[[!comment format=mdwn username="joey" subject="""comment 1""" date="2015-03-31T19:37:20Z" content=""" When you use encryption=pubkey, the symmetric key that is used for HMAC encryption of filenames is encrypted using your gpg private key. The contents of files are also encrypted using your gpg private key (not using the symmetric key; that mode is encryption=hybrid). So, with encryption=pubkey, all that can be done with that symmetric key is to HMAC encrypt filenames and try to find results that match the HMACed filenames used on the remote. So, if you don't care about filenames leaking, you could publish that symmetric key with no bad effects. Its security is not important to you based on what you've said. But again, that symmetric key is encrypted with your gpg private key. The only way to decrypt it would be to break your gpg key somehow. In which case you have big problems. But not ones caused by the existence of the symmetric key. So, I see no benefit to the suggested mode. """]]