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5<title>Email Self-Defense - a guide to fighting surveillance with GnuPG
6encryption</title>
7<meta name="keywords" content="GnuPG, GPG, openpgp, surveillance, privacy,
77aea16c 8email, security, GnuPG2, encryption" />
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9<meta name="description" content="Email surveillance violates our fundamental
10rights and makes free speech risky. This guide will teach you email
11self-defense in 40 minutes with GnuPG." />
12<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
14c5f099 13<link rel="stylesheet" href="../static/css/main.css" />
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e59c77da 19<!--<div style="text-align: center; padding: 2.5px; background-color: #a94442; color:#fcf8e3;"><p>Due to Enigmail's PGP functionality being migrated into Icedove and Thunderbird, steps 2 and 3 of the guide are currently out of date.</p><p> Thank you for your patience while we're working on a new round of updates.</p></div>-->
0e203e6f 20
f12cd56f 21<!-- PLACE FUNDRAISER MODAL WINDOW HERE -->
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23<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ GnuPG Header and introduction text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
24<header class="row" id="header"><div>
116f80c3 25
e59c77da 26
19bce4d7 27<h1>Email Self-Defense</h1>
116f80c3 28
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29<!-- Language list for browsers that do not have JS enabled -->
30<ul id="languages" class="os">
de17dfbe 31<li><a class="current" href="/en">English - v5.0</a></li>
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48<li><strong><a href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Translation_Guide">
49Translate!</a></strong></li>
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50</ul>
51
52<ul id="menu" class="os">
37d0bc33 53<li class="spacer"><a href="index.html" class="current">Set up guide</a></li>
54<!--<li><a href="mac.html">Mac OS</a></li>-->
55<!--<li><a href="windows.html">Windows</a></li>-->
f211d856 56<li class="spacer"><a href="workshops.html">Teach your friends</a></li>
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57<li class="spacer"><a
58href="http://hhldo3tnt5solzj2bwfvh7xm4slk2forpjwjyemhcfrlob5gq75gioid.onion/en"
59target="_blank">This site's tor onion service</a></li>
f211d856 60<li class="spacer"><a
770452f9 61href="https://fsf.org/share?u=https://u.fsf.org/zb&amp;t=Email%20encryption%20for%20everyone%20via%20%40fsf">
f211d856 62Share&nbsp;
14c5f099 63<img src="../static/img/gnu-social.png" class="share-logo"
19bce4d7 64alt="[GNU Social]" />&nbsp;
14c5f099 65<img src="../static/img/mastodon.png" class="share-logo"
d06ce723 66alt="[Mastodon]" />&nbsp;
14c5f099 67<img src="../static/img/reddit-alien.png" class="share-logo"
19bce4d7 68alt="[Reddit]" />&nbsp;
14c5f099 69<img src="../static/img/hacker-news.png" class="share-logo"
f211d856 70alt="[Hacker News]" /></a></li>
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71</ul>
72
73<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FSF Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
74<div id="fsf-intro">
75
6003a573 76<h3><a href="https://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
19bce4d7 77alt="Free Software Foundation"
14c5f099 78src="../static/img/fsf-logo.png" />
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79</a></h3>
80
81<div class="fsf-emphasis">
82
83<p>We fight for computer users' rights, and promote the development of free (as
84in freedom) software. Resisting bulk surveillance is very important to us.</p>
85
86<p><strong>Please donate to support Email Self-Defense. We need to keep
87improving it, and making more materials, for the benefit of people around
88the world taking the first step towards protecting their privacy.</strong></p>
89
90</div>
91
d1f39676 92<div style="text-align: center;">
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93<p><a href="https://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=14&amp;mtm_campaign=email_self_defense&amp;mtm_kwd=guide_donate"><img alt="Donate" src="../static/img/en/donate.png" /></a></p>
94
d1f39676 95<h5>Sign up</h5>
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96<form action="https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?reset=1&amp;gid=31" method="post">
97<p>Enter your email address to receive our monthly newsletter, the<br /><a href="https://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter/">Free Software Supporter</a></p>
d1f39676 98
99<p><input id="frmEmail" type="text" name="email-Primary" size="18" maxlength="80" /></p>
100<p><input type="submit" name="_qf_Edit_next" value="Subscribe me" /></p>
101<div><input name="postURL" type="hidden" value="" />
102<input type="hidden" name="group[25]" value="1" />
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d1f39676 104<input name="_qf_default" type="hidden" value="Edit:cancel" />
105</div>
106</form></div>
64a48f78 107
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108</div><!-- End #fsf-intro -->
109
110<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Guide Introduction ~~~~~~~~~ -->
111<div class="intro">
112
113<p><a id="infographic" href="infographic.html"><img
14c5f099 114src="../static/img/en/infographic-button.png"
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115alt="View &amp; share our infographic &rarr;" /></a>
116Bulk surveillance violates our fundamental rights and makes free speech
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117risky. This guide will teach you a basic surveillance self-defense skill: email
118encryption. Once you've finished, you'll be able to send and receive emails
119that are scrambled to make sure a surveillance agent or thief intercepting
120your email can't read them. All you need is a computer with an Internet
121connection, an email account, and about forty minutes.</p>
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122
123<p>Even if you have nothing to hide, using encryption helps protect the privacy
124of people you communicate with, and makes life difficult for bulk surveillance
125systems. If you do have something important to hide, you're in good company;
126these are the same tools that whistleblowers use to protect their identities
80b64e11 127while shining light on human rights abuses, corruption, and other crimes.</p>
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128
129<p>In addition to using encryption, standing up
130to surveillance requires fighting politically for a <a
e59c77da 131href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">reduction
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132in the amount of data collected on us</a>, but the essential first step is
133to protect yourself and make surveillance of your communication as difficult
134as possible. This guide helps you do that. It is designed for beginners, but
135if you already know the basics of GnuPG or are an experienced free software
136user, you'll enjoy the advanced tips and the <a href="workshops.html">guide
137to teaching your friends</a>.</p>
138
139</div><!-- End .intro -->
140</div></header><!-- End #header -->
141
142<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 1: Get the pieces ~~~~~~~~~ -->
143<section class="row" id="section1"><div>
144
145<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
146<div class="section-intro">
147
148<h2><em>#1</em> Get the pieces</h2>
149
150<p class="notes">This guide relies on software which is <a
151href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">freely licensed</a>;
152it's completely transparent and anyone can copy it or make their
153own version. This makes it safer from surveillance than proprietary
80b64e11 154software (like Windows or macOS). Learn more about free software at <a
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155href="https://u.fsf.org/ys">fsf.org</a>.</p>
156
c174e65c 157<p>Most GNU/Linux operating systems come with GnuPG installed on them, so if you're running one of these systems, you don't have to download it. If you're running macOS or Windows, steps to download GnuPG are below. Before configuring your encryption setup with this guide, though, you'll need a desktop email program installed on your computer. Many GNU/Linux distributions have one installed already, such as Icedove, which may be under the alternate name "Thunderbird." Programs like these are another way to access the same email accounts you can access in a browser (like Gmail), but provide extra features.</p>
19bce4d7 158
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159</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
160
161<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
162<div id="step-1a" class="step">
163<div class="sidebar">
164
69e314de 165<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 166src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step1a-install-wizard.png"
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167alt="Step 1.A: Install Wizard" /></p>
168
169</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
170<div class="main">
171
172<h3><em>Step 1.a</em> Set up your email program with your email account</h3>
173
174<p>Open your email program and follow the wizard (step-by-step walkthrough)
37d0bc33 175that sets it up with your email account. This usually starts from "Account Settings" &rarr; "Add Mail Account". You should get the email server settings from your systems administrator or the help section of your email account.</p>
77aea16c 176
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177
178<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
179<div class="troubleshooting">
180
181<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
182
183<dl>
184<dt>The wizard doesn't launch</dt>
185<dd>You can launch the wizard yourself, but the menu option for doing so is
186named differently in each email program. The button to launch it will be in
187the program's main menu, under "New" or something similar, titled something
