{"id":82,"date":"2019-11-27T15:57:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T15:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/?p=82"},"modified":"2019-11-27T15:58:15","modified_gmt":"2019-11-27T15:58:15","slug":"how-to-generate-an-openpgp-key-with-privatemail-or-kleopatra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/how-to-generate-an-openpgp-key-with-privatemail-or-kleopatra\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Generate an OpenPGP Key with PrivateMail or Kleopatra"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>This article was written by guest tech blogger Peter Selmeczy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide we\u2019ll show you how to generate an OpenPGP key in 4 quick and easy steps so you can start communicating securely instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll be showing you two different ways of doing this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Using PrivateMail<\/li><li>Using Kleopatra<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of this, we\u2019ll also show you how to export keys to keyservers, and find the public keys of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Generate an OpenPGP Key Pair using PrivateMail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a PrivateMail user, then you can generate a private key by<a href=\"https:\/\/mail.privatemail.com\/\"> logging into your account here<\/a>, and follow these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Once logged click Settings in the top right corner, and then select OpenPGP in the left hand menu<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/-6DA3hrneqNTMKCmccqFUiiLc1iVOotS_2lrRB4TWrZzQ8pRKGveZn35TXRd8Py8KsBDq5DDSACGDTJyZloH1tfwGwxdf7wufnxVKJlOemHtpKdoSBLoeG86WDgY1Y10_ClpZ8I6\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>If you haven\u2019t yet, enable OpenPGP by ticking the box and click Save<\/li><li>Click Generate New Keys<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/SZWS8faOO-RE3KDCL3Ncic_r8bRmSa3vEXnPtp_3BJJEQEfD3nR_Ow1vMigt6oSGTpNtfznAkBKfmou-oR_slUbrsjI-G7NtM3rguLzsWE3YsL6yQqd96RlCeh8octgsiKFv7fNc\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Select the email address you wish to generate the key for<ul><li>Enter the password for your keys (this doesn\u2019t have to be your account password)<\/li><li>Choose your preferred key length (4098 is more secure, but not necessary)\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Your keys are now ready and you can export, import, and generate new keys using the relevant buttons<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2>Generate an OpenPGP Key Pair Locally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are not a user of PrivateMail yet, then you can also generate OpenPGP keypairs using a number of different open source software. We prefer Kleopatra as it\u2019s one of the most common ones. You can download <a href=\"https:\/\/gpg4win.org\/\">Gpg4win<\/a> for Windows and <a href=\"https:\/\/kde.org\/applications\/utilities\/org.kde.kleopatra\">Kleopatra<\/a> for Linux to get it. You can also find a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.openpgp.org\/software\/\">list of supported software on the official OpenPGP website.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To generate an OpenPGP key pair using Gpg4win, follow these steps once you\u2019ve installed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Click \u201cFile\u201d then \u201cNew Key Pair\u201d<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/m_5OCjLY7VwYFAFnHv30Ui3NXjQLSBY93nZdpYYvHIALTlqTVOUMdLlk3iAUSUhLCnMdi8H3mB5PXjcmDXbnKAs6RCv7rzcDH-wNounUAr1cEBq8RIeeFm_CTdWZ3-2Ay_v4w4j3\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>In the creation wizard enter your name and email address (optional). In the advanced settings you can also change the key strength and a few additional options.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/c4ohqYhjp0RS1gO9NN75px_ns00hKXHKUhjfbFjR0HMLyz5wGIwUUqFGZpd9K0fODxdakGh7erp4RESVsESTc6KeVoSmE9nke4ewqi2rdpYyh9fWp69F30KekLPQE2b_qMBPLNUf\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Once you confirm the creation, enter and repeat your passphrase<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/RGqa-i8YfInPwOnQJykSbFpmEpsde1oSo2sfJuNICcNuRcV7oTCNZ50k8MxFZJFsACE0hCxYKgjyLzMIlV1_4z5rLi7SPua4ZEFsHk7b_EX-SJWzF06w5Zv-luRq_wIa26Zj0-61\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Once it\u2019s created you\u2019ll be able to back it up (recommended) and also share it with others.