CryptoParty HOWTO GPG

Overview

For an overview of how public key encryption works, this is an excellent explanation: Public Key Cryptography: Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange.

GPG is a tool that does several things, but mostly it is used to generate a public/private key pair and maintains a user's keychain - the set of public keys from all their contacts. Thunderbird is an email client, and Enigmail is the plug-in that uses GPG for that platform to integrate that into a user's email account.

The first step is to install GPG for your platform. There are instructions for Linux, Mac, and Windows below. After that, the next step is to install Thunderbird, a mail client. You don't need a new email account - this setup works with your existing email account. After confirming that Thunderbird can send/receive email, Enigmail plug-in can be installed and configured to use the GPG on your platform. The next step is generate a public-private key pair, and publish your public key (so others can find your public key to send you encrypted email). Then finally you can send an encrypted email!

Platform-Specific GPG Install

Linux

• Install GnuPG
  • On Debian/GNU Linux (Includes Ubuntu): $ apt-get install gnupg
  • On other Linux systems

OS X (Macintosh)

• Install GPG Suite

Windows

• Install GPG4WIN

Thunderbird+Enigmail

• Install Thunderbird
  • Configure Thunderbird against your existing email account
• Install Enigmail Plug-in
• Create a Public-Private Key Pair
  • Remember your passphrase!
  • (Optional) Generate a revocation certificate
  • Publish your public key
• Send an Encrypted Email
  • Create a plain-text email to emptyset@freesideatlanta.org
  • Lookup the public key for emptyset@freesideatlanta.org
  • Sign and encrypt the email
  • Send!