188like "Add account" or "New/Existing email account."</dd>
189
190<dt>The wizard can't find my account or isn't downloading my mail</dt>
191<dd>Before searching the Web, we recommend you start by asking other people
192who use your email system, to figure out the correct settings.</dd>
193
b7f7b4a2 194<dt>I can't find the menu</dt>
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195<dd>In many new email programs, the main menu is represented by an image of
196three stacked horizontal bars.</dd>
197
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198<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
199<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
200href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
201page</a>.</dd>
202</dl>
203
204</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
205</div><!-- End .main -->
206</div><!-- End #step1-a .step -->
207
208<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
209<div id="step-1b" class="step">
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210<div class="main">
211
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212<h3><em>Step 1.b</em> Install GnuPG</h3>
213
214<p>If you are using a GNU/Linux machine, you should already have GnuPG installed, and you can skip to <a href="#section2">Section 2</a>.</p>
19bce4d7 215
63fe86d5 216<p>If you are using a macOS or Windows machine, however, you need to first install the GnuPG program. Select your operating system below and follow the instructions. For the rest of this guide, the steps are the same for all operating systems. </p>
19bce4d7 217
37d0bc33 218<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ MACOS ~~~~~~~~~ -->
219<div class="troubleshooting">
19bce4d7 220
77aea16c 221<h4>macOS</h4>
64af8734 222
37d0bc33 223<dl>
224<dt>Use a third-party package manager to install GnuPG</dt>
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225<dd>
226<p>The default macOS package manager makes it difficult to install GnuPG and other pieces of free software (like Emacs, GIMP, or Inkscape). To make things easier, we recommend setting up the third-party package manager "Homebrew" to install GnuPG. For this, we will use a program called "Terminal," which is pre-installed on macOS.</p>
227
228<p># Copy the first command on the home page of <a href="https://brew.sh/">Homebrew</a> by clicking on the clipboard icon, and paste it in Terminal. Click "Enter" and wait for the installation to finalize.</p>
229<p># Then install GnuPG by entering the following code in Terminal:<br/>
230<code>brew install gnupg gnupg2</code></p>
231</dd>
37d0bc33 232</dl>
233
234</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
235
236<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ WINDOWS ~~~~~~~~~ -->
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237<div class="troubleshooting">
238
37d0bc33 239<h4>Windows</h4>
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240
241<dl>
37d0bc33 242<dt>Get GnuPG by downloading GPG4Win</dt>
b4a6695d 243<dd><p><a href="https://www.gpg4win.org/">GPG4Win</a> is an email and file encryption software package that includes GnuPG. Download and install the latest version, choosing default options whenever asked. After it's installed, you can close any windows that it creates.</p>
37d0bc33 244</dd>
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245</dl>
246
247</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
248</div><!-- End .main -->
37d0bc33 249</div><!-- End #step1-b .step -->
250
80b64e11 251<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
252<div id="terminology" class="step">
253<div class="main">
254
a4eb3926 255<h3>GnuPG, OpenPGP, what?</h3>
80b64e11 256
257<p>In general, the terms GnuPG, GPG, GNU Privacy Guard, OpenPGP and PGP
258are used interchangeably. Technically, OpenPGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is the
259encryption standard, and GNU Privacy Guard (often shortened to GPG or GnuPG)
260is the program that implements the standard. Most email programs provide an interface for GnuPG. There is also a newer version of GnuPG, called GnuPG2.</p>
261
262</div><!-- End .main -->
263</div><!-- End #terminology.step-->
264
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265</div></section><!-- End #section1 -->
266
267<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 2: Make your keys ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 268<section id="section2" class="row"><div>
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269
270<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
271<div class="section-intro">
272
273<h2><em>#2</em> Make your keys</h2>
69e314de 274<p class="float medium"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-01-make-keypair.png" alt="A robot with a head shaped like a key holding a private and a public key"/></p>
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275
276<p>To use the GnuPG system, you'll need a public key and a private key (known
277together as a keypair). Each is a long string of randomly generated numbers
278and letters that are unique to you. Your public and private keys are linked
279together by a special mathematical function.</p>
280
281<p>Your public key isn't like a physical key, because it's stored in the open
282in an online directory called a keyserver. People download it and use it,
283along with GnuPG, to encrypt emails they send to you. You can think of the
284keyserver as a phonebook; people who want to send you encrypted email can
285look up your public key.</p>
286
287<p>Your private key is more like a physical key, because you keep it to
288yourself (on your computer). You use GnuPG and your private key together to
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289descramble encrypted emails other people send to you. <strong>You should never share your private key with anyone, under any
290circumstances.</strong></p>
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291
292<p>In addition to encryption and decryption, you can also use these keys to
293sign messages and check the authenticity of other people's signatures. We'll
294discuss this more in the next section.</p>
295
296</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
297
298<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
299<div id="step-2a" class="step">
300<div class="sidebar">
69e314de 301<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 302src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-02-make-keypair.png"
35f08087 303alt="Step 2.A: Make your Keypair" /></p>
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304
305<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 306src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2a-03-make-keypair.png"
7b83f7f9 307alt="Step 2.A: Set your passphrase" /></p>
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308
309</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
310<div class="main">
311
312<h3><em>Step 2.a</em> Make a keypair</h3>
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313
314<h4>Make your keypair</h4>
19bce4d7 315
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316<p>We will use the command line in a terminal to create a keypair using the
317GnuPG program.</p>
19bce4d7 318
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319<p class="notes">Whether on GNU/Linux, macOS or Windows, you can launch your
320terminal ("Terminal" in macOS, "PowerShell" in Windows) from the Applications
321menu (some GNU/Linux systems respond to the <kbd>Ctrl + Alt + T</kbd>
322shortcut).</p>
323
324<p># Enter <code>gpg --full-generate-key</code> to start the process.</p>
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325<p># To answer what kind of key you would like to create, select the default option: <samp>1&nbsp;RSA&nbsp;and&nbsp;RSA</samp>.</p>
326<p># Enter the following keysize: <code>4096</code> for a strong key.</p>
63fe86d5 327<p># Choose the expiration date; we suggest <code>2y</code> (2 years).</p>
e59c77da 328<p>Follow the prompts to continue setting up with your personal details.</p>
9162eaf3 329<p class="notes"> Depending on your version of GPG, you may need to use
67e74fa7 330<code>--gen-key</code> instead of <code>--full-generate-key</code>&#65279;.</p>
06c4f670 331<p>You can set further options by running <code>gpg --edit-key [your@email]</code> in a
88f58b8d 332terminal window.</p>
19bce4d7 333
77aea16c 334<h4>Set your passphrase</h4>
5440702c 335<p>On the screen titled "Passphrase," pick a strong passphrase! You can
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336do it manually, or you can use the Diceware method. Doing it manually
337is faster but not as secure. Using Diceware takes longer and requires
5440702c 338dice, but creates a passphrase that is much harder for attackers to figure
19bce4d7 339out. To use it, read the section "Make a secure passphrase with Diceware" in <a
f211d856 340href="https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/">
7b83f7f9 341this article</a> by Micah Lee.</p>
342
19bce4d7 343
7b83f7f9 344<p>If you'd like to pick a passphrase manually, come up with something
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345you can remember which is at least twelve characters long, and includes
346at least one lower case and upper case letter and at least one number or
5440702c 347punctuation symbol. Never pick a passphrase you've used elsewhere. Don't use
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348any recognizable patterns, such as birthdays, telephone numbers, pets' names,
349song lyrics, quotes from books, and so on.</p>
350
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351<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
352<div class="troubleshooting">
353
354<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
19bce4d7 355<dl>
e59c77da 356<dt>GnuPG is not installed</dt>
7b83f7f9 357<dd>
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358You can check if this is the case with the command <code>gpg --version</code>&#65279;.
