hiding possession of secret key

Suppose I need to generate a keypair for nym posts,
invisiblog, etc, but I will not want anyone to be able to
prove that I am the owner. (for example by getting my
usual keyring and listing the contents.)

I am thinking of keeping the ``controversial'' secret key
on a special keyring encrypted (symmetrically or to my
normal key?) on a floppy. When I want to use it, I mount
the floppy, edit the document, decrypt the keyring file
and use gpg --secret-keyring /mnt/floppy/... to sign the
document. When I've sent it, I encrypt the file and the
keyring, wipe the unencrypted files (using srm on Unix)
and umount the floppy.

Comments, suggestions?

How I get gpg --gen-key to create the new key on the
``extra'' keyring only?

thanks!

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: RIPEMD160

"edo" <nobody@cryptorebels.net> wrote in message
news:6760a42c315de6e3847f8b802c98bc3f@cryptorebels.net...

[...]
[color=blue]
> I am thinking of keeping the ``controversial'' secret key
> on a special keyring encrypted (symmetrically or to my
> normal key?) on a floppy. When I want to use it, I mount
> the floppy, edit the document, decrypt the keyring file
> and use gpg --secret-keyring /mnt/floppy/... to sign the
> document. When I've sent it, I encrypt the file and the
> keyring, wipe the unencrypted files (using srm on Unix)
> and umount the floppy.
>
> Comments, suggestions?
>
> How I get gpg --gen-key to create the new key on the
> ``extra'' keyring only?[/color]

a possible way (there may be other quicker simpler ways) is to:

have 2 floppies,

one with your 'real' keys in your keyrings, but with the nym key deleted,

the second one with only the nym key, with all the other keys deleted


hth,

vedaal

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Comment: { Acts of Kindness better the World, and protect the Soul }
Comment: KeyID: 0x6A05A0B785306D25
Comment: Fingerprint: 96A6 5F71 1C43 8423 D9AE 02FD A711 97BA

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On Fri, 5 Sep 2003, edo wrote:[color=blue]
>Suppose I need to generate a keypair for nym posts,
>invisiblog, etc, but I will not want anyone to be able to
>prove that I am the owner. (for example by getting my
>usual keyring and listing the contents.)
>
>I am thinking of keeping the ``controversial'' secret key
>on a special keyring encrypted (symmetrically or to my
>normal key?) on a floppy. When I want to use it, I mount
>the floppy, edit the document, decrypt the keyring file
>and use gpg --secret-keyring /mnt/floppy/... to sign the
>document. When I've sent it, I encrypt the file and the
>keyring, wipe the unencrypted files (using srm on Unix)
>and umount the floppy.
>
>Comments, suggestions?
>
>How I get gpg --gen-key to create the new key on the
>``extra'' keyring only?
>
>thanks![/color]

?

gpg --homedir /mnt/floppy/ --gen-key

?

>>How I get gpg --gen-key to create the new key on the[color=blue][color=green]
>>``extra'' keyring only?
>>
>>thanks![/color]
>
> ?
>
> gpg --homedir /mnt/floppy/ --gen-key
>
> ?[/color]

aha! I wasn't aware of that option but I've found it
in the documentation now and it's just what I need.

thanks!

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

"edo" <nobody@cryptorebels.net> wrote in message
news:6760a42c315de6e3847f8b802c98bc3f@cryptorebels.net...[color=blue]
> Suppose I need to generate a keypair for nym posts,
> invisiblog, etc, but I will not want anyone to be able to
> prove that I am the owner. (for example by getting my
> usual keyring and listing the contents.)[/color]

Eh? Surely the whole idea of signing messages is so that you can prove they
came from you[color=blue]
>
> I am thinking of keeping the ``controversial'' secret key
> on a special keyring encrypted (symmetrically or to my
> normal key?) on a floppy. When I want to use it, I mount
> the floppy, edit the document, decrypt the keyring file
> and use gpg --secret-keyring /mnt/floppy/... to sign the
> document. When I've sent it, I encrypt the file and the
> keyring, wipe the unencrypted files (using srm on Unix)
> and umount the floppy.
>
> Comments, suggestions?
>
> How I get gpg --gen-key to create the new key on the
> ``extra'' keyring only?
>[/color]
Rename sekring.gpg for this session, generate a new one and generate the
controversial secret key on it, then move sekring to floppy and rename the
old one back.

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Y+kVLu1FXTLotKwTJyubTFkn
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>> Suppose I need to generate a keypair for nym posts,[color=blue][color=green]
>> invisiblog, etc, but I will not want anyone to be able to
>> prove that I am the owner. (for example by getting my
>> usual keyring and listing the contents.)[/color]
>
> Eh? Surely the whole idea of signing messages is so that you can prove
> they came from you[/color]

Yes, but not necessarily the way you mean. ;-)

Take a look at [url]www.invisiblog.com[/url] (what the OP referred to), or look
for information on pseudonymous software publishing. Signing a series
of documents with the same key proves that they were signed by the
same person who created that key (or at least by someone else
authorized by him/her).

I can create a key and put anything I want (such as "Mikey Donaghy")
in the user description, but it would have a different key ID and
fingerprint from yours. Your signature on your post proves only that
it was signed by the person in possession of key 0x6D033D61 -- if we
meet and I'm convinced that the description of you in that key is
correct, then I'll sign your key with mine and anyone who trusts me to
sign keys will trust that key as correctly described.

Here's an example of a situation where someone would need to conceal
possession of a secret key:

Suppose Fred develops some illegal but useful open-source software
(e.g. DMCA violation). He creates a key with a pseudonym in the
user ID and signs the first release. You like the software. When
the second version comes out, how do you know it's really from the
same source? It's signed with the same key. Unless the key has been
compromised you know that the second release has been authorized by
the author of the first -- without anyone being able to pin down
the author's physical identity.

The FBI suspects Fred and searches his computer. Unless they
torture him into revealing his passphrase, they can't sign their
own spyware versions of the program. But just typing
$ gpg --list-secret-keys
will show that he has the secret key for this pseudonymous
identity, and more or less prove their case that he is the author
of the illegal software.

HTH.