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SuperE
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Joined: 26 Feb 2005
Posts: 15
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 Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 2:29 am Post subject: A good (great) Encryption program? |
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I'm looking for a good (great) encryption program. I did a search and found some posts but they mainly turned into which is better type of post. I just want to know if anyone can suggest a good encryption program that can handle a load of files and pictures (need to send some pictures to family). I use PGP now but I don't like the service running in the background. There's a bunch of encryption programs out ther but a noob like me will get lost in all of them. Here's the ones I was looking into getting
CryptUp http://www.cryptup.com/english/
KPKFile http://www.geocities.com/john52612000/
ABI- CODER http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/ABI_CODER/1012353528/1
Kremlin Encryption & Security Suite http://kremlinencrypt.com/
Any of these any good? Is there something better?
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capi
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Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Posts: 3497
Location: Portugal
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 3:01 am Post subject: |
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Without going any further, I would recommend GnuPG as a well renowned piece of encryption software. Also, seeing as though you are already used to PGP, you shouldn't have much problems as GPG implements the OpenPGP standard.
I don't have knowledge on the other options you quoted, though, so cannot really compare. I'll leave that to JustinT, when he gets around to this thread 
_________________
main(_){for(_=')';_;_+=~!&_["]["]){char l;write(!_!=_,(l=_["mI}., m0:0,$6/\3,\
$6/m/&\"10*\177c,$6\17cm\4c/&\"10\12"]^unix["CC me on *nix"],&l),_==_);}}
Israel G. Lugo
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SuperE
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Joined: 26 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 6:08 am Post subject: |
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Thank you. I have read a few post Justin posted and they were good reads.
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Node3
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Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 7
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Bungle
Most Paranoid Member!
Joined: 03 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 12:08 am Post subject: |
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Hi 
Although AxCrypt is an excellent program and free !! I believe it uses the now “broken” SHA-1. I may be wrong but if I’m not I wouldn’t be surprised if a new version with a more secure algorithm is released soon. This is in no way the error of the AxCrypt programmer. The writer of the program seems to be extremely competent and I am certain he is on the case ! Version 1.6 is the most recent so look out for any releases after that.
Bungle.
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Node3
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 12:18 am Post subject: |
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The author of AxCrypt discusses the SHA-1 issue on his website in the FAQ under "Isn't SHA-1 broken? How come AxCrypt uses it?"
Node3
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Bungle
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Joined: 03 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 12:29 am Post subject: |
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Hi Node3
Your quite right, I did say I may be wrong, I apologise.  I hadn’t noticed the authors response to the SHA story. I too am a great fan of AxCrypt and I wish it every success.
Quote from the author of AxCrypt.
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Isn't SHA-1 broken? How come AxCrypt uses it?
On Tuesday, February 15 2005, Bruce Schneier reported a cryptanalytic result stating that an algorithm producing collisions in SHA-1 in less than brute-force time had been published. In common parlance - SHA-1 was broken.
SHA-1 is one of the cryptographic primitives used by AxCrypt, along with AES-128. Does the "breaking" of SHA-1 mean that AxCrypt is now insecure?
In short, no it does not for the following reasons:
SHA-1 does not protect the privacy of data in AxCrypt, it only protects the integrity and only as part of a keyed hashed message authentication code, a HMAC.
The result does not in any way affect the use of SHA-1 as a preprocessing stage for the passphrase. Your passphrase is just as secure or insecure as before.
At the utmost worst, the current result implies that an attacker with knowledge of your passphrase would be able to corrupt your encrypted data with a work effort of 2^69 instead of 2^80, and the built-in integrity check would fail. This is bad enough, and I'm sure will see that 2^69 shrink in the coming months and years, but it is not a cause for immediate concern. 2^69 operations are still quite a bit of work, and please note the caveat that the attacker will have to know your secret passphrase to effect the attack.
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SuperE
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:09 am Post subject: |
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AxCrypt only encrypts files not folders. As I stated before I want something to encrypt pictures for a cd to send to family. I want to make it easy for them just to use 1 program and not have to use a program like 7-zip and an encryption program. Thanks for the suggestion though.
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Bungle
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Joined: 03 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:35 am Post subject: |
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AxCrypt only encrypts files not folders. As I stated before I want something to encrypt pictures for a cd to send to family. I want to make it easy for them just to use 1 program and not have to use a program like 7-zip and an encryption program. Thanks for the suggestion though
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Why not encrypt the CD ? Use something like the following,
CD LOCK
Encryption Plus CD ROM
Cryptainer
These will encrypt the CD and run “stand alone”. All your family will have to do is enter 1 password and all the cd will open.
I think this is what you're looking for.
Bungle. 
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SuperE
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:38 am Post subject: |
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Thanks. Now what about the files on my computer?