359If GnuPG is not installed, it will bring up the following result on most GNU/Linux operating systems, or something like it:
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360<samp>Command 'gpg' not found, but can be installed with:
361 sudo apt install gnupg</samp>. Follow that command and install the program.</dd>
7b83f7f9 362
061aad83 363<dt><i>gpg --full-generate-key</i> command not working</dt>
412a3134 364<dd>Some distributions use a different version of GPG. When you receive an error code that is something along the lines of: <samp>gpg: Invalid option "--full-generate-key"</samp>, you can try the following commands: <br />
061aad83 365<code>sudo apt update</code><br />
366<code>sudo apt install gnupg2</code><br />
367<code>gpg2 --full-generate-key</code><br />
a7ba22c6 368If this resolved the issue, you need to continue to use the gpg2 identifier instead of gpg throughout the following steps of the guide.
9162eaf3 369<p class="notes"> Depending on your version of GPG, you may need to use
67e74fa7 370<code>--gen-key</code> instead of <code>--full-generate-key</code>&#65279;.</p>
9162eaf3 371</dd>
061aad83 372
7b83f7f9 373<dt>I took too long to create my passphrase</dt>
b7f7b4a2 374<dd>That's okay. It's important to think about your passphrase. When you're ready, just follow the steps from the beginning again to create your key.</dd>
19bce4d7 375
b7f7b4a2 376<dt>How can I see my key?</dt>
7b83f7f9 377<dd>
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378Use the following command to see all keys: <code>gpg --list-keys</code>&#65279;. Yours should be listed in there, and later, so will Edward's (<a href="#section3">Section 3</a>).<br />
379If you want to see only your key, you can use <code>gpg --list-key [your@email]</code>&#65279;.<br />
77aea16c 380You can also use <code>gpg --list-secret-key</code> to see your own private key.</dd>
19bce4d7 381
19bce4d7 382<dt>More resources</dt>
7b83f7f9 383<dd>For more information about this process, you can also refer to <a
384href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/c14.html#AEN25">The GNU Privacy
385Handbook</a>. Make sure you stick with "RSA and RSA" (the default),
386because it's newer and more secure than the algorithms the documentation
63fe86d5 387recommends. Also make sure your key is at least 4096&nbsp;bits if you
80b64e11 388want to be secure.</dd>
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389
390<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
391<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
392href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
393page</a>.</dd>
394</dl>
395
396</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
397
398<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
399<div class="troubleshooting">
400
401<h4>Advanced</h4>
19bce4d7 402<dl>
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403<dt>Advanced key pairs</dt>
404<dd>When GnuPG creates a new keypair, it compartmentalizes
405the encryption function from the signing function through <a
406href="https://wiki.debian.org/Subkeys">subkeys</a>. If you use
7b83f7f9 407subkeys carefully, you can keep your GnuPG identity more
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408secure and recover from a compromised key much more quickly. <a
409href="https://alexcabal.com/creating-the-perfect-gpg-keypair/">Alex Cabal</a>
6003a573 410and <a href="https://keyring.debian.org/creating-key.html">the Debian wiki</a>
19bce4d7 411provide good guides for setting up a secure subkey configuration.</dd>
64f8f564 412</dl>
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413
414</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
415</div><!-- End .main -->
416</div><!-- End #step-2a .step -->
417
418<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
419<div id="step-2b" class="step">
7b83f7f9 420<div class="sidebar">
69e314de 421<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 422src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step2b-04-upload-and-certificate.png"
80b64e11 423alt="Step 2.B: Send to server and generate a certificate" /></p>
19bce4d7 424
7b83f7f9 425</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
426<div class="main">
19bce4d7 427
7b83f7f9 428<h3><em>Step 2.b</em> Some important steps following creation</h3>
19bce4d7 429
77aea16c 430<h4>Upload your key to a keyserver</h4>
7b83f7f9 431<p>We will upload your key to a keyserver, so if someone wants to send you an encrypted message, they can download your public key from the Internet. There are multiple keyservers
9c973564 432that you can select from the menu when you upload, but they are mostly all copies
433of each other. Any server will work, but it's good to remember which one you uploaded your key to originally. Also keep in mind, sometimes takes a few hours for them to match each other when a new key is uploaded.</p>
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434<p># Copy your keyID: <code>gpg --list-key [your@email]</code> will list your public ("pub") key information, including your keyID, which is a unique list of numbers and letters. Copy this keyID, so you can use it in the following command.</p>
435<p># Upload your key to a server:
436<code>gpg --send-key [keyID]</code></p>
7b83f7f9 437
77aea16c 438<h4>Export your key to a file</h4>
4f41943f 439<p>Use the following command to export your secret key so you can import it into your email client at the next <a href="#section3">step</a>. To avoid getting your key compromised, store this in a safe place, and make sure that if it is transferred, it is done so in a trusted way. Exporting your keys can be done with the following commands:</p>
77aea16c 440<p><code>
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441$ gpg --export-secret-keys -a [keyID] > my_secret_key.asc<br/>
442$ gpg --export -a [keyID] > my_public_key.asc
77aea16c 443</code></p>
7b83f7f9 444
77aea16c 445<h4>Generate a revocation certificate</h4>
63fe86d5 446<p>Just in case you lose your key, or it gets compromised, you want to generate a certificate and choose to save it in a safe place on your computer for now (please refer to <a href="#step-6c">Step 6.C</a> for how to best store your revocation cerficate safely). This step is essential for your email self-defense, as you'll learn more about in <a href="#section5">Section 5</a>.</p>
b7f7b4a2 447
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448<p># Copy your keyID: <code>gpg --list-key [your@email]</code> will list your public ("pub") key information, including your keyID, which is a unique list of numbers and letters. Copy this keyID, so you can use it in the following command.</p>
449<p># Generate a revocation certificate: <code>gpg --gen-revoke --output revoke.asc [keyID]</code></p>
450<p># It will prompt you to give a reason for revocation, we recommend to use <samp>1&nbsp;=&nbsp;key has been compromised</samp>.</p>
63fe86d5 451<p># You don't have to fill in a reason, but you can; then press "Enter" for an empty line, and confirm your selection.</p>
80b64e11 452
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453
454<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
455<div class="troubleshooting">
456
457<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
458
459<dl>
563fcf5d 460<dt>Sending my key to the keyserver is not working</dt>
