Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

[William Case]

Hi;

I use emacs.  I posed a security question on the Fedora list.  Got some
useful answers but then the thread drifted off to a discussion of vim
-x.  No mention of emacs.  Is there an emacs answer?

Original question: 
"Need suggestions for a good lockbox -- a specialized application or an
appropriate technique for locking away sensitive personal information.

I am not normally a paranoid security freak. I keep my single user (and
occasional guests) desktop and Internet system fairly open and loose.
However, I would like to create one secure file or folder in which I can
record as text things like a long list of user names and passwords for
web sites -- to range from minor not often used sites, to Bank Accounts,
paypal, some personal data with serial numbers etc.

Is there a special program that exists for creating and locking up such
a file without interfering with my generally open way of doing things?
Any recommendations graciously received."

Vim answer:
"If you want something really simple, there is:
vi -x filename  It will prompt for the encryption key and keep the file
copy encrypted."

My thread then drifted into a discussion by respondents about vim -x !

I prefer using emacs, is there a way to use or set up a protected
(encrypted ??) emacs file or directory?

-- 
Regards Bill

Re: Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

[J. David Boyd]

William Case <billlinux@.......com> writes:

> Hi;
>
> I use emacs.  I posed a security question on the Fedora list.  Got some
> useful answers but then the thread drifted off to a discussion of vim
> -x.  No mention of emacs.  Is there an emacs answer?
>
> Original question: 
> "Need suggestions for a good lockbox -- a specialized application or an
> appropriate technique for locking away sensitive personal information.
>
> I am not normally a paranoid security freak. I keep my single user (and
> occasional guests) desktop and Internet system fairly open and loose.
> However, I would like to create one secure file or folder in which I can
> record as text things like a long list of user names and passwords for
> web sites -- to range from minor not often used sites, to Bank Accounts,
> paypal, some personal data with serial numbers etc.
>
> Is there a special program that exists for creating and locking up such
> a file without interfering with my generally open way of doing things?
> Any recommendations graciously received."
>
> Vim answer:
> "If you want something really simple, there is:
> vi -x filename  It will prompt for the encryption key and keep the file
> copy encrypted."
>
> My thread then drifted into a discussion by respondents about vim -x !
>
> I prefer using emacs, is there a way to use or set up a protected
> (encrypted ??) emacs file or directory?
>
> -- 
> Regards Bill


Hmm, you can try (info "(pgg)").  It uses GPG to provide functions for
encryption/decryption.

Dave

Re: Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

[Tim X]

david@adboyd.com (J. David Boyd) writes:

> William Case <billlinux@.......com> writes:
>
>> Hi;
>>
>> I use emacs.  I posed a security question on the Fedora list.  Got some
>> useful answers but then the thread drifted off to a discussion of vim
>> -x.  No mention of emacs.  Is there an emacs answer?
>>
>> Original question: 
>> "Need suggestions for a good lockbox -- a specialized application or an
>> appropriate technique for locking away sensitive personal information.
>>
>> I am not normally a paranoid security freak. I keep my single user (and
>> occasional guests) desktop and Internet system fairly open and loose.
>> However, I would like to create one secure file or folder in which I can
>> record as text things like a long list of user names and passwords for
>> web sites -- to range from minor not often used sites, to Bank Accounts,
>> paypal, some personal data with serial numbers etc.
>>
>> Is there a special program that exists for creating and locking up such
>> a file without interfering with my generally open way of doing things?
>> Any recommendations graciously received."
>>
>> Vim answer:
>> "If you want something really simple, there is:
>> vi -x filename  It will prompt for the encryption key and keep the file
>> copy encrypted."
>>
>> My thread then drifted into a discussion by respondents about vim -x !
>>
>> I prefer using emacs, is there a way to use or set up a protected
>> (encrypted ??) emacs file or directory?
>>
>> -- 
>> Regards Bill
>
>
> Hmm, you can try (info "(pgg)").  It uses GPG to provide functions for
> encryption/decryption.
>

Note however, pgp is only in emacs 22. 

