Sending and receiving public keys Sending your public key via email. To receive encrypted messages from other people, you must first send them your public key: Compose the message. Select OpenPGP from the Thunderbird menu bar and select Attach My Public Key. Send the email as usual. Receiving a public key via email. Concerning the PGP Key Generator, we DO NOT record any data: no e-mail address, no password and no messages. If you wish to place an order, your details will be requested. Some services require the use of cookies to work, and these cookies can not be disabled: - The very site of wp2pgpmail, if you identify yourself by logging into your account. To create keys, encrypt, and decrypt. Click the Create Keys button. The label displays the key name and shows that it is a full key pair. Click the Export Public Key button. Note that exporting the public key parameters does not change the current.
-->This walkthrough demonstrates how to encrypt and decrypt content. The code examples are designed for a Windows Forms application. This application does not demonstrate real world scenarios, such as using smart cards. Instead, it demonstrates the fundamentals of encryption and decryption.
This walkthrough uses the following guidelines for encryption:
Use the RijndaelManaged class, a symmetric algorithm, to encrypt and decrypt data by using its automatically generated Key and IV.
Use the RSACryptoServiceProvider, an asymmetric algorithm, to encrypt and decrypt the key to the data encrypted by RijndaelManaged. Asymmetric algorithms are best used for smaller amounts of data, such as a key.
Note
If you want to protect data on your computer instead of exchanging encrypted content with other people, consider using the ProtectedData or ProtectedMemory classes.
The following table summarizes the cryptographic tasks in this topic.
Task | Description |
---|---|
Creating a Windows Forms application | Lists the controls that are required to run the application. |
Declaring global objects | Declares string path variables, the CspParameters, and the RSACryptoServiceProvider to have global context of the Form class. |
Creating an asymmetric key | Creates an asymmetric public and private key value pair and assigns it a key container name. |
Encrypting a file | Displays a dialog box to select a file for encryption and encrypts the file. |
Decrypting a file | Displays a dialog box to select an encrypted file for decryption and decrypts the file. |
Getting a private key | Gets the full key pair using the key container name. |
Exporting a public key | Saves the key to an XML file with only public parameters. |
Importing a public key | Loads the key from an XML file into the key container. |
Testing the application | Lists procedures for testing this application. |
You need the following components to complete this walkthrough:
Most of the code examples in this walkthrough are designed to be event handlers for button controls. The following table lists the controls required for the sample application and their required names to match the code examples.
Control | Name | Text property (as needed) |
---|---|---|
Button | buttonEncryptFile | Encrypt File |
Button | buttonDecryptFile | Decrypt File |
Button | buttonCreateAsmKeys | Create Keys |
Button | buttonExportPublicKey | Export Public Key |
Button | buttonImportPublicKey | Import Public Key |
Button | buttonGetPrivateKey | Get Private Key |
Label | label1 | Key not set |
OpenFileDialog | openFileDialog1 | |
OpenFileDialog | openFileDialog2 |
Double-click the buttons in the Visual Studio designer to create their event handlers.
Add the following code to the Form's constructor. Edit the string variables for your environment and preferences.
This task creates an asymmetric key that encrypts and decrypts the RijndaelManaged key. This key was used to encrypt the content and it displays the key container name on the label control.
Add the following code as the Click
event handler for the Create Keys
button (buttonCreateAsmKeys_Click
).
This task involves two methods: the event handler method for the Encrypt File
button (buttonEncryptFile_Click
) and the EncryptFile
method. The first method displays a dialog box for selecting a file and passes the file name to the second method, which performs the encryption.
The encrypted content, key, and IV are all saved to one FileStream, which is referred to as the encryption package.
The EncryptFile
method does the following:
Creates a RijndaelManaged symmetric algorithm to encrypt the content.
Creates an RSACryptoServiceProvider object to encrypt the RijndaelManaged key.
Uses a CryptoStream object to read and encrypt the FileStream of the source file, in blocks of bytes, into a destination FileStream object for the encrypted file.
Determines the lengths of the encrypted key and IV, and creates byte arrays of their length values.
Writes the Key, IV, and their length values to the encrypted package.
The encryption package uses the following format:
Key length, bytes 0 - 3
IV length, bytes 4 - 7
Encrypted key
IV
Cipher text
You can use the lengths of the key and IV to determine the starting points and lengths of all parts of the encryption package, which can then be used to decrypt the file.
Add the following code as the Click
event handler for the Encrypt File
button (buttonEncryptFile_Click
).
Add the following EncryptFile
method to the form.
This task involves two methods, the event handler method for the Decrypt File
button (buttonDecryptFile_Click
), and the DecryptFile
method. The first method displays a dialog box for selecting a file and passes its file name to the second method, which performs the decryption.
The Decrypt
method does the following:
Creates a RijndaelManaged symmetric algorithm to decrypt the content.
Reads the first eight bytes of the FileStream of the encrypted package into byte arrays to obtain the lengths of the encrypted key and the IV.
Extracts the key and IV from the encryption package into byte arrays.
Creates an RSACryptoServiceProvider object to decrypt the RijndaelManaged key.
Uses a CryptoStream object to read and decrypt the cipher text section of the FileStream encryption package, in blocks of bytes, into the FileStream object for the decrypted file. When this is finished, the decryption is completed.
Add the following code as the Click
event handler for the Decrypt File
button.
Even passwords that seem to be complex, with letters and numbers, are often sensitive to brute-force attacks. However, many break-ins are facilitated by administrators who use weak passwords. Ssh-keygenAt the first prompt, “Enter file in which to save the key,” press Enter to save it in the default location.At the second prompt, “Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase),” you have two options:. Press Enter to create unencrypted key. Generate public and private key ubuntu.
Add the following DecryptFile
method to the form.
This task saves the key created by the Create Keys
button to a file. It exports only the public parameters.
This task simulates the scenario of Alice giving Bob her public key so that he can encrypt files for her. He and others who have that public key will not be able to decrypt them because they do not have the full key pair with private parameters.
Add the following code as the Click
event handler for the Export Public Key
button (buttonExportPublicKey_Click
).
This task loads the key with only public parameters, as created by the Export Public Key
button, and sets it as the key container name.
This task simulates the scenario of Bob loading Alice's key with only public parameters so he can encrypt files for her.
Add the following code as the Click
event handler for the Import Public Key
button (buttonImportPublicKey_Click
).
This task sets the key container name to the name of the key created by using the Create Keys
button. The key container will contain the full key pair with private parameters.
This task simulates the scenario of Alice using her private key to decrypt files encrypted by Bob.
Add the following code as the Click
event handler for the Get Private Key
button (buttonGetPrivateKey_Click
).
After you have built the application, perform the following testing scenarios.
Click the Create Keys
button. The label displays the key name and shows that it is a full key pair.
Click the Export Public Key
button. Note that exporting the public key parameters does not change the current key.
Click the Encrypt File
button and select a file.
Click the Decrypt File
button and select the file just encrypted.
Examine the file just decrypted.
Close the application and restart it to test retrieving persisted key containers in the next scenario.
Click the Import Public Key
button. The label displays the key name and shows that it is public only.
Click the Encrypt File
button and select a file.
Click the Decrypt File
button and select the file just encrypted. This will fail because you must have the private key to decrypt.
This scenario demonstrates having only the public key to encrypt a file for another person. Typically that person would give you only the public key and withhold the private key for decryption.
Click the Get Private Key
button. The label displays the key name and shows whether it is the full key pair.
Click the Decrypt File
button and select the file just encrypted. This will be successful because you have the full key pair to decrypt.