412a3134 461<dd>Instead of using the general command to upload your key to the keyserver, you can use a more specific command and add the keyserver to your command <code>gpg --keyserver keys.openpgp.org --send-key [keyID]</code>&#65279;.</dd>
563fcf5d 462
b7f7b4a2 463<dt>My key doesn't seem to be working or I get a "permission denied."</dt>
e4fa2e82 464<dd><p>Like every other file or folder, gpg keys are subject to permissions. If these are not set correctly, your system may not be accepting your keys. You can follow the next steps to check, and update to the right permissions.</p>
19bce4d7 465
77aea16c 466<p># Check your permissions: <code>ls -l ~/.gnupg/*</code></p>
e4fa2e82 467<p># Set permissions to read, write, execute for only yourself, no others. These are the recommended permissions for your folder. <br/>
5440702c 468You can use the command: <code>chmod 700 ~/.gnupg</code></p>
e4fa2e82 469<p># Set permissions to read and write for yourself only, no others. These are the recommended permissions for the keys inside your folder. <br/>
77aea16c 470You can use the code: <code>chmod 600 ~/.gnupg/*</code></p>
19bce4d7 471
e4fa2e82 472<p class="notes">If you have (for any reason) created your own folders inside ~/.gnupg, you must also additionally apply execute permissions to that folder. Folders require execution privileges to be opened. For more information on permissions, you can check out <a href="https://helpdeskgeek.com/linux-tips/understanding-linux-permissions-chmod-usage/">this detailed information guide</a>.</p>
7b83f7f9 473</dd>
412a3134 474
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475<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
476<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
477href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
478page</a>.</dd>
479</dl>
480
481</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
482
483<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
484<div class="troubleshooting">
485
486<h4>Advanced</h4>
487
488<dl>
7b83f7f9 489<dt>More about keyservers</dt>
f1ff80d1 490<dd>You can find some more keyserver information <a
4c633adb 491href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x457.html">in this manual</a>. You can also <a
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492href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x56.html#AEN64">directly export
493your key</a> as a file on your computer.</dd>
7b83f7f9 494
495<dt>Transferring your keys</dt>
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496<dd>
497<p>Use the following commands to transfer your keys. To avoid getting your key compromised, store it in a safe place, and make sure that if it is transferred, it is done so in a trusted way. Importing and exporting a key can be done with the following commands:</p>
7b83f7f9 498
77aea16c 499<p><code>
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500$ gpg --export-secret-keys -a [keyID] > my_private_key.asc<br />
501$ gpg --export -a [keyID] > my_public_key.asc<br />
502$ gpg --import my_private_key.asc<br />
e4fa2e82 503$ gpg --import my_public_key.asc
77aea16c 504</code></p>
7b83f7f9 505
35f08087 506<p>Ensure that the keyID printed is the correct one, and if so, then go ahead and add ultimate trust for it:</p>
e4fa2e82 507
77aea16c 508<p><code>
35f08087 509$ gpg --edit-key [your@email]
77aea16c 510</code></p>
7b83f7f9 511
dbfeba09 512<p>Because this is your key, you should choose <code>ultimate</code>&#65279;. You shouldn't trust anyone else's key ultimately.</p>
80b64e11 513
63fe86d5 514<p class="notes"> Refer to <a href="#step-2b">Troubleshooting in Step 2.B</a> for more information on permissions. When transferring keys, your permissions may get mixed, and errors may be prompted. These are easily avoided when your folders and files have the right permissions</p>
7b83f7f9 515</dd>
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516</dl>
517
518</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
519</div><!-- End .main -->
520</div><!-- End #step-2b .step -->
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521</div></section><!-- End #section2 -->
522
7b83f7f9 523<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 3: Set up email encryption ~~~~~~~~~ -->
524<section id="section3" class="row"><div>
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525
526<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
527<div class="section-intro">
528
7b83f7f9 529<h2><em>#3</em> Set up email encryption</h2>
64f8f564 530<p class="notes">The Icedove (or Thunderbird) email program has PGP functionality integrated, which makes it pretty easy to work with. We'll take you through the steps of integrating and using your key in these email clients.</p>
7b83f7f9 531
532</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
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533
534<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 535<div id="step-3a" class="step">
536<div class="sidebar">
537
69e314de 538<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-open-key-manager.png"
fedfd572 539alt="Step 3.A: Email Menu" /></p>
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540
541<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-import-from-file.png"
7b83f7f9 542alt="Step 3.A: Import From File" /></p>
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543
544<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-success.png"
7b83f7f9 545alt="Step 3.A: Success" /></p>
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546
547<p class="large"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step3a-troubleshoot.png"
40833450 548alt="Step 3.A: Troubleshoot" /></p>
7b83f7f9 549</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
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550<div class="main">
551
7b83f7f9 552<h3><em>Step 3.a</em> Set up your email with encryption</h3>
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553
554<p>Once you have set up your email with encryption, you can start contributing to encrypted traffic on the Internet. First we'll get your email client to import your secret key, and we will also learn how to get other people's public keys from servers so you can send and receive encrypted email.</p>
19bce4d7 555
fb4dff9b 556<p># Open your email client and use "Tools" &rarr; <i>OpenPGP Key Manager</i></p>
77aea16c 557<p># Under "File" &rarr; <i>Import Secret Key(s) From File</i></p>
63fe86d5 558<p># Select the file you saved under the name [my_secret_key.asc] in <a href="#step-2b">Step 2.B</a> when you exported your key</p>
7b83f7f9 559<p># Unlock with your passphrase</p>
560<p># You will receive a "OpenPGP keys successfully imported" window to confirm success</p>
fb4dff9b 561<p># Go to "Account settings" &rarr; "End-To-End Encryption," and make sure your key is imported and select <i>Treat this key as a Personal Key</i>.</p>
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562
563</div><!-- End .main -->
19bce4d7 564
7b83f7f9 565<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 566<div class="main">
567<div class="troubleshooting">
568<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
569<dl>
570<dt>I'm not sure the import worked correctly</dt>
571<dd>
fb4dff9b 572Look for "Account settings" &rarr; "End-To-End Encryption." Here you can see if your personal key associated with this email is found. If it is not, you can try again via the <i>Add key</i> option. Make sure you have the correct, active, secret key file.