Tim


-- 
tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au

Re: Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

[J. David Boyd]

Tim X <timx@nospam.dev.null> writes:

> david@adboyd.com (J. David Boyd) writes:
>
>> William Case <billlinux@.......com> writes:
>>
>>> Hi;
>>>
>>> I use emacs.  I posed a security question on the Fedora list.  Got some
>>> useful answers but then the thread drifted off to a discussion of vim
>>> -x.  No mention of emacs.  Is there an emacs answer?
>>>
>>> Original question: 
>>> "Need suggestions for a good lockbox -- a specialized application or an
>>> appropriate technique for locking away sensitive personal information.
>>>
>>> I am not normally a paranoid security freak. I keep my single user (and
>>> occasional guests) desktop and Internet system fairly open and loose.
>>> However, I would like to create one secure file or folder in which I can
>>> record as text things like a long list of user names and passwords for
>>> web sites -- to range from minor not often used sites, to Bank Accounts,
>>> paypal, some personal data with serial numbers etc.
>>>
>>> Is there a special program that exists for creating and locking up such
>>> a file without interfering with my generally open way of doing things?
>>> Any recommendations graciously received."
>>>
>>> Vim answer:
>>> "If you want something really simple, there is:
>>> vi -x filename  It will prompt for the encryption key and keep the file
>>> copy encrypted."
>>>
>>> My thread then drifted into a discussion by respondents about vim -x !
>>>
>>> I prefer using emacs, is there a way to use or set up a protected
>>> (encrypted ??) emacs file or directory?
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Regards Bill
>>
>>
>> Hmm, you can try (info "(pgg)").  It uses GPG to provide functions for
>> encryption/decryption.
>>
>
> Note however, pgp is only in emacs 22. 
>
Who would be using anything less? :=>

Re: Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

[Erich Wälde]

William Case wrote:
> Hi;
> 
> I use emacs.  
[snip]
> Vim answer:
> "If you want something really simple, there is:
> vi -x filename  It will prompt for the encryption key and keep the file
> copy encrypted."
> 
> My thread then drifted into a discussion by respondents about vim -x !
> 
> I prefer using emacs, is there a way to use or set up a protected
> (encrypted ??) emacs file or directory?
> 

Check out

  http://www.emacswiki.org/   -> Modes -> AutoEncryption

  http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/emacs-en/AutoEncryption

for more information. I'm using crypt++, starting off with a file,
file.txt say, I encrypt it manually the first time
$ gpg --symmetric --armor file.txt
Enter passphrase:
repeat passphrase:
$

This creates a new file "file.txt.asc", which I open with emacs
(assuming crypt++ to be set up). This will ask for the passphrase,
then decrypt the file for me into the buffer. When saving the file, it
will be encrypted again. You can then remove the cleartext file.

The use of "--armor" is disputable. While editing the file, there is
something like a autosave-file, the contents is clear in an emacs
buffer. This can be a problem on systems with more people logged in at
any time. So, I guess, this is not good for all possible scenarios.
Sadly crypt++ is not actively maintained any more. Volunteers, anyone?

Cheers,
Erich

Re: Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

[Lowell Gilbert]

Erich Wälde <ew.ng116837@online.de> writes:

> Sadly crypt++ is not actively maintained any more. Volunteers, anyone?

Future releases will contain gpg.el instead.  
That depends on an external gpg executable.

Re: Is there an emacs security answer vs vim??

[Tim X]

William Case <billlinux@rogers.com> writes:

> Hi;
>
> I use emacs.  I posed a security question on the Fedora list.  Got some
> useful answers but then the thread drifted off to a discussion of vim
> -x.  No mention of emacs.  Is there an emacs answer?
>
> Original question: 
> "Need suggestions for a good lockbox -- a specialized application or an
> appropriate technique for locking away sensitive personal information.
>
> I am not normally a paranoid security freak. I keep my single user (and
> occasional guests) desktop and Internet system fairly open and loose.
> However, I would like to create one secure file or folder in which I can
> record as text things like a long list of user names and passwords for
> web sites -- to range from minor not often used sites, to Bank Accounts,
> paypal, some personal data with serial numbers etc.
>
> Is there a special program that exists for creating and locking up such
> a file without interfering with my generally open way of doing things?
> Any recommendations graciously received."
>
> Vim answer:
> "If you want something really simple, there is:
> vi -x filename  It will prompt for the encryption key and keep the file
> copy encrypted."
>
> My thread then drifted into a discussion by respondents about vim -x !
>

It sounds like your looking for crypt++. With this mode, you encrypt a
file with a key and then whenever you try to open the file again in
emacs, it will ask you for the key (passphrase). Essentially, it
sounds like it gives the same functionality as vi -x except you can
visit the files from within dired and the decryption/encryption
process is handled automagically for you. I use this witha file called
ccard, which contains my credit card info. When I want to purcahse
soemthing from a web site, I simply cut and past the info. 

I use debian and crypt++ is available as a debian package. however,
you can probably find a pointer to where the source can be downloaded
on the emacs wiki page at http://www.emacswiki.org/

HTH

Tim

-- 
tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au