Encrypt/Decrypt data with VM Launcher

Learn how to use a VM Launcher data operation to encrypt and decrypt data.

💡 What is the VM Launcher data operation for data encryption/decryption?

The VM Launcher data operation allows you to start a Google Compute Engine VM where you can encrypt and decrypt data using Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), and then to stop the VM automatically to save resources. PGP is a popular solution providing cryptographic privacy and authentication for data communication.

⚙️ How it works

Every time the VM Launcher data operation is launched:

• A VM with the specified characteristics is started on GCE.

• The files placed in the bucket are either encrypted or decrypted using PGP.

• Once the execution is complete, the VM is stopped automatically.

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)

PGP is a protocol used for encrypting, decrypting and signing messages or files using a key pair. Every PGP user has both a public and private key. A public key is the key that other people use to encrypt a message that only you can open. A private key is the key that allows you to decrypt the messages sent to you based on your public key. A public key can be shared, but a private key should never be shared.

****📋 How to deploy a VM Launcher data operation for data encryption/decryption

1. Access your tailer folder (created during installation).
2. Create a working folder as you want.

3. Create a JSON file for your data operation in your working folder. Refer to this page to learn about all the parameters.
4. Access your working folder by running the following command:

   cd "[path to your working folder]"

5. To deploy the data operation, run the following command:

   tailer deploy configuration your-configuration.json

6. Log in to Tailer Studio to check the status and details of your data operation.
7. Execute your VM Launcher data operation.