7b83f7f9 573</dd>
574
575<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
576<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
577href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
578page</a>.</dd>
579</dl>
580
581</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
582</div><!-- End .main -->
583</div><!-- End #step3-a .step -->
584</div></section><!-- End #section3 -->
585
586<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 4: Try it out ~~~~~~~~~ -->
587<section class="row" id="section4"><div>
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588
589<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
590<div class="section-intro">
591
7b83f7f9 592<h2><em>#4</em> Try it out!</h2>
69e314de 593<p class="float small"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section3-try-it-out.png" alt="Illustration of a person in a house with a cat connected to a server"/></p>
a4eb3926 594<p>Now you'll try a test correspondence with an FSF computer program named Edward,
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595who knows how to use encryption. Except where noted, these are the same
596steps you'd follow when corresponding with a real, live person.</p>
597
598<!-- <p>NOTE: Edward is currently having some technical difficulties, so he
599may take a long time to respond, or not respond at all. We're sorry about
600this and we're working hard to fix it. Your key will still work even without
601testing with Edward.</p> -->
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602
603<div style="clear: both"></div>
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604</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
605
606<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 607<div id="step-4a" class="step">
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608<div class="sidebar">
609
69e314de 610<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 611src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4a-send-key-to-Edward.png"
7b83f7f9 612alt="Step 4.A Send key to Edward." /></p>
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613
614</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
615<div class="main">
616
7b83f7f9 617<h3><em>Step 4.a</em> Send Edward your public key</h3>
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618
619<p>This is a special step that you won't have to do when corresponding
7b83f7f9 620with real people. In your email program's menu, go to "Tools" &rarr; "OpenPGP Key
a4eb3926 621Manager." You should see your key in the list that pops up. Right click
77aea16c 622on your key and select <i>Send Public Keys by Email</i>. This will create a new draft message, as if you had just hit the "Write" button, but in the attachment you will find your public keyfile.</p>
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623
624<p>Address the message to <a
625href="mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org</a>. Put at least one word
626(whatever you want) in the subject and body of the email. Don't send yet.</p>
627
77aea16c 628<p>We want Edward to be able to open the email with your keyfile, so we want this first special message to be unencrypted. Make sure encryption is turned off by using the dropdown menu "Security" and select <i>Do Not Encrypt</i>. Once encryption is off, hit Send.</p>
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629
630<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
631respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
b7f7b4a2 632href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide. Once you have received a response,
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633head to the next step. From here on, you'll be doing just the same thing as
634when corresponding with a real person.</p>
635
7b83f7f9 636<p>When you open Edward's reply, GnuPG may prompt you for your passphrase
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637before using your private key to decrypt it.</p>
638
639</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 640</div><!-- End #step-4a .step -->
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641
642<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 643<div id="step-4b" class="step">
644<div class="sidebar">
19bce4d7 645
69e314de 646<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 647src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4b-option1-verify-key.png"
7b83f7f9 648alt="Step 4.B Option 1. Verify key" /></p>
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649
650<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 651src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4b-option2-import-key.png"
7b83f7f9 652alt="Step 4.B Option 2. Import key" /></p>
653</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
19bce4d7 654
7b83f7f9 655<div class="main">
19bce4d7 656
7b83f7f9 657<h3><em>Step 4.b</em> Send a test encrypted email</h3>
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658
659<h4>Get Edward's key</h4>
660
80b64e11 661<p>To encrypt an email to Edward, you need its public key, so now you'll have
7b83f7f9 662to download it from a keyserver. You can do this in two different ways:</p>
fb4dff9b 663<p><strong>Option 1.</strong> In the email answer you received from Edward as a response to your first email, Edward's public key was included. On the right of the email, just above the writing area, you will find an "OpenPGP" button that has a lock and a little wheel next to it. Click that, and select <i>Discover</i> next to the text: "This message was signed with a key that you don't yet have." A popup with Edward's key details will follow.</p>
19bce4d7 664
fb4dff9b 665<p><strong>Option 2.</strong> Open your OpenPGP Key manager, and under "Keyserver" choose <i>Discover Keys Online</i>. Here, fill in Edward's email address, and import Edward's key.</p>
19bce4d7 666
77aea16c 667<p>The option <i>Accepted (unverified)</i> will add this key to your key manager, and now it can be used to send encrypted emails and to verify digital signatures from Edward.</p>
19bce4d7 668
b7f7b4a2 669<p class="notes">In the popup window confirming if you want to import Edward's key, you'll see many different emails that are all associated with its key. This is correct; you can safely import the key.</p>
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670
671<p class="notes">Since you encrypted this email with Edward's public key,
672Edward's private key is required to decrypt it. Edward is the only one with
80b64e11 673its private key, so no one except Edward can decrypt it.</p>
19bce4d7 674
77aea16c 675<h4>Send Edward an encrypted email</h4>
7b83f7f9 676
a4eb3926 677<p> Write a new email in your email program, addressed to <a
7b83f7f9 678href="mailto:edward-en@fsf.org">edward-en@fsf.org</a>. Make the subject
679"Encryption test" or something similar and write something in the body.</p>
680
77aea16c 681<p>This time, make sure encryption is turned on by using the dropdown menu "Security" and select <i>Require Encryption</i>. Once encryption is on, hit Send.</p>
7b83f7f9 682
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683
684<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
685<div class="troubleshooting">
686
687<h4>Troubleshooting</h4>
688
689<dl>
7b83f7f9 690<dt>"Recipients not valid, not trusted or not found"</dt>
412a3134 691<dd>You could get the above error message, or something along these lines: "Unable to send this message with end-to-end encryption, because there are problems with the keys of the following recipients: ..." In these cases, you may be trying to send an encrypted email to someone when you do not have their public key yet. Make sure you follow the steps above to import the key to your key manager. Open the OpenPGP Key Manager to make sure the recipient is listed there.</dd>
7b83f7f9 692
693<dt>Unable to send message</dt>
f1ff80d1 694<dd>You could get the following message when trying to send your encrypted email: "Unable to send this message with end-to-end encryption, because there are problems with the keys of the following recipients: edward-en@fsf.org." This usually means you imported the key with the "Not accepted (undecided)" option. Go to the "key properties" of this key by right clicking on the key in the OpenPGP Key Manager, and select the option <i>Yes, but I have not verified that this is the correct key</i> in the "Acceptance" option at the bottom of this window. Resend the email.</dd>
7b83f7f9 695
696<dt>I can't find Edward's key</dt>
19bce4d7 697<dd>Close the pop-ups that have appeared since you clicked Send. Make sure
412a3134 698you are connected to the Internet and try again. If that doesn't work, you can download the key manually from <a href="https://keys.openpgp.org/search?q=edward-en%40fsf.org">the keyserver</a>, and import it by using the <i>Import Public Key(s) from File</i> option in the OpenPGP Key Manager.</dd>
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699
700<dt>Unscrambled messages in the Sent folder</dt>
701<dd>Even though you can't decrypt messages encrypted to someone else's key,
702your email program will automatically save a copy encrypted to your public key,
703which you'll be able to view from the Sent folder like a normal email. This
704is normal, and it doesn't mean that your email was not sent encrypted.</dd>
705
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706<dt class="feedback">Don't see a solution to your problem?</dt>
707<dd class="feedback">Please let us know on the <a
708href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Public_Review">feedback
709page</a>.</dd>
710</dl>
711
712</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
713
714<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
715<div class="troubleshooting">
716
717<h4>Advanced</h4>
718
719<dl>
720<dt>Encrypt messages from the command line</dt>
721<dd>You can also encrypt and decrypt messages and files from the <a
