Submitting a Public Key to the PGP Global Directory Using PGP Encryption Desktop on Windows

Products

• PGP Command Line
• PGP Encryption Suite
• PGP Key Management Server
• PGP Key Mgmt Client Access and CLI API
• PGP SDK
• Desktop Email Encryption
• Drive Encryption
• Encryption Management Server
• Endpoint Encryption
• File Share Encryption
• Gateway Email Encryption

Issue/Introduction

You want to submit a public key to the PGP Global Directory using PGP Encryption Desktop for Windows.

Resolution

The PGP Global Directory is a public key server hosted by Broadcom's Encryption Product team, which offers the following advantages over legacy public key servers:

*Email verification of key upload, key removal, and re-verification of published keys

*A limit of one key per email address

 

Submit Your Key

Note: The PGP Global Directory accepts and publishes modern (version 4) keys, that are not expired or self-revoked. Version 3 RSA (or RSA Legacy) keys, X.509 certificates, Notes IDs, and Exchange IDs are not supported. The PGP Global Directory also does not support keys larger than 500 KB in size (keys with  multiple photo IDs and signatures can be larger than 500 KB). Before you can use the PGP Global Directory Assistant to submit your key, the PGP Global Directory must be in your PGP Keyserver List (which it is by default).

 

1. Click the PGP Tray icon in the Windows System tray and then click Open Symantec Encryption Desktop:

2. Inside the PGP Keys control box of PGP Encryption Desktop, select the keyring that contains your key (the default keyring is called All Keys):

3. Right-click on your keypair, point to Send To, then click ldap://keyserver.pgp.com:389:

4. When the PGP Global Directory Assistant appears, click Next to submit your key. This step will also cause the PGP Global Directory Verification Key to be downloaded to your default keyring:

5. When you are notified that your key has been successfully submitted, click Next:

6. At this point, the PGP Global Directory is sending an email to the email address(es) on your key. Click Finish on the PGP Global Directory Assistant:

7. Now, open your email client and retrieve your email. If PGP Desktop is already securing your email, it might automatically approve your key's submission and display the following pop-up. If you see this dialogue box, just click OK, and no further action is required on your part (i.e. your key has been approved and published):

8. If the pop-up window shown in the previous step did not appear, then open the Verify Your Key email from the PGP Global Directory and click the green hyperlink labeled Complete the Verification Process.

Note: Port 389 (or 636 if configured) needs to be open to be able to do this. 

Note: The remaining steps are only necessary if the above pop-up window did not appear when you received the Verify Your Key email from the PGP Global Directory.

 

9. Your default Web browser should now be opened to a page that looks something like the following. Click Accept to verify your key.

10. Since the verification key was downloaded automatically during step 4 of these instructions, you may simply click Done.

 

Note: Your key is now published in the directory with one email address. If there are multiple email addresses on your key, you must repeat this verification process for each email address you wish to publish.