Hello and welcome!
In this video I’ll show you how to keep your notes and text files secure using EncryptPad. EncryptPad
is just an Open Source text editor with an encryption function.
What makes it different from other editors is that it's extremely easy to use, it’s portable and multi-platform:
there are versions for Windows, Linux or MacOS.
EncryptPad protects text files, images, videos or archives with passwords, key files, or even both.
In today's world, plain text is an easy target.
Think of it this way: if you are to keep sensitive information in plain text on your laptop or on a USB
stick and then lose them or they got stolen
whoever will poses them would be able to read all of the unencrypted contents of your drive.
Of course there are many other good and secure tools that can encrypt your files for example GPG.
Just that it's not handy at all to encrypt the text file after each modification, erase the clear text
version of the file and decrypt it again later on when you want to see or edit the file.
EncryptPad
not only does this on the fly but does it very well.
It uses advanced encryption standard for symmetric encryption and SHA 256 for integrity check and the
file format is compatible with GPG which is one of the most well known encryption tools.
Okay, let's get started!
I'll install EncryptPad on a Linux Mint following the steps on the official website.
I'll go to downloads and then choose the latest release; here on this page you see the versions for Windows,
Linux or Mac OS and I'll follow the link for details on Linux installation.
I'll install it on Linux Mint via PPA.
You should follow the same steps for Ubuntu as well.
First I may think the new repository,
I'm becoming root, sudo su and I am pasting that line
and then apt update && apt install encryptpad and encryptcli
okay.
It's installing; you can also copy and then paste this line,
this command! okay!
It's over.
It was installed!
Let's open encryptpad,
this is encryptpad! We notice it's a normal text editor like notepad or
notepad++
just that the text file will be encrypted.
Let's play around with it.
I am writing something inside the file.
Let's suppose this is a secret!
Before saving the file
you must set a passphrase: set passphrase - use something complex at least 12 or 14 random characters
including the jdigits and special characters or 6 to 8 random words; just for this example
I'll use something simple to write it fast.
OK.
And I am saving the file on my desktop.
EncryptPad supports 2 encrypted file formats GPG and EPD. The GPG file type is for a well known OpenGPG
format and it's compatible with other open GPG tools; you can use it when opening a file even if Encrypt
PAD is not available.
For this example I'll choose the encryptpad format and save
Let's go to my desktop.
If I try to open the file using a command like cat or less or an editor like notepad notepad++
or vim you'll see random gibberish.
The file was encrypted using advanced encryption standard.
This is the contents of the file!
It's encrypted!
Later when I want to open the file using Encrypt Pad it will ask for the passphrase; I am writing
the correct passphrase! okay!
This is the file! If you want to use a private key for the symmetric encryption instead of a passphrase
it's simple you just click on generate key and then choose a key path which is the directory where the
key will be saved.
Let's choose the desktop directory and the key will be named my key and save.
And okay! The next step which is optional is to choose a passphrase that will be used to encrypt the
secret key.
This is double protection because even if a hacker is somehow using an exploit gets your key that will
be of no use without the passphrase
and
Okay.
Do you want to use the generated key for this file? and I'll choose No! I want to save it is another file
also on my desktop.
Let's say mysecret1 and I'll set the encryption key for the newly created file.
This is the key.
Open and okay.
And I am entering the passphrase for the key!
Perfect!
Later when I want to open the file
I will need both the key and the passphrase!
It's asking for the encryption key I'm selecting my key open and.
Okay.
And the passphrase for the key; and this is the file.
Take care not to lose any of them as there isn't a known way to recover your data.
The file will be forever lost.