Encrypting text and files using GnuPG and Kleopatra (2024)

Kleopatra is a graphicalinterface to GnuPG, a tool to encrypt andauthenticate text and files using the OpenPGP standard.

Kleopatra was added in Tails 5.0 (May 2022) to replace the OpenPGPApplet and the Passwords and Keys utility, also known asSeahorse.

Kleopatra provides equivalent features in a single tool and is moreactively developed.

With Kleopatra you can:

The Thunderbird email clientallows you to work with OpenPGP encrypted emails. Consider usingThunderbird instead of Kleopatra if you want to exchange encrypted emails.

The OpenPGP keys stored in Thunderbird are separate from the keysstored in GnuPG and visible in Kleopatra.

  1. Working with encrypted files
  2. Working with encrypted text

To store your GnuPG keys and configuration across different working sessions,you can turn on the GnuPGfeature of the Persistent Storage.

To encrypt a file:

  1. Choose Sign/Encrypt from the main window.

  2. Select the file that you want to encrypt.

  3. In the Sign/Encrypt Files dialog, either:

To decrypt a file:

  1. Choose Decrypt/Verify from the main window.

  2. Select the file that you want to decrypt.

It is unsafe to write confidential text in a web browser since JavaScriptattacks can access it from inside the browser. You should rather write andencrypt your text directly in the notepad of Kleopatra and only pastethe encrypted text in your browser.

To encrypt text:

  1. Choose Notepad from the main window.

  2. Type your text in the Notepad tab in the bottom pane.

  3. In the Recipients tab, either:

    • Specify which OpenPGP keys you want to encrypt the text to.

    • Choose Encrypt with password.

  4. Click the Encrypt Notepad button.

    This button is labeled Sign / Encrypt Notepad if the Sign as optionis selected in the Recipient tab.

To decrypt text:

  1. Choose Notepad from the main window.

  2. Paste the encrypted text in the Notepad tab in the bottom pane.

  3. Choose Decrypt/Verify Notepad.

When using Kleopatra to encrypt emails, non-ASCII characters (forexample non-Latin characters or characters with accents) might not displaycorrectly to the recipients of the email.

If you often encrypt emails, we recommend you set up OpenPGP inThunderbird instead.

Encrypting text and files using GnuPG and Kleopatra (2024)

FAQs

How can I encrypt a message with GnuPG so that PGP is able to decrypt it? ›

To encrypt a document the option --encrypt is used. You must have the public keys of the intended recipients. The software expects the name of the document to encrypt as input or, if omitted, on standard input. The encrypted result is placed on standard output or as specified using the option --output.

Is GPG good for encryption? ›

PGP and GPG provide secure encryption and authentication, with PGP being proprietary and GPG open-source and free. Following Phil Zimmermann's PGP, GPG emerged as an OpenPGP-compliant free version.

What is the difference between GPG and PGP encryption? ›

PGP stand for Pretty Good Privacy. GPG stands for GNU privacy Guard. Both of these programs are used to encrypt and decrypt data, messages, and emails. The difference between the two is that GPG is open-sourced where PGP is not.

Can you decrypt PGP without passphrase? ›

pgp file extension so the file can be decrypted as all signed files are encasulated in the signed file. Using the decrypt option would be used to verify the signed file. the --decrypt option can be used without putting in a passphrase.

What is the secret key in PGP encryption? ›

PGP uses a passphrase to encrypt your private key on your machine. Your private key is encrypted on your disk using a hash of your passphrase as the secret key. You use the passphrase to decrypt and use your private key. A passphrase should be hard for you to forget and difficult for others to guess.

What key is actually used to encrypt the contents of a message when using PGP? ›

The public key is used to encrypt the shorter version that encrypted the full message. Both are sent to the recipient, who uses their private key to unlock the shorter key, then decrypt the full message. PGP uses efficient algorithms that create a mathematical summary known as a hash to send digital signatures.

What is the strongest encryption scheme? ›

AES 256-bit encryption is the strongest and most robust encryption standard that is commercially available today. While it is theoretically true that AES 256-bit encryption is harder to crack than AES 128-bit encryption, AES 128-bit encryption has never been cracked.

What encryption is better than PGP? ›

Virtru End-to-End Encryption –Better than Pretty Good

Virtru overcomes inherent weaknesses in PGP and S/MIME and represents the next generation of end-to-end encryption. “Virtru offers encryption as secure as PGP but makes it easy enough that our end users, customers and partners can use it regularly.”

Do people still use GPG? ›

GPG is in use today by journalists, business leaders, universities, and others who wish to keep the transmission of messages and data secure. The primary issues with GPG continue to be user acceptance, key handling, and the lack of understanding surrounding the complexity of key creation and exchange.

What text command can be used to encrypt files? ›

To do this, you open the Windows Command Prompt (Go Start-->All Programs-->Accessories-->Command Prompt) and type in "gpg --gen-key" at the command line. Pick the encryption method and run through the other options. For personal encryption, the defaults are a safe bet.

How do I encrypt a text file in Notepad ++? ›

Open Notepad++ and navigate to the file or folder you wish to encrypt. Right click on the file or folder, and choose the encryption option from the context menu. Enter the encryption key when prompted, and allow the plugin to process the encryption.

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