General purpose PGP app

Hackerspace Information Security
#1

I need a general purpose PGP app. Seem pretty simple. Just like the classic Bob and Alice example.

I want to send someone a public key in clear text, they encrypt a message and send it to me, also in clear text. Then I apply the private key and decrypt the message.

However, I can only find apps that want to apply it to a browser or email or that want to upload the key to a server somewhere and have it associated with an email.

An example of this use would be sending a message by PM in a forum. I am not using email nor do I want to. Just want to cut and paste keys and messages.

Cheers . . .

#2

I believe OpenSSL (the command line cover) will do what you want.

Bear in mind it will be a multi-step process. Only very short messages can be encrypted using public key encryption so the usual process is to encrypt and exchange a symmetric key using public key encryption. That symmetric key is then used to exchange messages.

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#3

The GNU implementation of OpenPGP will do what you describe if you are comfortable using the command line. Here is the specific place where the manual describes “Alice” encrypting a generic document for “Blake”:

https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual.html#AEN111

That presupposes you’ve already installed it, set up keys and such.

If you’re on a Linux distribution you may have it already installed. If not, the main project page for GPG has a download page that includes links to executables for Windows and Mac.

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#4

Thanks for the input. I do indeed just need to transmit short messages.

I found this solution. It’s an open website where you can generate keys, encrypt and decrypt messages. Not quite as secure as doing it all on your computer but should serve the purpose here. There are certainly others like this one but I’ve tested it and it works.

https://www.igolder…p/generate-key/

https://www.igolder…pgp/encryption/

https://www.igolder…pgp/decryption/

BTW re the encryption page, there is no email verification although it asks for an email and a password. I just made up an email and psw and it worked.

You will need your password to decrypt even if you have the private key.

I don’t know what degree of encryption is used.

#5

There are plenty of GUIs for GPG, such as GPA (runs on Linux and Windows).

https://gnupg.org/related_software/swlist.html#gpa

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#6

Great list, Andrew! Thanks.

#7

can’t get any more simple and easier than https://keybase.io

1 Like