UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

Hi,

I was provided with

They refuse when I send it using basic FTP and insists for encryption.

I have Solaris 10 and Linux in my environment.

How can I encrypt and send them securely? It's OK even if it's a manual process. Once it works, I will later think on automating the transfer process.

Please advise.

TIA
Prvnrk

I don't understand how FTP is insisting for encryption.

But you need to use gpg. It comes with most Linux distros and it is available on sunfreeware for Solaris.

First you need some keys of your own. You can do without, but you will be constantly fighting the program. So do:
pgp --gen-key
It will ask questions...take the defaults where provided and answer the others.

Next import that key you have:
pgp --import somefilecontainingkey

Now you should be able to list that key you imported...
pgp --list-keys

Sign the key you imported to assert that you trust it. This is why you needed to generate your own keys.

pgp --sign-key keyid

There should be an email address associated with that key. Let's say it is joe.blow@sample.com. Also let's say you have a file called secret.txt to send. So do:

gpg --recipient joe.blow@sample.com --encrypt secret.txt

This creates a file called secret.txt.pgp. Now you ftp secret.txt.pgp to the other end. When Joe Blow wants to decrypt the file, he will use:
gpg secret.txt.gpg
And a file called secret.txt will appear in his directory.

I have tried all of these steps between a Linux and a Solaris system and they worked for me. Your mileage may vary depending on your setup.

Download, compile, and install SSH. Use SFTP from the SSH package. This will encrypt the password as well as data during transmission. While GPG/PGP will encrypt the data, FTP is still not secure. Passwords are still send plain text via FTP.

Hi Perderabo,

Thanks for the response.

The other-end party (not FTP) insisting for encrypted files, Sorry for my bad english.

I did the below (unfortunately before i saw your reply) and uploaded files.

It encrypts but gives warning as below

Code:

++++++++

gpg: 268C2A61: There is no assurance this key belongs to the named user

 <pub key info>

It is NOT certain that the key belongs to the person named
in the user ID.  If you *really* know what you are doing,
you may answer the next question with yes.

Use this key anyway? (y/N) y

++++++++

I uploaded the encrypted files

My doubts:
I noticed few "pgp" in your solution and I assume mistyped and should be "gpg". am I correct?

thanks for the help,
Prvn

Essentially the same thing. gpg is GNU freeware, where pgp is Pretty Good Privacy which is a premium application.

Yes I mistyped. I am using gpg, gnu privacy guard, exclusively. There are many ways to use it and I showed only one. To get rid of the warning you must establish trust for the key and signing it yourself is the easiest way. So create your own keys and sign the key.