Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prerequisites

  • Windows machine not suspected to be compromised
  • gpg and GPA installed.
  • Be in need of a basic keyring. If you want to set advanced options (such as keysize or expiration date), use the command line.

What you get

Key structure: 

  • Master key
    • signing
    • creating new keys
  • Subkey
    • encryption

Key type: RSA
Key size: 2048 bit
Expiration: never

Create a key

  1. Open the GNU Privacy Assistant (GPA).
  2. If you do not have any keys created, it will ask if you want to create some. Click "Generate key now"

    1. If you do not get this dialog box, use the menus: Keys > New key..., or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N.

  3. Enter your name. This will be used when people search for your key on the keyserver. "Forward"

  4. Enter your VT email address. "Forward"

  5. Create a backup. "Forward"

  6. Choose a high quality, easy to remember passphrase.

  7. Choose where to save your backup key. Your passphrase should be considered a last-line of defense, so don't put it somewhere publicly accessible or easily compromised.
    1. Enter the passphrase you just created to export the key to a backup location.