You should use the secure text editor if you just want to email secure message text on it's own (i.e. without any file attachments) or you want to process secure text or keys that are in the -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- and -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- format - see decrypting secure text.
You can create secure text for insertion into any application - e.g. messaging applications (email, instant messaging), word processing applications, etc. NOTE: Graphics are not supported in the secure text editor.
Selecting 'Secure Text Editor' from FAOPGP's menu option in Windows Explorer or from the Actions Menu in the FAOPGP GUI displays the secure text editor window.
Right-clicking in the text editor window will display the following menu
which can be used to clear the contents of the window, select all of the text in the window and to copy and paste text to and from the clipboard.Creating Secure Text
1. Type in your text or paste it in (by right-clicking in the windows and selecting paste) from another application.
2. Select the appropriate encryption and/or signing key from the ‘Encrypt For’ and ‘Sign As’ drop-down list boxes. If you want to encrypt files for yourself choose a key that belongs to you. If you want to encrypt files for other people then choose one of their keys (the files will automatically be encrypted for you too). The 'Sign As' list box will only ever display keys that belong to you because you cannot sign files on behalf of others.
You can encrypt files for multiple recipients by selecting multiple users from the 'Encrypt For' drop-down list box. Hold down the CTRL or SHIFT key whilst selecting user names in order to highlight them.
Click on the
button once you have made your selection.NOTE: It does not matter if you do not include one of your own keys in the list as the text will automatically be encrypted for you too using your Default key.
3. Check the
checkbox if you want FAOPGP to automatically insert the secure text into an email message (the message body) with the recipients email address(es) already filled in.4. Press the PROTECT button
Your secured text will automatically be displayed in the secure text window and copied to the Windows clipboard ready to paste into another application. If you had checked the email checkbox the text will also be inserted into the message body of a new mail message.
Decrypting Secure Text
You can use the secure text editor to decrypt text or to import keys into FAOPGP. Any text that is displayed between -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- and -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- can be copied into the secure text editor for decryption. FileAssurity OpenPGP will automatically work out whether it is secure text or a key and handle it accordingly.
1. Highlight the secure text in the application you have received it in and press 'Copy' to copy it to the Windows clipboard.
NOTE: It does not matter if there is any text or spaces outside the message block in either the Windows clipboard or the secure text editor as FAOPGP will automatically ignore these, but MAKE SURE that the -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- and -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- markers ARE INCLUDED. If these markers are not included then FileAssurity OpenPGP will not be able to process the text and will display an error message.
2. Press the UNPROTECT button
in FAOPGP's secure text editor.Secure text in either the Windows clipboard or the secure text editor window is automatically decrypted and displayed in the secure text editor window along with a log file.
Importing keys in ASCII format
The secure text editor can also be used to import keys displayed in ASCII format (text displayed between BEGIN and END PGP blocks is in this format) on a web page. Just copy the key information (including the public key block markers) to the clipboard and press the 'Unprotect' button in FAOPGP's secure text editor. The key importer dialog will be displayed.
Verifying Clearsign Messages
To verify clearsign signatures just copy the text displayed between the ---BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE--- and the ---- END PGP SIGNATURE blocks (a BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE block will also be present). Then press the 'Unprotect' button in the secure text editor. FAOPGP will import the text into the editor and verify it against the signature.
NOTE : You need the sender's public key in your keystore before verifing clearsign messages otherwise FAOPGP will display the message 'You can't check the signature for this text because you don't know the signer'.