Encrypting File with passphrase,

[Michael Anders]

Hi Vikash

On Thu, 2014-03-13 at 10:36 +0100, gnupg-users-request at gnupg.org wrote:
> Encrypting File with passphrase

>Now I am trying to encrypt the file on server B using this public key,
>I am able to do so without any matter I pass the passphrase or not.
>
>So my ask is, if a key pair is generated with passphrase it won't
>restrict the encryption incase incorrect passphrase or no passphrase is
>passed? Also I was able to encrypt the file on server B by providing
>any random passphrase, but decryption is possible with correct
>passphrase only.

You do not need a passpharase for operations with a public key
(encryption or signature verification) because the key is not secret.
Everyone is allowed to access it, so there is no need to protect it with
a passphrase. This is the essence of asymmetric cryptography.

Apparently Gnupg just ignores a password given when it is not needed.
This seems reasonable to me.

regards
  Michael Anders
(http://www.fh-wedel.de/~an/)