MyPGP

Graphical User Interface for PGP

6.2.2020

1 Prerequisites
MyPGP is based entirely on BouncyCastle for all cryptographic functions: it is
merely a user interface. However, see “Elgamal encryption” below.
MyPGP is distributed with last version of BouncyCastle.

2 Files and directories

2.1 HOME directory
When MyPGP starts, it requests to identify a directory in your file system. This is
the HOME directory for this execution.

2.2 Key directories

MyPGP uses file folders to organise keys, either public or private.
All keys in HOME are loaded and shown under the branch HOME in the console.
If HOME has sub-folders, these sub-folders are loaded as well, and will show as
sub-branches of MYPGP in the console. Sub-folders may nest to any depth.
Adding keys is as simple as placing a copy in the desired folder. Removing keys is
as simple as removing from the folder. Keys may repeat in different folders.
The files in the folders above may be simple keys, or key rings such as
• pubring.pkr
• secring.skr
MyPGP skips files and folders starting with an underscore character
_
or ending with any of the following extensions:
.skip
.mypgp
.jar
MyPGP skips the folder and its sub-folders.

MyPGP has no concept of a single key directory. You may have different sets of
keys under different directories. You choose the desired set on start.

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 This allows different directories for different, unrelated, projects.

2.3 database.mypgp
MyPGP uses a file named “database.mypgp” under HOME to store information
about
• key aliases
• key lists
The file is plain text, and you may edit it; but it usually written by MyPGP using
commands from the user interface.

3 Start up
Select keys directory:

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4 Main panel

4.1 Usage example: encrypt a file

1. Select one or more recipient keys
2. Browse and select the file to encrypt (one or more)
files >> encrypt
Alternatively, you may drag and drop a file from a file explorer to the ENCRYPT &
SIGN button.
The console reports on the success or failure of the operation

4.2 Usage example: sign a file

1. Select one signing key
2. Browse and select one or more files to sign
files >> sign
Alternatively, you drag and drop a file from a file explorer onto the ENCRYPT &
SIGN button.
Console logs the operation

4.3 Usage example: encrypt and sign a message

As in the previous examples, but choosing simultaneously secret keys for signature
and public keys for encryption

5 Menu keys
new key
To create a new key. Please, fill the screen with the required information.

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 A signing key is always generated. Encrypting sub-keys are optional.
It may take a while. Wait.
Two files are created under the selected directory
• public key: email_pub.asc
• secret key: email_sec.asc
Please note that while MyPGP requires a password, its robustness is not
checked. It is on your own to use adequate passwords or passphrases.
alias
The user that generates the key, decides the name that appears in it. Others
cannot modify that name. If we want to have another name, we can assign a
local alias.
Select a key and click keys / alias.
copy
MyPGP copies name and fingerprint of selected key(s) to the clipboard.
export
MyPGP generates files containing the selected public and secret keys.
For public keys, simply an X_pub.asc file is generated in the selected
directory.
For secret keys, it is required to facilitate the protecting password and enter
a new password. It can be used to change the password of a secret key. One
X_sec.asc file is generated in the selected directory.
Be careful about the destination directory. If the new key is under MyPGP
HOME directory, it will be loaded on next execution. If the same key is
loaded twice with different passwords, MyPGP will use the last loaded one,
and it may cause some confusion.
refresh
Reloads keys from HOME.
files & keys
Presents a record of which keys are loaded from each file. Please note that
rings from other pgp software may enclose many keys.

6 Menu lists
add key(s) to list(s)
Select one or more lists, and one or more keys. All the selected keys are
added to all the selected lists.
remove key(s) from list(s)
Select one or more lists, and one or more keys. All the selected keys are
removed from all the selected lists.

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new list
Create a new list.
remove list(s)
Remove a list. Keys in the list are removed only from the list.

