Installing and Using PGP
In the event that your website needs to send you sensitive data via email (credit card numbers, private info, etc.) PGP will be used to encrypt the emails so that only you may read them.
In order for us to encrypt the email, we need your Public PGP Key. To obtain your public PGP Key, install PGP by following the directions below.
Installing PGP
You can download an open-license PGP program here (PGPFW658Win32.zip). If you already have a PGP program installed, consult it’s documentation on the steps used to create PGP keys. Keep in mind that the following tutorial assumes you are using the program provided above.
Once the file is downloaded, unzip it (7-zip is a great utility) and open the folder. Execute the Setup.exe file to launch the installer. Go through the installation steps accepting the default settings, until the program finishes and you are asked if you would like to use existing keyrings, which, for the purposes of this turtorial, we're not — so go ahead and click ‘No’.
When prompted, select ‘Finish’ to complete the installation
Configuring PGP
To use PGP, you must generate two keys: a public key that will encrypt your messages, and a private key that will decrypt the messages.
The first screen of the wizard will give you a brief rundown of how PGP functions. You can get additional details by clicking the ‘help’ button at the bottom right. Click on ‘Next’' when you’re ready.
Now enter your name and the email address you will use for PGP, and click ‘Next’.
This page will prompt you to select an encryption type. Unless you know you want RSA, the defalt setting (DSS) is fine. Click ‘Next’.
When prompted to select key pair size, the default of 2048 bits is fine. Click ‘Next’.
On the Key expiration page, unless you know you want your key to expire, the default ‘Key Pair Never Expires’ is fine. Click ‘Next’.
Create your pass phrase. The software will guage how secure it is — generally, the longer the phrase the more secure it is. When you have entered your pass phrase, click ‘Next’ and the software will generate your keys. When that is complete, click ‘Next’ again.
Do not send your key to the certificate server, unless you have an overpowering urge to do so. Click ‘Next’.
Congratulations, you’ve generated your key pair and are ready to send encrypted messages.
Exporting your PGP Key
So, you’ve got a PGP key. Here’s how to export the Key so that you may send it to iMarc or anyone else who might need to send you sensitive data.
Go to your start menu, and then to ‘all programs’.
Hover over ‘P G P’ and then click on ‘PGPTools’ when it appears to launch the PGP program.
The PGP Toolbar will appear. Click on the PGP Keys icon (far left) to launch your key manager.
When the key manager appears, highlight your name and then click on the export icon (far right, under the ‘Help’ Menu), and then select a location (your desktop would work) and hit ‘Save’.
Open your email client, and email the file that you just saved to iMarc as an attachment. iMarc will then use that public key to send you encrypted emails.
Reading encrypted emails
You will generally receive encrypted messages in one of two ways: as an attachment, or in the body of an email.
If you receive an encrypted attachment, save it to your computer and open PGPTools again. Click on the ‘Decrypt/Verify’ button (third from the right) and find the attachment you just saved, select it, then click ‘Open’. If the file was an encrypted PGP file, PGPTools will save an unencrypted version of the file in the same folder as a text file with the same name as the attachment. Ie. if the attachment was saved as ‘secure.eml’, PGP will create a file called ‘secure.txt’ that you may simply open and read as a plain text email.
If you receive an encrypted message in the body of an email, simply save the email and then open it as if it was an attachment.
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