[NTLUG:Discuss] Good encryption program for Linux and Windows

[Kenneth Loafman]

Russ wrote:
> On Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 9:43 PM, Leroy Tennison
> <leroy_tennison at prodigy.net> wrote:
>> I have a need to send an encrypted file to another person who uses
>> Windows.  Needless to say, I run Linux, if I have to use Windows I'm
>> going to have to reinstall Windows 98se (it's the latest I have since I
>> abandoned Windows some time ago) on a hard drive, install some program,
>> copy the file to Windows, encrypt it, copy it back to Linux and send it.
>>   Needless to say, I'd prefer to not do that.
>>
>> I am looking for a program which I can use to encrypt the file on Linux
>> and, when the other person receives it, can simply run it as a program
>> on Windows (providing the decryption key I communicate by other means)
>> and have the decrypted copy.  Any ideas?
>>
> Steve Gibson has an episode (#133 at
> http://www.grc.com/securitynow.htm ) in which he discusses Truecrypt
> with Leo Laporte.  In another webcast, though I don't recall which
> one, they discuss the merits of PGP, the opensource equivalent
> (http://www.gnupg.org/ ), and the weak encryption associated with
> Winzip.  I guess it depends how strong you want the encryption to be.
> According to Steve, Winzip encryption is easily broken.  I have
> personal experience with Truecrypt only.

Truecrypt is for disk volumes only, not individual files, although I
guess you could make a small, one file volume, but that seems to be
overkill.

GnuPG is rock solid and works on Linux and the OS from Redmond as well.
 Its probably your best option.  Google "gpg for windows" for some good
references.

Winzip has weak encryption, so don't go there if its important to you.

Thunderbird has both OpenPGP and S/MIME extensions to allow you to
encrypt your mail as well as its attachments.  Either one work with
Lookout, but the setup on the Windows side is tricky.

I've used all of these before.  I like total encryption on the mail and
wish it could extend to the subject as well.  Way to much info given
away in a simple subject line.

One of the T'bird extensions would be my first choice, depending on the
remote user, followed by gpg as a close second.

Besides, if we can get everyone to send encrypted mail, the NSA will
have to do a lot more work as they spy on our private lives.

...Ken