Is Steganos Security Suite any good? http://www.steganos.com/
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Bungle
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Joined: 03 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:47 am Post subject: |
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Thanks. Now what about the files on my computer?
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I would normally say PGP but you don’t like it for some reason. AxCrypt will do your individual files. But if you could get over your fear of PGP that has a PGPdisk option and that will encrypt everything you put in there.
I personally don’t know, you need to ask JT or Datah about that. But as far as I know PGP is just about as good as it gets.
Bungle.
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SuperE
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:52 am Post subject: |
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Not a fear of PGP just don't like the service running in the background. Plus PGP hasn't really updated in over a year. I don't have PGP with PGPdisk. I have trueCrypt though but I am afraid to use it. I'm afraid that it will crash and I lost my stuff I put in there.
AxCrypt won't work with my folders. Have a folder full of personal stuff I was going to encrypt.
Steganos Features are as follows.
* NEW: Now with Steganos Update Wizard: stay automatically up-to-date!
* Encrypt and hide: Conceal your data in images and music
* Even e-mails are made invisible to data snoops
* NEW: The Steganos Safe™ now protects up to 256 GB of sensitive data - in no time at all
* NEW: 64 GB drives now supported
* NEW: You can now start applications from the Safe automatically after opening
* NEW: With the Steganos Internet Trace Destructor™7: deletes 150 work traces: Cache, cookies, online exchanges, Office, Web browsers, AOL and many more
* The Password Manager saves all of your passwords in an encrypted list: you only have to remember one password.
* NEW: The Steganos Portable Safe™ is your secure data safe for when you're on the road. Encrypt sensitive data onto CD, DVD, memory sticks... Now supports up to 4.7 GB
* Includes Steganos Shredder: With data destructor and deep cleaning
* Choose between three high-security overwriting techniques
* Incl. technology used by the US Department of Defense (DoD 5220.22-M/NISPOM 8-306)
* Incl. Gutmann method - very thorough as it overwrites no less than 35 times
* No more unsecure passwords! The built-in dictionary check prevents you from using almost half a million unsafe passwords
I'll wait to see if anyone else comes along that knows about Steganos.
Thanks.
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Bungle
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Joined: 03 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:02 am Post subject: |
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Not a fear of PGP just don't like the service running in the background.
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What is it you don’t like about the service running ? Slowing your PC down or do you think they are spying on you ?
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Plus PGP hasn't really updated in over a year.
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If it ain’t broke why fix it ?
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I don't have PGP with PGPdisk.
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You will have to pay for it to get the disk option.
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I have trueCrypt though but I am afraid to use it. I'm afraid that it will crash and I lost my stuff I put in there.
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This would happen with any encryption program. If you ever suffer from a serious crash, loose your keys or forget your password you are very unlikely to be able to recover your damaged data.
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AxCrypt won't work with my folders. Have a folder full of personal stuff I was going to encrypt.
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AxCrypt won’t work with your folders ? It has worked fine on everything I have ever tried it with. Are you using version 1.6. Can you elaborate as to the problems you are having with it ?
Bungle
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SuperE
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:13 am Post subject: |
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I don't like PGP services running in the background because with it running I have 50 process running. I'm trying to narrow that down. I thought I can get read some that I don't need and PGP isn't needed if I can find a program that can do the same thing as PGP but no services running.
PGP might not be broken but I'm sure it has bugs.
I know you have to pay for the PGPdisk option, but I don't want that option.
I used axcrypt 1.5 not 1.6. It would freeze if I tried to encrypt a folder with more than 100mb in it. Grant it that was a family photo folder but still wouldn't encrypt it. I'm not sure if 1.6 can encrypt that big of a file.
Does TrueCrypt create vaults? If so, can I put folders in there and remove them when I want to?
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Bungle
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Joined: 03 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:24 am Post subject: |
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I know you have to pay for the PGPdisk option, but I don't want that option.
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But you want the TrueCrypt vault ! That’s the same idea.
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I used axcrypt 1.5 not 1.6. It would freeze if I tried to encrypt a folder with more than 100mb in it. Grant it that was a family photo folder but still wouldn't encrypt it. I'm not sure if 1.6 can encrypt that big of a file.
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I think you need to try 1.6. I do believe it will encrypt more than 100MB. I know you said your family don’t want to zip the folders but can you on your computer ? if so this may help you out a lot. How about splitting it into two files ?
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Does TrueCrypt create vaults? If so, can I put folders in there and remove them when I want to?
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Yes I think so. This is the same as PGP disk.
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SuperE
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| Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:41 am Post subject: |
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I don't want that option in PGP because I would have to pay for it. TrueCrypt is free. it does the same thing. Now I'm reading about TGureCrypt to see hot to encrypt folders in a vault.
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