Encrypting Messages on a PC

     To follow up on my first post here is a guide for encrypting messages on a PC. The basic outline I will follow is this:

1) Download and install software
2) Create key pair
3) Export your public key
4) Import key
5) Encrypting
6) Decrypting

Step 1) First you need the encryption software. For this I use GPG4Win: http://www.gpg4win.org/download.html. Download the latest stable version. Install it, but when you get to the Choose Components page, only select GnuPG, Kleopatra, and Gpg4win Compendium. Install those components.

Step 2) Next, open Kleopatra. If it doesn't ask you already, you need to create a new OpenPGP key pair. Go to File -> New Certificate.  Click Next -> Create Key. Enter the name and email you want to associate with your encryption key. These do not have to be real. Kleopatra will ask you for a passphrase for this key. Choose one that you've never used before and write it down. Longer passwords are generally more secure. Kleopatra will then make your key pair.

Step 3) Export Key - Select your new key and click Export Certificates. Choose the name of the file like 'my pub key' or whatever and pick a location to save. You can open this file with a basic text editor (notepad) and you will see your key. In order for someone to send you an encrypted message that you can decrypt, you first have to give them this key. For example, you can copy and paste it into an email and send it to them. Note: You must include all the text, including the '-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----' and the '-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----' parts.

Step 4) Import Key - Find the public key of the person to whom you want to send an encrypted message. They can email it to you or whatever. Open notepad and then copy/paste their public key into the text document. Highlight their pubkey including all the "-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----" at the beginning and the "-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----" at the end. In your system tray (usually at the bottom right of the screen), Kleopatra will have an icon. Right click the icon and go to Clipboard -> Certificate Import. That will import the message recipient's public key. Now you can encrypt messages for that person's key. Only someone who has the secret/private key that pairs with that public key can decrypt the message. Never share your secret/private key, only your public key.

Step 5) Encrypting - This part is a bit tricky so read carefully. Open notepad again and type your message. Highlight your message, right click Kleopatra's tray icon and go to Clipboard -> Encrypt. Here you choose who you would like to send the info to. [Remember ONLY the recipient can decrypt your message]

•    Click Add Recipient and select the recipient's key (which you should have already imported).
  
•    Click Next and Kleopatra will encrypt your address. (In your clipboard!)
   
•    Click Ok.
•    Now go back to Notepad. Paste (ctrl + v) what is on your clipboard. Your message is now encrypted in a way that ONLY the possessor of the recipient key can decrypt. To anyone else, your message is gibberish.
 •    Copy and paste the message wherever you want, like in an email, on twitter, on a webpage, Facebook, etc. No one can read it except the person to whom you encrypted the message. You can encrypt the message so more than one key can decrypt it as well, if you want more than one person to be able to read it (select more than one recipient when encrypting to do this). Don't forget to include all the "-----BEGIN" and "-----END" stuff.

Step 6) Decrypting - To decrypt a message from someone, just copy/paste it into a notepad document, highlight it and right-click Kleopatra's tray icon and go to Clipboard -> Decrypt. Paste the newly decrypted message from your clipboard and it should be readable.

You should probably practice this a couple times to make sure you understand how it works. Join the PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) club! Import my public key below and send me an encrypted message and/or your public key (you can send me the key by itself, or include it in an encrypted message!).  I will send you an encrypted message and you can decrypt it! Now you are ready to be a secret agent! pewpewpew

-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: GnuPG/MacGPG2 v2.0.19 (Darwin)

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=JHWt
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----