[SvanteSpectator]

Hello John,

First of all, there’s a fundamental difference between authentication and access control vs. encryption, i.e. in your case NTFS vs. AxCrypt. See http://www.axcrypt.net/blog/encryption-vs-authentication/ for a detailed discussion.

From what I can, AxCrypt can handle your requirements with the Premium function (it does require a small amount of co-operation from the ‘normal’ HR Managers.

Each user would simply designate their own folder (or any folders) as a Secured Folder, and set Key Sharing by adding the Senior Managers e-mail.

All files in such a folder will be accessible (decryptable/openable) by the ‘normal’  HR Manager (the owner as it were) and the Senior Manager and no-one else. The ‘normal’ HR Manager and the Senior Manager would user their own personal passwords to sign in to AxCrypt and will never have to share any passwords.

If I understood the requirements correctly, it’s pretty much a perfect fit.

[SvanteSpectator]

As Robert says… Thank you, Robert!

There’s a related blog post about some aspects of this here: http://www.axcrypt.net/blog/leaving-computer-axcrypt/ .

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Sputnik!

Well, it’s good that I’m consistent, right?

The thing is I get quite a bit of support from people who do have problems with the feature and it getting blocked. So it’s a kind of “damned if I do, damned if I don’t”-situation.

But, as I have mentioned, we’re thinking of bringing it back “by popular demand” ;-) That’s one of the things with these forums, that we get an idea about what people want.

The self-decrypting files, does not actually harm security for the content but there are other issues to consider as well. One known use of self-decrypting AxCrypt files is to slip malware past virus checks (just like encrypted .zip files are used). In order to bring the feature back, we’ll also have to add some safe-guards against that too.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Raphael,

The reason for excluding encrypt to .exe is actually not to do with the “key sharing” feature, it’s due to executable attachments usually being blocked, so the feature as little use.

But, if you are sending the files, you should of course use the “key sharing” feature instead of having the problem of managing and communicating many different passwords to others.

With version 2 – you can actually use the full-featured standalone portable to send with the encrypted files, so there’s little difference with version 1. You’ll still have the executable blocked usually, so you can also include a download link.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Stephen,

You can still encrypt many files in a single operation with the Free version, for example via right-click.

Svante

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Mathieu,

Working on it as we speak ;-) There *are* actually two issues. A performance issue, and indeed a hang/lock up issue. Working on the latter first.

Follow the progress here:

https://bitbucket.org/axantum/axcrypt-net/issues/119/wiping-is-reported-not-to-work-from

https://bitbucket.org/axantum/axcrypt-net/issues/130/improve-performance-and-seeming-hangs-when

Svante

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by  Svante.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Jennifer,

I’ll try to keep this as short and straight-forward as possible, but there were many things there…

– Your issues with AxCrypt not responding is likely due to a known performance issue when selecting multiple files from Windows Explorer. For multiple file selections, please use the program window and it’s toolbar and menu for now. We’ll be fixing this shortly.

– You will not be prompted to convert your files if you are selecting to decrypt them permanently, since that would not make sense. You’re asking to decrypt them, conversion is about converting AxCrypt 1-encrypted files to AxCrypt 2-encrypted files.

– You do not need Premium to do what you are doing, so the trial period length is irrelevant here.

– You do not need to change the AxCrypt 2 password to decrypt AxCrypt 1-files with varying passwords. As required, AxCrypt will prompt you for the AxCrypt 1-file password.

Regards,

Svante

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello,

What should happen with the secured folders feature is that if you create a new file there, AxCrypt will ‘see’ it and allow you to encrypt it with a single click of the ‘Broom’, which should turn red. You can also do this from the menu.

[SvanteSpectator]

Here’s the link (you’ll need to sign in with your e-mail and password – the same one you use to sign in to AxCrypt 2):

https://account.axcrypt.net/Home/Support

Svante

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello John,

Sure thing – can you please use the Premium Support form on the web to request this, since that will give us a definitive e-mail address for you?

[SvanteSpectator]

Yehuda,

We received the stack trace, thank you. Would you mind also sending the ‘FileSystemState.txt’ file from %localappdata%\AxCrypt ? It does contain the names of the encrypted files (i.e. the .axx-files, not the originals, but if you have not renamed they are of course very similar), otherwise there’s nothing sensitive in it.

Svante

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Chetan,

Right now, the “anonymous rename” and “shred and delete” are indeed Premium features. Our thoughts are that the Free version should focus on the file encryption functionality, which is still free and equivalent to 1.7. Also, the “shred and delete” function has less value nowadays, since SSD drive tech makes that function almost impossible to implement properly.

Finally, the “create key file” function has been removed completely. It’s not available in either Free or Premium. The reasoning behind this is that it’s only a very few who use it and if AxCrypt is used properly the value added is very small, and in many cases it might instead lull users into a false sense of security. We’d much rather develop other ways to use full-strength keys such as usb key storage devices and perhaps mobile phones.

Nothing is set in stone though, and we’re listening carefully to comments such as yours to determine our future course of action.

Thank you for taking the time!

Svante

[SvanteSpectator]

Hi!

We’ll be looking into this the coming week! Can you tell us a little more:

– What Windows-version

– What are you opening PDF files with?

– What version of AxCrypt are you running?

– Can you please use the function File | Options | Debug and then Debug | Open Error Report Snapshot and follow the instructions you should see then?

Svante

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Pete,

You’ll always be able to open older files, and always decrypt and open Premium-encrypted files even if you stop subscribing to Premium.

So, AxCrypt 2 can open any AxCrypt-encrypted file, regardless of whether it’s encrypted with AxCrypt 1 or 2 Free or Premium.

AxCrypt 1 cannot decrypt any file encrypted with AxCrypt 2.

However, right now we don’t have a single “upgrade all files” function so right now if you go Premium files will be upgraded as you go along. We’ll be providing such a function shortly.

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello Laurel,

You’re right – the clean up action updates all of the “recently used dates”. Normally the date reflects the most recent use of the file, but now apparently the clean up causes them to be updated as well – thus the same date.

Thanks for reporting this.

You can follow the issue here:

https://bitbucket.org/axantum/axcrypt-net/issues/129/clean-up-causes-the-time-stamp-to-be

Thank you!

[Author]

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