Linux GPG Encryption

Question : We have confidential data that needs to be transferred to a remote location, so we need to encrypt that data.We also need to decrypt data we received from a remote location in order to understand its content.

On storage server in Stratos Datacenter we have private and public keys stored /home/*_key.asc. Use those keys to perform the following actions.

Encrypt /home/encrypt_me.txt to /home/encrypted_me.asc.

Decrypt /home/decrypt_me.asc to /home/decrypted_me.txt. (Passphrase for decryption and encryption is kodekloud).

Please Note:-  Perform the below commands based on your question server,  user name & other details that might differ. So please read the task carefully before executing it. All the Best 👍

The information you find here shows below in tasks to perform with GPG usage for encryption & decryption of files in Linux.

GPG, or GnuPG, stands for GNU Privacy Guard. The GPG Project provides the tools and libraries to allows users to interface with a GUI or command line to integrate encryption with emails and operating systems like Linux.

GPG includes the tools you need to use public-key encryption and digital signatures on your Linux system.

Solution:  

1. Login on storage server & switch to root user 

thor@jump_host ~$ ssh natasha@ststor01 The authenticity of host 'ststor01 (172.16.238.15)' can't be established. ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:lXLdAR6uarx6aXjqpW2SPO2xx63HdEjqbZTl7OTnZZQ. ECDSA key fingerprint is MD5:f3:a6:78:c9:24:71:ae:e5:fe:10:5f:62:61:2a:30:fa. Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes Warning: Permanently added 'ststor01,172.16.238.15' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts. natasha@ststor01's password: [natasha@ststor01 ~]$ sudo su -  We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:      #1) Respect the privacy of others.     #2) Think before you type.     #3) With great power comes great responsibility.  [sudo] password for natasha:

2.  All files located in /home 

[root@ststor01 ~]# cd /home/ [root@ststor01 home]# ll total 24 drwx------ 1 ansible ansible 4096 Oct 15  2019 ansible -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root     155 Jul 21 15:53 decrypt_me.asc -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root      99 Jul 21 15:59 encrypt_me.txt drwx------ 1 natasha natasha 4096 Jan 12  2020 natasha -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root    3589 Jul 21 15:59 private_key.asc -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root    1722 Jul 21 15:59 public_key.asc [root@ststor01 home]#

3.  Import gpg Private & Public key 

[root@ststor01 home]# gpg --import public_key.asc gpg: directory `/root/.gnupg' created gpg: new configuration file `/root/.gnupg/gpg.conf' created gpg: WARNING: options in `/root/.gnupg/gpg.conf' are not yet active during this run gpg: keyring `/root/.gnupg/secring.gpg' created gpg: keyring `/root/.gnupg/pubring.gpg' created gpg: /root/.gnupg/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created gpg: key CCE3AF51: public key "kodekloud <kodekloud@kodekloud.com>" imported gpg: Total number processed: 1 gpg:               imported: 1  (RSA: 1) [root@ststor01 home]# [root@ststor01 home]# gpg --import private_key.asc gpg: key CCE3AF51: secret key imported gpg: key CCE3AF51: "kodekloud <kodekloud@kodekloud.com>" not changed gpg: Total number processed: 1 gpg:              unchanged: 1 gpg:       secret keys read: 1 gpg:   secret keys imported: 1 [root@ststor01 home]#

4. Kindly verify keys are imported successfully

[root@ststor01 home]# gpg --list-keys /root/.gnupg/pubring.gpg ------------------------ pub   2048R/CCE3AF51 2020-01-19 uid                  kodekloud <kodekloud@kodekloud.com> sub   2048R/865C070D 2020-01-19  [root@ststor01 home]#  [root@ststor01 home]# gpg --list-secret-keys /root/.gnupg/secring.gpg ------------------------ sec   2048R/CCE3AF51 2020-01-19 uid                  kodekloud <kodekloud@kodekloud.com> ssb   2048R/865C070D 2020-01-19  [root@ststor01 home]#

