Securing Files

This is for Windows, better and more detailed guides are readily available for Linux

Using BitLocker to create an encrypted drive:

1. Run diskmgmt.msc (this requires admin privileges and is the single biggest reason bitlocker is not as good as TrueCrypt)
2. Action - Create VHD (VHD is fine for this since a couple hundred MB would probably be plenty) and initialize it (right click the drive and GPT is best but MBR is fine and required on smaller drives)
3. Create a partition on the drive (right click the volume)
4. Right click the drive and turn on BitLocker in Explorer, with passwords.

Here's a handy bat script (thanks in part to headsigned.com):

@ECHO OFF

SET VirtualDiskLocation="%CD%\Keys_Certs_and_Similar.vhd"

SET DiskPartScriptLocation="%TEMP%\DiskMountScript-%RANDOM%.txt"

ECHO SELECT VDISK FILE=%VirtualDiskLocation% > %DiskPartScriptLocation%

ECHO ATTACH VDISK >> %DiskPartScriptLocation%

echo select partition 1 >> %DiskPartScriptLocation%

echo assign letter=T >> %DiskPartScriptLocation%

DiskPart /s %DiskPartScriptLocation%

DEL %DiskPartScriptLocation%

See: http://www.howtogeek.com/193013/how-to-create-an-encrypted-container-file-with-bitlocker-on-windows/

Encrypting files with PGP:

Actually using OpenPGP (actually gnupg): you will need to install: gpg4win-light
1. Set up an admin shell, and run: setx path "%path%;c:\Program Files (x86)\GNU\GnuPG\" (Substitute your correct path as needed)
2. Create keys:
3. gpg --gen-key
4. gpg --export > public.key
5. gpg --export-secret-keys > private.key
6. gpg --export --armor > public.key.txt
7. gpg --export-secret-keys --armor > private.key.txt

Keep your private key safe. Share your public key everywhere!

Here's what an example of using gpg for asymmetric encryption looks like on Windows:

C:\temp\gpg>gpg --list-keys

gpg: C:/Users/boyce/AppData/Roaming/gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created

C:\temp\gpg>gpg --import anc-at-yah.gpg.public.key

gpg: key B88EB520: public key "Boyce Crownover (Expires 05May2026 Created 06May2016) <ancientt@yahoo.com>" imported

gpg: Total number processed: 1

gpg: imported: 1 (RSA: 1)

C:\temp\gpg>gpg --list-keys

C:/Users/boyce/AppData/Roaming/gnupg/pubring.gpg

------------------------------------------------

pub 2048R/B88EB520 2016-05-06 [expires: 2026-05-04]

uid [ unknown] Boyce Crownover (Expires 05May2026 Created 06May2016) <ancientt@yahoo.com>

sub 2048R/B5CB7A58 2016-05-06 [expires: 2026-05-04]

C:\temp\gpg>gpg --encrypt --recipient 'Boyce Crownover' TextDocumentExample.txt

usage: gpg [options] --encrypt [filename]

C:\temp\gpg>gpg --encrypt --recipient "Boyce Crownover" TextDocumentExample.txt

gpg: B5CB7A58: There is no assurance this key belongs to the named user

sub 2048R/B5CB7A58 2016-05-06 Boyce Crownover (Expires 05May2026 Created 06May2016) <ancientt@yahoo.com>

Primary key fingerprint: FCA3 EC13 7808 D354 BE95 5534 7816 B522 B88E B520

Subkey fingerprint: C175 DA12 A3DE B65F DC0E 71D9 1104 2CC3 B5CB 7A58

It is NOT certain that the key belongs to the person named

in the user ID. If you *really* know what you are doing,

you may answer the next question with yes.

Use this key anyway? (y/N) y

C:\temp\gpg>gpg --decrypt TextDocumentExample.txt.gpg > Decrypted.TextDocumentExample.txt

C:\temp\gpg>dir

Directory of C:\temp\gpg

05/17/2016 12:01 PM <DIR> .

05/17/2016 12:01 PM <DIR> ..

05/06/2016 10:36 AM 3,702 anc-at-yah.gpg.private.key

05/06/2016 10:36 AM 1,806 anc-at-yah.gpg.public.key

05/17/2016 12:01 PM 33 Decrypted.TextDocumentExample.txt

05/17/2016 11:55 AM 376 TextDocumentExample.txt.gpg

05/17/2016 11:48 AM 0 pubring.gpg

05/17/2016 11:48 AM 0 pubring.gpg.lock

05/17/2016 11:48 AM 0 secring.gpg

05/17/2016 11:48 AM 0 secring.gpg.lock

05/17/2016 11:54 AM 33 TextDocumentExample.txt

9 File(s) 5,950 bytes

2 Dir(s) 1,020,076,032 bytes free