PGP(Pretty Good Privacy) Processors in Mulesoft

MuleSoft Blog on PGP

https://blogs.mulesoft.com/dev-guides/mule-pgp-encryption-gnugp/

There are eight processors related to PGP in Mulesoft , apart from PGP Global Configuration at this time of writing.

1. Pgp Encrypt

2, Pgp Encrypt and Sign

3. Pgp Encrypt binary

4. Pgp Decrypt

5. Pgp Sign

6. Pgp Sign binary

7.Pgp Validate

8. Pgp Binary to armoured.

About Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) 

In the context of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) and its implementation GnuPG (GPG), key listings use specific abbreviations to denote different types of keys:

• sec: Secret (private) primary key
• ssb: Secret (private) subkey
• pub: Public primary key
• sub: Public subkey

Key usage flags indicate the specific purposes for which a key can be utilized. These flags are represented by single-letter abbreviations:

• S: Signing
• C: Certifying (issuing certifications for other keys)
• E: Encrypting
• A: Authentication

When you see a key with the usage flags SC, it signifies that the key is designated for both signing and certifying. Similarly, a key with the SCE flags is intended for signing, certifying, and encrypting

Key Functions:

• Primary (Master) Key:

  • Used for signing other keys, creating subkeys, and revoking subkeys.
  • Must be kept very secure, as compromising it would require revoking the entire key pair.

• Subkeys:

  • Typically used for encryption and decryption of messages.
  • Additional subkeys can be created for signing purposes.
  • If a subkey is compromised, it can be revoked independently and replaced with a new one, without affecting the primary key.
    

Benefits of Using Subkeys:

• Enhanced Security: By using subkeys for daily operations like signing and encryption, the primary key can be kept offline or in a more secure environment, reducing the risk of it being compromised.

  
  

• Flexibility: Subkeys can be independently managed, allowing users to revoke and replace them as needed without impacting the primary key or the associated web of trust.

  
  

In practice, when you generate a PGP key pair, a primary key is created along with one or more subkeys. The primary key is used for certifying and managing subkeys, while subkeys handle encryption, signing, or authentication tasks. This structure allows for more secure and manageable key usage.

Below is a concise guide to some of the most commonly used GPG commands:

Generate a New Key Pair

gpg --gen-key

 Export a Public Key

gpg --export -a "Your Name" > public.key

Import a Public Key

gpg --import public.key

 List Keys -Public Key

gpg --list-keys

List Keys-Secret Keys:

gpg --list-secret-keys

Encrypt a File

gpg -c filename

Encrypt For a Recipient

gpg --encrypt --recipient 'Recipient Name' filename

Decrypt a File

gpg --output decryptedfile --decrypt filename.gpg

Sign a File

gpg --detach-sign filename

Verify a Signature

gpg --verify filename.sig filename

Delete Public Key:

gpg --delete-key "User Name"

Delete Secret Key

gpg --delete-secret-key "User Name"

command to list secret-keys with subkey fingerprints

> gpg --list-secret-keys --with-subkey-fingerprints