7 Menu clipboard
Select some text on any screen. Cut it to the clipboard (ctrl-C, usually). Operate on
the clipboard and paste the result where appropriate (ctrl-V, usually).
Public keys. Used for encryption. Select one or more public keys. You can select
• one by one, or
• select one or more lists, or
• select one or more [sub-]directories.
The operation is performed with all the keys selected, directly or indirectly.
Secret keys. Used for signing. You will be prompted for the secret password.
view
Opens one screen to display the contents of the clipboard.
encrypt
The clipboard is encrypted for all the selected public keys.
sign
The clipboard is signed with the selected secret key.
encrypt & sign
The clipboard is signed with the selected secret key, and encrypted for all
the selected public keys.
decrypt & verify
The clipboard has information on whether it is signed, encrypted, or both.
In order to verify a signature, if present, the user only observes the
outcome. In order to decrypt, the user will be prompted for a password.

8 Menu files
Select one or more files with the explorer. The operations will be applied to each of
the selected files.
Public keys. Used for encryption. Select one or more public keys. You can select
• one by one, or
• select one or more lists, or
• select one or more [sub-]directories.
The operation is performed with all the keys selected, directly or indirectly.

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Secret keys. Used for signing. You will be prompted for the secret password.
encrypt
The file is encrypted for all the selected public keys.
sign
The file is signed with the selected secret key.
encrypt & sign
The file is signed with the selected secret key, and encrypted for all the
selected public keys.
decrypt & verify
The file has information on whether it is signed, encrypted, or both. In order
to verify a signature, if present, the user only observes the outcome. In
order to decrypt, the user will be prompted for a password.
secure delete
The file is removed securely. First, it is rewritten with alternating 0’s and 1’s.
Then, it is removed from the directory.

9 Menu language
Choose language for the interface.

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10 Other topics
10.1 Elgamal encryption
Elgamal encryption uses a random secret in a cyclic group G of order q with
generator g. Generating such a group may take quite a while (from several minutes
to hours). Though secure, it may not be very convenient.
MyPGP offers 3 options:
IETF
MyPGP uses one of the known groups standardized by IETF
• RFC 5996 Internet Key Exchange Protocol Version 2 (IKEv2)
• RFC 3526 More Modular Exponential (MODP) Diffie-Hellman groups for
Internet Key Exchange (IKE)
This option is very fast. The groups are known to be secure.
These groups are hardcoded in MyPGP.
bits strength DH Group RFC
1024 ~80 2 4306
1536 5 3526
2048 ~112 14 3526
3072 ~128 15 3526
4096 16 3526

GnuPG
GnuPG uses several small prime numbers. The generation of random prime
numbers is based on the Lim and Lee algorithm to create practically safe
primes. This algorithm creates a pool of smaller primes, select a few of
them to create candidate primes of the form
p = 2 * p0 * p1 * ... * pn + 1,
tests the candidate for primality and permutes the pool until a prime has
been found.
This option is fast enough to be practical.
This algorithm is implemented by MyPGP using BouncyCastle to generate
prime numbers and to check primality.
Standard
The classical approach is to find a secure prime p (size selected by the user). To
discover it, MyPGP follows the standard procedure
1. choose a random number q; compute p = 2q+1 and repeat until p is
prime.
2. select a generator g

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 Step 1 consumes a hell of time. Step 2 is fast.
The implementation of this algorithm is copied from BouncyCastle into MyPGP
to add support for user cancelation.

10.2 Elliptic curves (EC)

MyPGP supports the following curves:
bits NIST FIPS 186-4 SEC RFC6637
192 P-192 secp192r1
224 P-224 secp224r1
256 P-256 secp256r1 must
384 P-384 secp384r1 may
521 P-521 secp521r1 should

Be aware that elliptic curves are only supported by a limited number of

implementations of PGP.

10.3 Strength (bit length)

Source: http://www.keylength.com/
DSA ECDSA symmetric
RSA Elgamal ECDH keys comment
2010 1024 1024 160 80 should be avoided
2010-2030 2048 2048 224 112 ok for normal use
> 2030 3072 3072 256 128 ok for normal use
>> 2030 7680 7680 384 192 long term
>>> 2030 15360 15360 512 256 long term

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