722href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x110.html">command line</a>,
723if that's your preference. The option --armor makes the encrypted output
724appear in the regular character set.</dd>
725</dl>
726
727</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
728</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 729</div><!-- End #step-4b .step -->
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730
731<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
732<div id="step-headers_unencrypted" class="step">
733<div class="main">
734
735<h3><em>Important:</em> Security tips</h3>
19e80165 736
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737<p>Even if you encrypt your email, the subject line is not encrypted, so
738don't put private information there. The sending and receiving addresses
739aren't encrypted either, so a surveillance system can still figure out who
740you're communicating with. Also, surveillance agents will know that you're
741using GnuPG, even if they can't figure out what you're saying. When you
7b83f7f9 742send attachments, you can choose to encrypt them or not,
19bce4d7 743independent of the actual email.</p>
bdf319c4 744
e72398d7
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745<p>For greater security against potential attacks, you can turn off
746HTML. Instead, you can render the message body as plain text. In order
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747to do this in Icedove or Thunderbird, go to "View" &rarr; "Message Body As" &rarr; <i>Plain
748Text</i>.</p>
e72398d7 749
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750</div><!-- End .main -->
751</div><!-- End #step-headers_unencrypted .step-->
d85363e7 752
19bce4d7 753<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 754<div id="step-4c" class="step">
755<div class="sidebar">
756
69e314de 757<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 758src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step4c-Edward-response.png"
7b83f7f9 759alt="Step 4.C Edward's response" /></p>
760
761</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
762
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763<div class="main">
764
7b83f7f9 765<h3><em>Step 4.c</em> Receive a response</h3>
19bce4d7 766
80b64e11 767<p>When Edward receives your email, it will use its private key to decrypt
f54f2134 768it, then reply to you. </p>
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769
770<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
771respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
7b83f7f9 772href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide.</p>
773
169c7097 774<p>Edward will send you an encrypted email back saying your email was received and decrypted. Your email client will automatically decrypt Edward's message.</p>
7b83f7f9 775
f2545138 776<p class="notes">The OpenPGP button in the email will show a little green checkmark over the lock symbol to show the message is encrypted, and a little orange warning sign which means that you have accepted the key, but not verified it. When you have not yet accepted the key, you will see a little question mark there. Clicking the prompts in this button will lead you to key properties as well.</p>
19bce4d7 777
19bce4d7 778</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 779</div><!-- End #step-4c .step -->
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780
781<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 782<div id="step-4d" class="step">
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783<div class="main">
784
80b64e11 785<h3><em>Step 4.d</em> Send a signed test email</h3>
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786
787<p>GnuPG includes a way for you to sign messages and files, verifying that
788they came from you and that they weren't tampered with along the way. These
789signatures are stronger than their pen-and-paper cousins -- they're impossible
790to forge, because they're impossible to create without your private key
791(another reason to keep your private key safe).</p>
792
793<p>You can sign messages to anyone, so it's a great way to make people
794aware that you use GnuPG and that they can communicate with you securely. If
795they don't have GnuPG, they will be able to read your message and see your
796signature. If they do have GnuPG, they'll also be able to verify that your
797signature is authentic.</p>
798
a4eb3926 799<p>To sign an email to Edward, compose any message to the email address and click the
19bce4d7 800pencil icon next to the lock icon so that it turns gold. If you sign a
5440702c 801message, GnuPG may ask you for your passphrase before it sends the message,
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802because it needs to unlock your private key for signing.</p>
803
77aea16c 804<p>In "Account Settings" &rarr; "End-To-End-Encryption" you can opt to <i>add digital signature by default</i>.</p>
19bce4d7 805
7b83f7f9 806</div><!-- End .main -->
807</div><!-- End #step-4d .step -->
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808
809<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 810<div id="step-4e" class="step">
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811<div class="main">
812
7b83f7f9 813<h3><em>Step 4.e</em> Receive a response</h3>
19bce4d7 814
f54f2134
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815<p>When Edward receives your email, he will use your public key (which
816you sent him in <a href="#step-3a">Step 3.A</a>) to verify the message
80b64e11 817you sent has not been tampered with and to encrypt a reply to you.</p>
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818
819<p class="notes">It may take two or three minutes for Edward to
820respond. In the meantime, you might want to skip ahead and check out the <a
7b83f7f9 821href="#section6">Use it Well</a> section of this guide.</p>
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822
823<p>Edward's reply will arrive encrypted, because he prefers to use encryption
824whenever possible. If everything goes according to plan, it should say
825"Your signature was verified." If your test signed email was also encrypted,
826he will mention that first.</p>
827
7b83f7f9 828<p>When you receive Edward's email and open it, your email client will
f54f2134
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829automatically detect that it is encrypted with your public key, and
830then it will use your private key to decrypt it.</p>
831
19bce4d7 832</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 833</div><!-- End #step-4e .step -->
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834</div></section>
835
803e8e2e 836<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 5: Learn About the Web of Trust ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 837<section class="row" id="section5"><div>
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838
839<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
840<div class="section-intro">
841
b7f7b4a2 842<h2><em>#5</em> Learn about the Web of Trust</h2>
69e314de 843<p class="float small"><img src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section5-web-of-trust.png" alt="Illustration of keys all interconnected with a web of lines"/></p>
19bce4d7 844
b7f7b4a2 845<p>Email encryption is a powerful technology, but it has a weakness:
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846it requires a way to verify that a person's public key is actually
847theirs. Otherwise, there would be no way to stop an attacker from making
b7f7b4a2 848an email address with your friend's name, creating keys to go with it, and
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849impersonating your friend. That's why the free software programmers that
850developed email encryption created keysigning and the Web of Trust.</p>
851
852<p>When you sign someone's key, you are publicly saying that you've verified
853that it belongs to them and not someone else.</p>
854
855<p>Signing keys and signing messages use the same type of mathematical
856operation, but they carry very different implications. It's a good practice
857to generally sign your email, but if you casually sign people's keys, you
77aea16c 858may accidentally end up vouching for the identity of an imposter.</p>
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859
860<p>People who use your public key can see who has signed it. Once you've
861used GnuPG for a long time, your key may have hundreds of signatures. You
862can consider a key to be more trustworthy if it has many signatures from
863people that you trust. The Web of Trust is a constellation of GnuPG users,
864connected to each other by chains of trust expressed through signatures.</p>
865
866</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
867
868<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 869<div id="step-5a" class="step">
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870<div class="sidebar">
871
69e314de 872<p class="large"><img
14c5f099 873src="../static/img/en/screenshots/step5a-key-properties.png"
7b83f7f9 874alt="Section 5: trusting a key" /></p>
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875
876</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
877<div class="main">
878
7b83f7f9 879<h3><em>Step 5.a</em> Sign a key</h3>
19bce4d7 880
77aea16c 881<p>In your email program's menu, go to OpenPGP Key Manager and select <i>Key properties</i> by right clicking on Edward's key.</p>
19bce4d7 882
f1ff80d1 883<p>Under "Your Acceptance," you can select <i>Yes, I've verified in person this key has the correct fingerprint</i>.</p>
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884
885<p class="notes">You've just effectively said "I trust that Edward's public
886key actually belongs to Edward." This doesn't mean much because Edward isn't
b7f7b4a2 887a real person, but it's good practice, and for real people it is important. You can read more about signing a person's key in the <a href="#check-ids-before-signing">check IDs before signing</a> section.</p>
