How Does PGP Encryption Work?
Imagine you want to send someone a letter but don’t want anyone except the recipient to be able to read it. The best way to do this is to write the letter in code, but you can’t send the code key along with the letter, as that’s not very secure. PGP encryption gets around this problem using public key encryption. Everyone is assigned two keys: a public one that you can share with everyone and a private one, which you keep to yourself. What makes this system possible is that the codes only work one way. If Key A encrypts a file, Key A cannot reverse the process and decrypt it. Only its pair, Key B, can do that. Here’s how it usually works: This is a vastly simplified explanation of the process, but it covers the basics behind PGP encryption. If you want a more technical, mathematical explanation, Hackernoon breaks it down in much more detail.
What Can I Use PGP Encryption For?
PGP is most often used for encrypting emails, and there are many services to help you do that. ProtonMail is one great example of an encrypted email service that uses full end-to-end encryption. Beyond that, you can use your imagination: PGP can encrypt any text you need and can even be used on whole directories and drives. Investigative journalists often list their public keys online to make it easier for anonymous sources to get in touch with them, and sellers on darknet markets often use it to ensure their customers’ personal information stays secret.
How Do I Get Started?
Getting your own key pair is actually much easier than it sounds. You don’t need to understand anything at all about cryptography. You just have to figure out a few simple programs.
Install Encryption Program
How to Generate Encryption Keys
If you didn’t check the passphrase box in Step 4, you won’t be asked for a passphrase.
How to Back Up and View Your Keys
If you’re using Notepad, go to “File” and select “Open.” Navigate to your file to view it. You may need to select “All Files” at the bottom right. Alternately, navigate to your file in File Explorer, right-click it, and select “Open with.” Choose the application you want to use. These public and private keys can be used with any program that works with PGP, and Kleopatra itself can actually encrypt and decrypt files using your keys. If you want to take them for a test run, try encrypting a text file with your public key and decrypting it with your private key. Use the “Sign/Encrypt” and “Decrypt/Verify” options in Kleopatra. Image credit: geralt via Pixabay
