NOTE When I first wrote this diary, I had no idea about the "Persona" Software that HBGary Federal is considering using to troll forums such as this one. I blither a bit about it in the screencasts.
This is a half-assed attempt to explain why one should use PGP. PGP is
Pretty
Good
Privacy
An encryption tool to safeguard sensitive data and a means of verifying that an email or forum post is authentic.
I'm not paranoid, never have been, but it seems to me, that it now behooves us to secure our online identities even when posting to forums, sending email, even the most innocuous of missives can be altered to injure us or another.
Since my post is already signed, A URI correction will be placed here so as to not invalidate my sig:
GnuPG may be obtained here
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
I am a GPG user. GPG, is the free version of PGP. In a comment to another post, I mentioned the history of my use of PGP. I reiterate here:
I was an active Usenet participant, belonged to several groups, and my use is pgp signing of my posts began in of all places, alt.religion.wicca. There was a flame war, one of many, which engulfed the entire group. There were forged headers and postings, and some of what was forged was ugly and threatening to indvidual posters. One of our posters, suggested we use PGP to sign our posts, as any attempt to edit them would result in the signature not verifing.
That's when I began to sign my posts.
Why sign your internet and email postings?
Simple: today, it is far easier to spoof, forge and steal your internet identity than it was in 1999. or, 2001.
Where to get this gnupg you speak of?
Windows: The GNU Privacy Guard - GnuPG.org
Mac: http://macgpg.sourceforge.net/ grab the front-ends - your life will be easier, if you're unfamiliar with the command line. There is also a mail.app plugin as well
Linux/BSD users, it's out there as a command line.
OK! I have downloaded this GnuPG what do I do now?
open and install. Once installed, launch the application and create your key. If you have no need to encrpyt your emails, just go for a "signing key". You'll be walked through the key creation process, then, upload your key to pgp.mit.edu for other to obtain and use to verify the post/email is really you.
To any who want it, pgp.mit.edu then, search on my email address: theroaringgirl@gmail.com
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG/MacGPG2 v2.0.16 (Darwin)
iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJNWT3UAAoJEMg6sNBdS8UbqyoH/AoRAi4++XfOVnt0QL3qM/rA
cGpqeaP+iAJpxp7lIKWBJjuymiek5/ExBBY72vzaIojNNfQnbnhf0W/C69WjNt9z
7ur1ACcb/xOEIn7iWggdU8K+zsmx/H0Ze/n/kW1BK8Ri+7c/uhvNj9TnLGwprAe/
/FYHzhoPlbwiy9HoTGq3y3my2aqEMf33f7vAegNv8CqMS4X8e0V/JpW7iCLz3HW9
BPPuPxSQ3caMamPAslx8VUO1smYTNIoBiIQMAzKulgo0n34y9UaaJAjkU0N9hZ/q
9Q2vPPJt5+LBQa6XpkPLYChCOXFsCKIguiUpziPKddM9oHgXtO0yJBunUv7h4iE=
=cMx0
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
I created a screencast series that shows you where to get GnuPG, how to create keys, delete keys, recreate a key to replace the key you accidentally deleted and how to upload to the MIT PGP server - MIT was the birthplace of PGP Robert Zimmerman, frequently credited as being the creator, was team leader for that project. PGP was purchased by Semantec and is now payware called "PGP Desktop".
My Public Key is located on the ABOUT page on my wordpress blog
Part the First:
Part the Second:
Part 3:
I'll do my best to answer the questions that will arise out of these very basic videos