes">Start writing your public key fingerprint anywhere someone
1074 would see your email address: your social media profiles, blog, Website,
1075 or business card. (At the Free Software Foundation, we put ours on our
1076 <a href="https://fsf.org/about/staff">staff page</a>.) We need to get our
1077 culture to the point that we feel like something is missing when we see an
1078 email address without a public key fingerprint.</p>
1080 </div>--><!-- End .main
1081 </div> End #step-5d .step-->
1082 </div></section><!-- End #section5 -->
1084 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 6: Next steps ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1085 <section class=
"row" id=
"section6">
1086 <div id=
"step-click_here" class=
"step">
1089 <h2><a href=
"next_steps.html">Great job! Check out the next steps.
</a></h2>
1091 </div><!-- End .main -->
1092 </div><!-- End #step-click_here .step-->
1093 </section><!-- End #section6 -->
1095 <!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FAQ ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1096 <!-- When un-commenting this section go to main.css and search
1097 for /* Guide Sections Background */ then add #faq to the desired color
1098 <section class="row" id="faq"><div>
1099 <div class="sidebar">
1107 <dt>My key expired</dt>
1108 <dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1110 <dt>Who can read encrypted messages? Who can read signed ones?</dt>
1111 <dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1113 <dt>My email program is opening at times I don't want it to open/is now my
1114 default program and I don't want it to be.</dt>
1115 <dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1120 </section> --><!-- End #faq -->
1122 <!-- include virtual="footer.html" -->
1124 <!-- include virtual="javascript.html" -->