How to locate a user’s GPG key in Thunderbird

Again in October, I wrote a bit about utilizing encrypted e-mail in Thunderbird. If you happen to ever need to ship delicate data through e-mail, you ought to be utilizing encryption. If you happen to’re not encrypting these missives, the knowledge they comprise might be learn by a 3rd occasion.

You don’t need that… particularly in terms of private or skilled data that you do not need falling into the incorrect arms.

One of many complexities of utilizing encryption in Thunderbird (or most e-mail purchasers) is that you need to observe down the recipient’s public GPG key and add it to the consumer. With out that key, you’ll be able to’t ship encrypted emails to the proprietor of the important thing, thereby rendering GPG ineffective.

There are methods you may get the recipient’s public key. You’ll be able to have them ship it to you, and you’ll then need to manually add it to your keyring. You’ll be able to obtain it from a public GPG key server by way of the software program that manages your keyring.

Additionally: Tips on how to add ‘Do Not Observe’ to Thunderbird (and why it’s best to)

Happily, there’s one other approach that is type of hidden from sight. This less-than-obvious methodology is far simpler than the opposite two choices, so I extremely suggest you attempt these easy steps first.

Tips on how to find a person’s GPG key in Thunderbird

Let me present you the way in which.

Necessities

The one factor you may want is a operating occasion of Thunderbird and an e-mail from the recipient in query. I am going to display with Thunderbird model 102.5.0 on Pop!_OS Linux however the course of is identical, regardless of the working system you might be utilizing. 

Additionally:You are undoubtedly not making the put up of your password supervisor 

If you happen to’re utilizing an older model of Thunderbird, I recommend you improve to the newest model, so that you acquire the benefit of latest options and (extra essential) all the safety patches which have been utilized.

That is all you want. Let’s make this occur.

Encryption enabled

Now that you’ve got imported the recipient’s GPG key, you’ll be able to encrypt any emails you ship them. You’ll be able to refer again to the put up I cited earlier to seek out out precisely easy methods to encrypt these emails, however it’s basically a matter of composing an e-mail to the recipient that belongs to the important thing you simply imported after which clicking the Encrypt button within the composer window. E mail encryption has by no means been really easy.