How to use OpenPGP to encrypt your email messages and files in the cloud

Putting sensitive data in email messages or cloud storage should give you the heebie-jeebies, but a good dose of cryptography can give you peace of mind. Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) or its open-source implementation, OpenPGP, is the gold standard of encryption online, and when used properly, has the potential to thwart even the likes of the NSA.

Encryption solutions like BitLocker and DiskCryptordont secure email messages or files in the cloud. OpenPGP's industrial-strength encryption can ensure secure delivery of files and messages, as well as provide verification of who created or sent the message using a process called digital signing.

Using OpenPGP for communication requires participation by both the sender and recipient. You can also use OpenPGP to secure sensitive files when theyre stored in vulnerable places like mobile devices or in the cloud.

The trade-off for all this protection is that it's a little more complicated to use. Follow these steps to get started.

The OpenPGP-compatible Windows program well use is gpg4win (GNU Privacy Guard for Windows).

First, download and run the setup program. When prompted for which components youd like to install, include the GPA (GNU Privacy Assistant) component in addition to others that are chosen by default. GPA is the program I recommend for managing your encryption keys, which I also cover in this article.

Youll need to install gpg4win on all the computers you think youll have to encrypt or decrypt your files on.

If you plan to use the encryption on your mobile devices, consider downloading the APG app for Android or the oPenGP app for iOS.

To use OpenPGP, you have to generate at least two keys: a public key and a private key. Keys are just very small files containing encrypted text. Your public key can be handed out to anyone to send you an encrypted message or file. Your private key is passphrase-protected, and is required to decrypt the message or file.

The name you choose will be displayed on the certificate key. If you'd like more anonymity, consider creating another key pair with a fake name and email address.

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How to use OpenPGP to encrypt your email messages and files in the cloud