GPG Tools Free File Encryption software for Mac

Free file encryption software for Mac – OpenPGP

PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy and is now owned by Symantec. If you want to get the full home user version of the PGP encryption software for your Mac then you will need to shell out $250. I think that is quite expensive and unnecessary and there is an alternative with the GPG encryption software. This is the open source version which gives you GPG free file encryption for your Mac. You can make a donation to the cause if you wish but it is available as * free file encryption software *.

GPGTools – The best free encryption software

I have tried previous versions of GPG encryption for Mac and I have found it easy to use. This latest version in this encryption software review does things slightly differently, but is still easy to use. Previously there were icons, one of which was possibly called Drop Thing, you dragged and dropped files to be encrypted onto the icon and hey presto. In the version which works with Mac OSX Lion you get the same facilities, but using the services feature of the operating system.

Best file encryption software – using GPG

It is pretty simple using GPG Keychain access to make yourself a new key pair. With a key pair you get a public key and a private key. The public key you can publish and let anybody have as it is impossible to work out what your private key is from the public key. You can send your public key to a server or you can send your public key to somebody as a block of text. GPG  works with your mail program, both the Apple mail program and also with the mail program that used to be called Thunderbird.

 With the update to Mountain Lion the integration with Apple mail has been broken. Even one year later the integration has not been fixed, but it is not a problem because you can still use GPG encryption by selecting text and encrypting it using the services menu items for GPG encryption. What I have done though, is to start using Thunderbird with the Enigmail plug-in.With that you do get full integration with the text being properly encrypted within the Thunderbird application.

Here is my public key.

You can use GPG tools to encrypt single or multiple files and they can be sent to more than one person at the same time, so long as you have the public key for each person you want to send that encrypted file to. You can sign files with your private key which will help the recipient determined that is really was you that sent that file to them. This is another level of security which is all designed to stop the man in the middle attack on your sensitive data.

GPG tools making use of Mac OS X services

If you only want to encrypt part of a block of text within a document, you can select an text to a right click and go to the services menu. Within the services menu you will see an option to encrypt selected text. Choose the key with which you want to encrypt the text with and the job is done. If you wish to decrypt a blog of encrypting text, select the encrypt it text and once again go back to the services menu and you can decrypt it. It really is a very easy to use this file encryption software free from GPG tools.org. You can also have security measures on your iPad.

The nitty-gritty of free file encryption software

If you want to send and receive encrypted files and e-mails then you really do need to have other people, your recipients also using the same system. You will not be able to use GPG tools to decrypt something that came from Dropkey or other free file encryption software. For a simple one-off encryption you might use a software called KryptonX. You could also use zip software which allows you to put a password on the resulting zip file. The length that you go to to protect your sensitive data will depend upon your willingness to adopt the measures necessary and of course how sensitive the data is. The least you can get encryption software free, GPG tools.org has free file encryption software available that is easy to use.

Test your encryption software with Mac20Q

If you would like to try this encryption software, why not send me your public key and I will send you an e-mail that has been encrypted that you can decrypt. You can also have my public key for encryption and sent me something that has been encrypted. I will be happy to do this and confirm for you that the process and the software is working properly. In fact if you look below you will see a block of text which will be my public key that you can use. Good luck and happy encrypting.

We have to look ourselves with security of sending files across the internet as well as being aware of Malware and Macs. Isn’t it great that we can get excellent free software for Macs. I know that this is more donation ware than proper software for Mac free without requiring any payment at all. It is nice to know that is is possible to really try mac software free for as long as it takes to know if it is right for you.

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