 5. Will encrypt the file txt in to asc in same folder path 

[root@ststor01 home]# gpg --encrypt -r kodekloud@kodekloud.com --armor < encrypt_me.txt  -o encrypted_me.asc gpg: 865C070D: There is no assurance this key belongs to the named user  pub  2048R/865C070D 2020-01-19 kodekloud <kodekloud@kodekloud.com>  Primary key fingerprint: FEA8 5011 C456 B5E9 AE5A  516F 8F17 F26E CCE3 AF51       Subkey fingerprint: 7B4B 5CFC 5E4F B4B6 EEC0  83E5 DD6B 8506 865C 070D  [root@ststor01 home]#

 6. Will decrypt the file asc in to txt  using passphrase within same folder path 

[root@ststor01 home]# gpg --decrypt decrypt_me.asc > decrypted_me.txt gpg: AES encrypted data gpg: encrypted with 1 passphrase [root@ststor01 home]#

7. check the encrpyted & decrypted files  in  /home

[root@ststor01 home]# ll total 32 drwx------ 1 ansible ansible 4096 Oct 15  2019 ansible -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root      80 Jul 21 17:05 decrypted_me.txt -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root     155 Jul 21 16:59 decrypt_me.asc -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root     669 Jul 21 17:09 encrypted_me.asc -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root      99 Jul 21 17:01 encrypt_me.txt drwx------ 1 natasha natasha 4096 Jan 12  2020 natasha -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root    3589 Jul 21 17:01 private_key.asc -rw-r--r-- 1 root    root    1722 Jul 21 17:01 public_key.asc [root@ststor01 home]#

8.  Validate the task by cat the files output

[root@ststor01 home]# cat decrypted_me.txt Welcome to xFusionCorp Industries. This is KodeKloud System Administration Lab [root@ststor01 home]# [root@ststor01 home]# cat decrypt_me.asc 'h'ҊOoD+)δ1RK*PH L1!f    21 ԎZDvpFBCV(\59.9Ӫ%Rv [root@ststor01 home]# [root@ststor01 home]# cat encrypt_me.txt My name is "My Name"  My credit card number is 1234-5678-9012-3456  The password for my phone is 42 [root@ststor01 home]# [root@ststor01 home]# cat encrypted_me.asc -----BEGIN PGP MESSAGE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.22 (GNU/Linux)  hQEMA91rhQaGXAcNAQf8D95rFMAt6UK4MrkIXDClkq1rOg/bnJjF0q1QyBPRe3Iz 2MF0mybkcw0ejfgKpX7ZmazQXidIh0kS+GzajYbdbNs5EGkAbHM/G3qBzVU9NYoL yOOuIYQm6TwVMCVDwsr9MlBs9awmnKSyW4uLj8J75rG/iPH0xlzzzJGC8Z86g/gh xqoAk9+iXByFurq55IWpomQ73lBwh+TuvSWqanpGJeBXNowdIxyHVmAK90snX080 KW4/e0zDIV+JYUwxuInt5w0/ZOilGZQ39yvCeMCkkJE8T0L6SDl3uAZC69cz3Mqi NGmd92owjwhrAhoskoSVRNDOCcJH5hQCE0GHLZpIitKUAd12YNfkaUP/p7XK7Nx2 SJ1nGNt6O2i+EzR/N+avVczRtGM8p5Vo0hlszT/Tj4VeZuZ325U3eNbvU/Vj7+t8 qLOMwklgCQEO5tmOaz4KQqR4qpKOUmIoMhGzCZafKTUP2S3m9eyvbWqQohBXyic7 XERW3bxG/lKDnycThf4h1EP1Y96r7PunkzxeO6hQxjLoAXPFoA== =KhSJ -----END PGP MESSAGE----- [root@ststor01 home]#

9. Click on Finish & Confirm to complete the task successfully

Happy Learning!!!!

Apart from this if you need more clarity,  I have made a  tutorial video on this , please go through and share your comments. Like and share the knowledge