Encrypt your Email with GPG

SEND AN ENCRYPTED AND SIGNED EMAIL

Send and sign encrypted mail in Thunderbird [10 mins]

Signing emails to an individual

Digitally signing email messages is a way to prove to recipients that you are the actual sender of a mail message. Those recipients who have received your public key will be able to verify that your message is authentic.

1. Offer your friend your public key, using the method described earlier in this chapter.

2. In Thunderbird, click on the icon.

3. Before actually sending the mail, enable the OpenPGP > Sign Message option via the menu bar of the mail compose window, if it is not enable already. Once you have enabled this option, by clicking on it, a marked sign will appear. Clicking again should disable encryption again. See the example below.

5. Click on the button and your signed mail will be sent.

Sending encrypted mails to an individual

1. You should have received the public key from the friend or colleague you want to email and you should have accepted their public key, using the method describe earlier in this chapter.

2. In Thunderbird, click on the icon.

3. Compose a mail to the friend or colleague, from who you have previously received their public key. Remember the subject line of the message will not be encrypted, only the message body itself, and any attachments.

4. Before actually sending the mail, enable the OpenPGP > Encrypt Message option via the menu bar of the mail compose window, if it is not enabled already. Once you have enabled this option, by clicking on it, a marked sign will appear. Clicking again should disable encryption again. See the example below.

5. Click on the button and your encrypted mail will be sent.



Task

Follow the instructions above to;

  • Send an encrypted and signed email to someone to who you have sent your public key.
  • Ask them to check back with you to tell you if they can read it.