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/X0TTsO4oDCl_OOMhFQS1pDc_OFon2QsJ-BwWyIh1AZklxjfIZDyGn5KF9fQviPj6u_en-pE8zIkkfyCbrpUVbhRWdPBnQqXvhu0c9F4qDEf_TbzYlvqxPNLiqMDb8rJef6_Fk00v\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Exporting Public Key to Directory Services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this step, we\u2019ll show you how to export your public key to a directory service. Unfortunately, PrivateMail doesn\u2019t support this yet, so we\u2019ll be using using Gpg4win\/ Kleopatra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you created your key pair using the above steps you\u2019ll be able to immediately select \u201cUpload Public Key To a Directory Service\u201d to do. However, we\u2019re going to assume you\u2019ll wish to share a previously created key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Import your certificate by clicking the Import button and finding your certificate file(s)<\/li><li>Right click on your key, and click \u201cPublish on Server\u201d<\/li><li>Your Key is now public<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/sOnENuYzinE9wO31ZXjNFbWXJv2LxX7__SnCs1HTU6ZpWBsVfDwlZ0gQTOjbHZJ3p4ouufBDoKFs6W6lM_7zVmNhKTLoZa1KdG7uFuAHCGnfnA3TKWx2U3bvGNwp7a5iXeK63AEy\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>If you click \u201cLookup on Server\u201d you\u2019ll be able to search for it, as well as others.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Optionally, you can also generate a revocation certificate. The reason for this is that once you make a certificate public, it will forever remain public. However, with a revocation certificate you\u2019ll be able to declare it unused. Here are the steps to generate a revocation certificate in Kleopatra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Right click on your chosen certificate and click details<\/li><li>When prompted, save the file in your chosen location, and enter your passphrase<\/li><li>Edit the certificate in Notepad (or similar) to be able to use it<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/fuIggIA8PL7B6elCGGgLi7ib079FCbP0q6HAoRIQhvG5lb1fKkIJDvH5PdQ13fDH1p-urjuoc6qjq9NNP9D6X8yU1QGqyCZcrt7gLakit3ODaQJjQ3VlONWRnOjMCgy5e3DBhfDO\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>In Kleopatra click Import<\/li><li>Your certificate is now revoked<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/dENXAcdYTxJV3YtX_ummHLSJsgTseCRfVaI3D-Oeb1piX3iQipAXbLggrNUycYo5xWC18s80AR4WiWRIsZyJ0RIlL8fhHcrdvEUN45zhpcWem0gwmPZ_wn3Q0Pu98cB2io-hD42v\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>If you go to \u201cLookup on Server\u201d you will no longer be able to find the key.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/lSgpqH0UVtlgYgisNeWAQb2E8mRmd6mg0HVbJIel3nEINSZM5DE6KlfQPA5pgyW-w14pCdOLZPajBqGnc6t9Zovipwgv0y8kEHokpBX5FRdpy1tZXKMykZhnfkKG4jlmxYYQN2nL\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>What is the purpose of exporting your public key to the directory services server?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The purpose of exporting your public key is that it allows people to encrypt messages that they wish to send to you. Without it, any messages they send would be unencrypted. You are then able to decrypt the message using your private key. This is why it\u2019s important to never share your private key with anyone else.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Kleopatra you can use \u201cLook up on Server\u201d to find all available public keys<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/lSgpqH0UVtlgYgisNeWAQb2E8mRmd6mg0HVbJIel3nEINSZM5DE6KlfQPA5pgyW-w14pCdOLZPajBqGnc6t9Zovipwgv0y8kEHokpBX5FRdpy1tZXKMykZhnfkKG4jlmxYYQN2nL\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide we\u2019ll show you how to generate an OpenPGP key in 4 quick and easy steps so you can start communicating securely instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll be showing you two different ways of doing this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Using PrivateMail<\/li><li>Using Kleopatra<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of this, we\u2019ll also show you how to export keys to keyservers, and find the public keys of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Generate an OpenPGP Key Pair using PrivateMail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a PrivateMail user, then you can generate a private key by<a href=\"https:\/\/mail.privatemail.com\/\"> logging into your account here<\/a>, and follow these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Once logged click Settings in the top right corner, and then select OpenPGP in the left hand menu<br><\/li><li>If you haven\u2019t yet, enable OpenPGP by ticking the box and click Save<\/li><li>Click Generate New Keys<br><ol><li>Select the email address you wish to generate the key for<\/li><li>Enter the password for your keys (this doesn\u2019t have to be your account password)<\/li><li>Choose your preferred key length (4098 is more secure, but not