The Crypto Explorer

The CryptoExplorer allows the browsing of a system's file system using a familiar Windows Explorer display view.

The main obvious difference between the CryptoExplorer and Windows Explorer is the right-hand side of the screen is split into two segments.

The top segment lists all files that are NOT encrypted; the bottom part lists all those files that are encrypted. In this way it can be seen at a glance what is encrypted and what is not.

Encryption and Decryption of Files or Folder Contents

Individual files or groups of files can be encrypted or decrypted easily within the CryptoExplorer:

• Right-click a file (or a selection of files) and select encrypt or decrypt

• Double click a file and select encrypt or decrypt.

• Click and drag a file from one area to another, this will encrypt or decrypt a file as required.

Folders can be encrypted or decrypted equally as easily:

• Select a folder in the left-hand "tree-view" and right-click and select encrypt or decrypt folder.

• Select a folder in the left-hand "tree-view" and click the encrypt or decrypt folder buttons at the top of the screen

NOTE all sub-folders within a folder can also be included within the scope. Click the "Include Sub Folders" button in the toolbar near the top-menu and all files within all sub-folders will be displayed (and also encrypted/decrypted when encrypt folder or decrypt folder is chosen)

Hide and "Unhide" Files or Folder Contents

Individual files or groups of files can be hidden easily using the CryptoExplorer:

• Right-click a file (or a selection of files) and select hide file

All of a Folder's contents can be hidden equally as easily:

• Select a folder in the left-hand "tree-view" and right-click and select hide folder.

Hidden files first need to be revealed before they can be chosen to be unhidden as even using the CryptoExplorer hidden files are not displayed by default.

To show any hidden files that might be within a folder, select a folder then click 'View Hidden Files' in the top menu. If the configuration options have been set to need a password to show hidden files, the correct default password now needs to be entered.

Any hidden files within the folder will now be displayed, highlighted with a red shield icon to show they are still hidden, but the file details; filename, size etc will be displayed.

To unhide these files (and make them useable to the CryptoExplorer and other normal applications):

• Right-click a hidden file (or a selection of files) and select 'unhide file'

All of a Folder's hidden file contents can be unhidden equally as easily:

• Select a folder in the left-hand "tree-view" and right-click and select 'unhide folder'.

NOTE - if you forget which folders have hidden files, choose 'List all Hidden Files' from the top menu and the CryptoExplorer will scan all folders on the system and display all hidden files it finds. This may take a while with systems that have many folders. These files can then be restored/unhidden as detailed above.

Other CryptoExplorer Features - Filename Encryption

Encrypted files can have their filenames changed or obscured, but these can be restored on decryption (the file name itself is encrypted and stored along with the contents of the file).

For example a file could be called:

Top Secret Plans.doc

When encrypted (using default settings) the file will be renamed:

Top Secret Plans.doc.qce.

This file is securely encrypted, but clearly the name of the file still suggests it might be of interest to someone.

This file can now be renamed to anything, e.g.

Shopping List.doc.qce or
Shopping list.txt

This is much less likely to prompt anyone to look at this file.

However on successful decryption (correct password required) the file can/will be automatically renamed back to

Top Secret Plans.doc

And of course the file will also be decrypted and be able to be used.

Note that the CryptoExplorer allows bulk/batch file name change. Select a folder in the tree-view and from the top-menu click "Obscure Filename" then select "Encrypted Files". Following this all encrypted files will be renamed QCE 1.qce to QCE n.qce where n is the total number of encrypted files. On successful decryption the names will revert back to those prior to the rename.

Other CryptoExplorer Features - Right-Click File Names

Right-clicking a file name (encrypted or unencrypted) enables the following functions to be carried out on the file:

Encrypt

Decrypt

Decrypt then Open (the file will be automatically opened once successful decryption has taken place)

Shred

Hide

Unhide (if the hidden file is displayed using 'show hidden files' from the top menu)

Zip (compresses the file into a zip archive file)

Open Stego (pushes the selected file into the Steganography module - works for image and some sound files)

Send by Email (attaches the file to an email ready to be sent by the default email package - does not automatically send email)

Open in Explorer (opens Windows Explorer with the selected folder/file in focus)

Encrypting Files or the Password Safe using Key Files

Normally QuickCrypto uses Pass Phrases as the basis of secret keys to encrypt and decrypt files.

A Pass Phrase is also normally used to protect (encrypt and decrypt) the 'Password Safe' (in a similar way to encrypting or decrypting a file).

A key file is any file (stored on a removable volume or drive) that can be used instead of a Pass Phrase (or as well as a Pass Phrase for increased protection).

Files encrypted using a key file cannot be decrypted until the correct removable drive is inserted with the correct key file stored upon it.

If a file (or the password safe) is encrypted using a key file and a pass phrase, then both the correct key file and the valid pass phrase are required to decrypt the file (or open the password safe).

You do not have to use key files, they are an extra option that provide the following advantages and potentially disadvantages:

Using key files provides protection against keystroke loggers (even if someone acquires your pass phrases using a keystroke logger, he will not be able to decrypt your files or open your password safe without also having your key file - which is held on a removable drive).
Key files improve protection against brute force attacks (people or systems cannot 'guess' your pass phrase because there isn't one - a very long sequence derived from the key file is used instead).
Using a key file only, lets anyone with the key file decrypt files and/or open the password safe. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage depending on what is required (can provide shared access to encrypted files and more convenience, but is less secure overall)
If you lose the key file you cannot ever decrypt the files (this is similar to forgetting a pass phrase)

Any kind of file can be used as a QuickCrypto key file (however it must be stored on a removable drive or format, such as a USB flash or pen drive, a CD/DVD or floppy - typically a USB flash type drive is the easiest). Note that a QuickCrypto key file must be over 50 bytes in size - most files fall into this category.

QuickCrypto does not change the selected key file - it scans it and uses it to produce and derive (in a secure way) a key based on a series of thousands of zeroes and ones that is then used to encrypt or decrypt files. This key is unique to the file chosen - for this reason you must not change in any way the file used as the key file!

WARNING: If you lose a key file (or inadvertently change it) it will be impossible to decrypt files that use that key file! For this reason it is strongly recommended that you keep a backup copy of key files.

PLEASE make back-up 'dongles' or USB drives with the key files stored upon them and keep these in a secure location. One day you will lose your USB drive with your key file on it - or one day it will break down! You must keep a back-up if you expect to always to be able retrieve data encrypted using key files. Yes it WILL happen to you!