Encrypt messages in GPG on Linux

6 May 2023 3 minutes Author: D2-R2

Encryption is our best friend!

With the birth of civilization, there was a need to transmit information to people. And in such a way that this information does not become available to third parties. Over time, technologies developed, the amount of information increased, and the methods of its interception became more complicated. Currently, digital technologies are being actively implemented in various spheres of human life, therefore the issue of information protection during its storage and transmission is particularly relevant. Encryption is used to authenticate the source of the information and prevent the sender of the information from denying the fact that the data was sent to them. In order to read the encrypted information, the receiving party needs a key and a decryptor (a device that implements the decryption algorithm). The most reliable type of encryption is encryption via GPG/PGP.

GnuPG, or Gnu Privacy Guard, is a free program that allows you to encrypt information and create digital signatures. It is a kind of free alternative to commercial PGP. GPG uses a so-called hybrid encryption system, which combines symmetric and asymmetric encryption, and offers various algorithms such as RSA, DSA, AES to protect information. The longer the encryption key, the less likely someone will be able to decrypt your message if it falls into the wrong hands. But on the other hand, a longer key means more time for data processing. Linux has a GPA utility that makes the process of sending and receiving encrypted messages easier. And the most important thing is that only you and the person to whom you send them will be able to decipher these messages. In this day and age of texting, calling, emailing, and social media, encryption is our best friend in terms of privacy.

GPA package in debian

Let’s start the work, which I will show on the example of the debian distribution. We download the GPA package with the command in the terminal:

sudo apt install gpa

Then you find the program, log in and click “Create key”.

1. Create a name:


 

2. Enter your e-mail address, it is not necessary to enter your own:



3. Make a backup copy and store in a safe place:



4.Створюєте надійний пароль. Зберігайте резервну копію ключа:

Have a nice and safe communication!

To exchange public keys with the interlocutor, export the key and send it. To do this, click in the program: Windows (windows) -> Keyring Manager (key manager), click on your key and the button -> Export Keys, save it. Then send your key file. To add the sent key to yourself, the interlocutor must enter the program and go to the following items: Windows -> Keyring Manager -> Import keys (import keys), select a key.

When you have exchanged keys, you can proceed to communication. To do this, go to the item: Windows -> Clipboard in the GPA program. Write your message and press the button: Encrypt the buffer text. Select your key and press OK.

5. Your message is encrypted, you copy it and send it through any type of communication, in order to decrypt the interlocutor needs to open your encrypted text in the buffer and press the button: Decrypt the buffer text (Decrypt the text from the clipboard).

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