necessary)&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol><\/li><li>Your keys are now ready and you can export, import, and generate new keys using the relevant buttons<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2>Generate an OpenPGP Key Pair Locally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are not a user of PrivateMail yet, then you can also generate OpenPGP keypairs using a number of different open source software. We prefer Kleopatra as it\u2019s one of the most common ones. You can download <a href=\"https:\/\/gpg4win.org\/\">Gpg4win<\/a> for Windows and <a href=\"https:\/\/kde.org\/applications\/utilities\/org.kde.kleopatra\">Kleopatra<\/a> for Linux to get it. You can also find a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.openpgp.org\/software\/\">list of supported software on the official OpenPGP website.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To generate an OpenPGP key pair using Gpg4win, follow these steps once you\u2019ve installed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Click \u201cFile\u201d then \u201cNew Key Pair\u201d<br><\/li><li>In the creation wizard enter your name and email address (optional). In the advanced settings you can also change the key strength and a few additional options.<br><\/li><li>Once you confirm the creation, enter and repeat your passphrase<br><\/li><li>Once it\u2019s created you\u2019ll be able to back it up (recommended) and also share it with others.<br><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2>Exporting Public Key to Directory Services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this step, we\u2019ll show you how to export your public key to a directory service. Unfortunately, PrivateMail doesn\u2019t support this yet, so we\u2019ll be using using Gpg4win\/ Kleopatra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you created your key pair using the above steps you\u2019ll be able to immediately select \u201cUpload Public Key To a Directory Service\u201d to do. However, we\u2019re going to assume you\u2019ll wish to share a previously created key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Import your certificate by clicking the Import button and finding your certificate file(s)<\/li><li>Right click on your key, and click \u201cPublish on Server\u201d<\/li><li>Your Key is now public<br><\/li><li>If you click \u201cLookup on Server\u201d you\u2019ll be able to search for it, as well as others.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Optionally, you can also generate a revocation certificate. The reason for this is that once you make a certificate public, it will forever remain public. However, with a revocation certificate you\u2019ll be able to declare it unused. Here are the steps to generate a revocation certificate in Kleopatra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Right click on your chosen certificate and click details<br><br><\/li><li>When prompted, save the file in your chosen location, and enter your passphrase<\/li><li>Edit the certificate in Notepad (or similar) to be able to use it<br><\/li><li>In Kleopatra click Import<\/li><li>Your certificate is now revoked<br><\/li><li>If you go to \u201cLookup on Server\u201d you will no longer be able to find the key.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3>What is the purpose of exporting your public key to the directory services server?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The purpose of exporting your public key is that it allows people to encrypt messages that they wish to send to you. Without it, any messages they send would be unencrypted. You are then able to decrypt the message using your private key. This is why it\u2019s important to never share your private key with anyone else.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Kleopatra you can use \u201cLook up on Server\u201d to find all available public keys<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/lSgpqH0UVtlgYgisNeWAQb2E8mRmd6mg0HVbJIel3nEINSZM5DE6KlfQPA5pgyW-w14pCdOLZPajBqGnc6t9Zovipwgv0y8kEHokpBX5FRdpy1tZXKMykZhnfkKG4jlmxYYQN2nL\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article was written by guest tech blogger Peter Selmeczy. In this guide we\u2019ll show you how to generate an OpenPGP key in 4 quick and easy steps so you can start communicating securely instantly. We\u2019ll be showing you two different ways of doing this: Using PrivateMail Using Kleopatra On top of this, we\u2019ll also [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[31],"tags":[27,29,30,28],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84,"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions\/84"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/privatemail.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}