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888
889<!--<div id="pgp-pathfinder">
890
891<form enctype="application/x-www-form-urlencoded" action="/mk_path.cgi"
892method="get">
893
f211d856 894<p><strong>From:</strong><input type="text" value="xD41A008"
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895name="FROM"></p>
896
f211d856 897<p><strong>To:</strong><input type="text" value="50BD01x4" name="TO"></p>
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898
899<p class="buttons"><input type="submit" value="trust paths" name="PATHS"><input
900type="reset" value="reset" name=".reset"></p>
901
902</form>
903
904</div>End #pgp-pathfinder -->
905</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 906</div><!-- End #step-5a .step -->
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907
908<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
909<div id="step-identify_keys" class="step">
910<div class="main">
911
912<h3>Identifying keys: Fingerprints and IDs</h3>
913
914<p>People's public keys are usually identified by their key fingerprint,
915which is a string of digits like F357AA1A5B1FA42CFD9FE52A9FF2194CC09A61E8
916(for Edward's key). You can see the fingerprint for your public key, and
7b83f7f9 917other public keys saved on your computer, by going to OpenPGP Key
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918Management in your email program's menu, then right clicking on the key
919and choosing Key Properties. It's good practice to share your fingerprint
920wherever you share your email address, so that people can double-check that
921they have the correct public key when they download yours from a keyserver.</p>
922
c0c01f86 923<p class="notes">You may also see public keys referred to by a shorter
a4eb3926 924keyID. This keyID is visible directly from the Key Management
925window. These eight character keyIDs were previously used for
c0c01f86
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926identification, which used to be safe, but is no longer reliable. You
927need to check the full fingerprint as part of verifying you have the
928correct key for the person you are trying to contact. Spoofing, in
929which someone intentionally generates a key with a fingerprint whose
930final eight characters are the same as another, is unfortunately
931common.</p>
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932
933</div><!-- End .main -->
934</div><!-- End #step-identify_keys .step-->
935
936<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
937<div id="check-ids-before-signing" class="step">
938<div class="main">
939
940<h3><em>Important:</em> What to consider when signing keys</h3>
941
942<p>Before signing a person's key, you need to be confident that it actually
943belongs to them, and that they are who they say they are. Ideally, this
944confidence comes from having interactions and conversations with them over
945time, and witnessing interactions between them and others. Whenever signing
946a key, ask to see the full public key fingerprint, and not just the shorter
a4eb3926 947keyID. If you feel it's important to sign the key of someone you've just
19bce4d7 948met, also ask them to show you their government identification, and make
7b83f7f9 949sure the name on the ID matches the name on the public key.</p>
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950
951<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Troubleshooting ~~~~~~~~~ -->
952<div class="troubleshooting">
953
954<h4>Advanced</h4>
955
956<dl>
957<dt>Master the Web of Trust</dt>
958<dd>Unfortunately, trust does not spread between users the way <a
6003a573 959href="https://fennetic.net/irc/finney.org/~hal/web_of_trust.html">many people
a4eb3926 960think</a>. One of the best ways to strengthen the GnuPG community is to deeply <a
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961href="https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x334.html">understand</a> the Web of
962Trust and to carefully sign as many people's keys as circumstances permit.</dd>
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963</dl>
964
965</div><!-- /.troubleshooting -->
966</div><!-- End .main -->
967</div><!-- End #check-ids-before-signing .step-->
7b83f7f9 968</div></section><!-- End #section5 -->
d85363e7 969
7b83f7f9 970<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 6: Use it well ~~~~~~~~~ -->
971<section id="section6" class="row"><div>
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972
973<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ section introduction: interspersed text ~~~~~~~~~ -->
974<div class="section-intro">
975
7b83f7f9 976<h2><em>#6</em> Use it well</h2>
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977
978<p>Everyone uses GnuPG a little differently, but it's important to follow
979some basic practices to keep your email secure. Not following them, you
980risk the privacy of the people you communicate with, as well as your own,
981and damage the Web of Trust.</p>
982
983</div><!-- End .section-intro -->
984
985<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 986<div id="step-6a" class="step">
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987<div class="sidebar">
988
69e314de 989<p class="medium"><img
1805f65d 990src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section6-01-use-it-well.png"
7b83f7f9 991alt="Section 6: Use it Well (1)" /></p>
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992
993</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
994<div class="main">
995
996<h3>When should I encrypt? When should I sign?</h3>
997
998<p>The more you can encrypt your messages, the better. If you only encrypt
999emails occasionally, each encrypted message could raise a red flag for
1000surveillance systems. If all or most of your email is encrypted, people
1001doing surveillance won't know where to start. That's not to say that only
1002encrypting some of your email isn't helpful -- it's a great start and it
1003makes bulk surveillance more difficult.</p>
1004
1005<p>Unless you don't want to reveal your own identity (which requires other
1006protective measures), there's no reason not to sign every message, whether or
1007not you are encrypting. In addition to allowing those with GnuPG to verify
1008that the message came from you, signing is a non-intrusive way to remind
1009everyone that you use GnuPG and show support for secure communication. If you
1010often send signed messages to people that aren't familiar with GnuPG, it's
1011nice to also include a link to this guide in your standard email signature
1012(the text kind, not the cryptographic kind).</p>
1013
1014</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 1015</div><!-- End #step-6a .step -->
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1016
1017<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 1018<div id="step-6b" class="step">
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1019<div class="sidebar">
1020
69e314de 1021<p class="medium"><img
1805f65d 1022src="../static/img/en/screenshots/section6-02-use-it-well.png"
7b83f7f9 1023alt="Section 6: Use it Well (2)" /></p>
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1024
1025</div><!-- /.sidebar -->
1026<div class="main">
1027
1028<h3>Be wary of invalid keys</h3>
1029
1030<p>GnuPG makes email safer, but it's still important to watch out for invalid
1031keys, which might have fallen into the wrong hands. Email encrypted with
1032invalid keys might be readable by surveillance programs.</p>
1033
1034<p>In your email program, go back to the first encrypted email that Edward
1035sent you. Because Edward encrypted it with your public key, it will have a
f1ff80d1 1036green checkmark on the "OpenPGP" button.</p>
19bce4d7 1037
77aea16c 1038<p><strong>When using GnuPG, make a habit of glancing at that button. The program
4227f3fd 1039will warn you there if you get an email signed with a key that can't
77aea16c 1040be trusted.</strong></p>
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1041
1042</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 1043</div><!-- End #step-6b .step -->
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1044
1045<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 1046<div id="step-6c" class="step">
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1047<div class="main">
1048
1049<h3>Copy your revocation certificate to somewhere safe</h3>
1050
1051<p>Remember when you created your keys and saved the revocation certificate
80b64e11 1052that GnuPG made? It's time to copy that certificate onto the safest storage that you have -- a flash drive, disk, or hard drive stored in a safe place in your home could work, not on a device you carry with you regularly. The safest way we know is actually to print the revocation certificate and store it in a safe place.</p>
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1053
1054<p>If your private key ever gets lost or stolen, you'll need this certificate
1055file to let people know that you are no longer using that keypair.</p>
1056
1057</div><!-- End .main -->
7b83f7f9 1058</div><!-- End #step-6c .step -->
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1059
1060<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1061<div id="step-lost_key" class="step">
1062<div class="main">
1063
b7f7b4a2 1064<h3><em>IMPORTANT:</em> ACT SWIFTLY if someone gets your private key</h3>
19bce4d7 1065
b7f7b4a2 1066<p>If you lose your private key or someone else gets a hold
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1067of it (say, by stealing or cracking your computer), it's
1068important to revoke it immediately before someone else uses
1069it to read your encrypted email or forge your signature. This
1070guide doesn't cover how to revoke a key, but you can follow these <a
1071href="https://www.hackdiary.com/2004/01/18/revoking-a-gpg-key/">instructions</a>.
1072After you're done revoking, make a new key and send an email to everyone
1073with whom you usually use your key to make sure they know, including a copy
1074of your new key.</p>
1075
1076</div><!-- End .main -->
1077</div><!-- End #step-lost_key .step-->
1078
35f08087 1079<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
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1080<div id="webmail-and-GnuPG" class="step">
1081<div class="main">
1082
1083<h3>Webmail and GnuPG</h3>
1084
1085<p>When you use a web browser to access your email, you're using webmail,
1086an email program stored on a distant website. Unlike webmail, your desktop
1087email program runs on your own computer. Although webmail can't decrypt
1088encrypted email, it will still display it in its encrypted form. If you
1089primarily use webmail, you'll know to open your email client when you receive
1090a scrambled email.</p>
1091
1092</div><!-- End .main -->
1093</div><!-- End #webmail-and-GnuPG .step-->
1094
35f08087 1095<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ a div for each step ~~~~~~~~~ -->
7b83f7f9 1096<div id="step-6d" class="step">
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1097<div class="main">
1098
1099<h3>Make your public key part of your online identity</h3>
1100
1101<p> First add your public key fingerprint to your email signature, then
1102compose an email to at least five of your friends, telling them you just
1103set up GnuPG and mentioning your public key fingerprint. Link to this guide
1104and ask them to join you. Don't forget that there's also an awesome <a
1105href="infographic.html">infographic to share.</a></p>
1106
1107<p class="notes">Start writing your public key fingerprint anywhere someone
1108would see your email address: your social media profiles, blog, Website,
1109or business card. (At the Free Software Foundation, we put ours on our
1110<a href="https://fsf.org/about/staff">staff page</a>.) We need to get our
1111culture to the point that we feel like something is missing when we see an
1112email address without a public key fingerprint.</p>
1113
35f08087 1114</div><!-- End .main-->
1115</div><!-- End #step-6d .step-->
7b83f7f9 1116</div></section><!-- End #section6 -->
19bce4d7 1117
7b83f7f9 1118<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Section 7: Next steps ~~~~~~~~~ -->
b7f7b4a2 1119<section class="row" id="section7">
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1120<div id="step-click_here" class="step">
1121<div class="main">
0a225228 1122
19bce4d7 1123<h2><a href="next_steps.html">Great job! Check out the next steps.</a></h2>
bb28ee32 1124
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1125</div><!-- End .main -->
1126</div><!-- End #step-click_here .step-->
7b83f7f9 1127</section><!-- End #section7 -->
bdf319c4 1128
19bce4d7 1129<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ FAQ ~~~~~~~~~ -->
f44dd62f 1130<!-- When un-commenting this section go to main.css and search
116f80c3 1131for /* Guide Sections Background */ then add #faq to the desired color
19bce4d7 1132<section class="row" id="faq"><div>
116f80c3 1133<div class="sidebar">
19bce4d7 1134
116f80c3 1135<h2>FAQ</h2>
6c495e2d 1136
19bce4d7 1137</div>
116f80c3 1138<div class="main">
19bce4d7 1139
116f80c3
ZR
1140<dl>
1141<dt>My key expired</dt>
1142<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
6c495e2d 1143
116f80c3
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1144<dt>Who can read encrypted messages? Who can read signed ones?</dt>
1145<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
6c495e2d 1146
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1147<dt>My email program is opening at times I don't want it to open/is now my
1148default program and I don't want it to be.</dt>
116f80c3
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1149<dd>Answer coming soon.</dd>
1150</dl>
19bce4d7 1151
116f80c3
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1152</div>
1153</div>
1154</section> --><!-- End #faq -->
bdf319c4 1155
19bce4d7
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1156<!-- ~~~~~~~~~ Footer ~~~~~~~~~ -->
1157<footer class="row" id="footer"><div>
1158<div id="copyright">
1159
1160<h4><a href="https://u.fsf.org/ys"><img
1161alt="Free Software Foundation"
14c5f099 1162src="../static/img/fsf-logo.png" /></a></h4>
19bce4d7 1163
bf77c8b0 1164<p>Copyright &copy; 2014-2023 <a
19bce4d7
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1165href="https://u.fsf.org/ys">Free Software Foundation</a>, Inc. <a
1166href="https://my.fsf.org/donate/privacypolicy.html">Privacy Policy</a>. Please
1167support our work by <a href="https://u.fsf.org/yr">joining us as an associate
1168member.</a></p>
1169
1170<p>The images on this page are under a <a
1171href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons
1172Attribution 4.0 license (or later version)</a>, and the rest of it is under
1173a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">Creative Commons
1174Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license (or later version)</a>. Download the <a
6003a573 1175href="https://agpl.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/edward/CURRENT/edward.tar.gz">
f211d856 1176source code of Edward reply bot</a> by Andrew Engelbrecht
a3a9a0ac 1177&lt;andrew@engelbrecht.io&gt; and Josh Drake &lt;zamnedix@gnu.org&gt;,
19bce4d7 1178available under the GNU Affero General Public License. <a
6003a573 1179href="https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#OtherLicenses">Why these
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1180licenses?</a></p>
1181
1182<p>Fonts used in the guide &amp; infographic: <a
1183href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Dosis">Dosis</a> by Pablo
6003a573 1184Impallari, <a href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Signika">Signika</a>
19bce4d7 1185by Anna Giedry&#347;, <a
6003a573 1186href="https://www.google.com/fonts/specimen/Archivo+Narrow">Archivo
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1187Narrow</a> by Omnibus-Type, <a
1188href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/GPG_guide/Graphics_Howto#Pitfalls">PXL-2000</a>
1189by Florian Cramer.</p>
1190
1191<p>Download the <a href="emailselfdefense_source.zip">source package</a>
1192for this guide, including fonts, image source files and the text of Edward's
1193messages.</p>
1194
1195<p>This site uses the Weblabels standard for labeling <a
1196href="https://www.fsf.org/campaigns/freejs">free JavaScript</a>. View
abf30801 1197the JavaScript <a href="https://weblabels.fsf.org/emailselfdefense.fsf.org/"
19bce4d7
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1198rel="jslicense">source code and license information</a>.</p>
1199
1200</div><!-- /#copyright -->
1201
1202<p class="credits">Infographic and guide design by <a rel="external"
6003a573 1203href="https://jplusplus.org"><strong>Journalism++</strong><img
e277af54 1204src="../static/img/jplusplus.png"
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1205alt="Journalism++" /></a></p><!-- /.credits -->
1206</div></footer><!-- End #footer -->
116f80c3 1207
116f80c3 1208
f211d856 1209<script type="text/javascript"
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116f80c3 1213<!-- Piwik -->
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e609e128
AE
1216 var _paq = _paq || [];
1217 _paq.push(["trackPageView"]);
1218 _paq.push(["enableLinkTracking"]);
1219
1220 (function() {
1221 var u = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https" : "http") + "://"+"piwik.fsf.org//";
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1224 var d=document, g=d.createElement("script"), s=d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; g.type="text/javascript";
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