Neocrypt Help Index

Features:

Lock Your Files with Strong Encryption

Easy-to-Use Interface

Support for Multiple Users

Shred Files

Erase All Traces of Previous Files

Overview:

File Safes

            Locking and Unlocking Safes

            Adding Files

Choosing a Password

Choosing an Algorithm

Neocrypt Folders

Encrypting Files

Decrypting Files

Wiping Unused Space on a Drive

Registering Neocrypt:

The Benefits of Registration

            How to Register


Lock Your Files with Strong Encryption

Neocrypt uses powerful and secure algorithms to encrypt any type of files on your computer. The well known and proven Blowfish, GOST and 3-Way algorithms  are implemented.  In addition, Neocrypt is able to use some standard high security encryption components that may be installed on your system.


Easy-to-Use Interface

Neocrypt allows an easy management of a user's choice of what type of file to encrypt and how to encrypt them. The program has its own file mangement interface using the familiar concept of safes and folders. This allows to view at a glance the file security settings  on a system. This information is kept hidden from third parties through the use of a log-in password. All files can easily be accessed from Neocrypt's user interface; there is no need to search through all the folders on a system to find encrypted files.


Support for Multiple Users

Several different users can maintain their own set of encrypted files and settings on a single computer using Neocrypt. Each have their own log-in password and do not have any access to another user's encrypted files and settings. When the program starts, a pre-existing account can be selected, or a new one can be created.


Irreversible File Deletion

When a file is deleted, the operating system does not actually erase the contents of the file. The file is just removed from the directory information on the disk. The file contents are still on the disk until they are overwritten by new files. There is no way to know if and when a file you’ve deleted is no longer present on your hard-drive.

Neocrypt allows the complete and secure deletion of any files. Every single bit is overwritten several times, completely erasing all the information.


Erase All Traces of Previous Files

Unused spaces on drives are filled the content of previously erased files, until they happen to be overwritten. All or part of those files can be recovered. Neocrypt can overwrite the entire unused space on a hard drive so that nothing is left from erased files. The program can also wipe the free space at the end of every file. Those operations can be regularly scheduled.


Neocrypt File Safes

All files that a user may want to encrypt must be included in a safe. All files in a Neocrypt safe share the same encryption method, and password. A file can only be included in one safe.

There are two different types of safes: safes that have their own passwords, and safes that use the user’s Neocrypt log-in password.

The contents of a safe can optionaly be automatically decrypted when the safe is unlocked, and automatically encrypted when the safe is locked.

Files can be added to safes individually or by adding a Neocrypt folder to the safe.


Locking and Unlocking Safes

Safes can have their own password, or they can use Neocrypt’s log-in password. Safes which use Neocrypt’s log-in password are always unlocked while Neocrypt is running.

The user must supply the correct password to open the other type of safes. They can be locked at any time.

Files in a locked safe are not visible in the user interface and cannot be encrypted or decrypted. A safe must be unlocked before any operations can be performed on its files. Note that locking and unlocking safes does not encrypt or decrypt the files it contains unless that option has been set (in the safe’s properties dialog).


Adding Files

Any type of file can be added to a Neocrypt safe. Because two safes might have different methods of encryption, a file can only be included in one safe.

A file can be removed from a safe if it’s not encrypted. Adding or removing a file from a safe does not actually affect the file itself. It can still be used normally by any application as long as it’s not encrypted.


Choosing a Password

Passwords in Neocrypt must be at least eight characters in length. To be secure, they should be easy to remember but hard to guess for a third party. Including numbers or punctuation makes passwords much harder to guess.

There is no way to decrypt a file without the correct password. It is recommended that you keep a copy of all passwords in a safe place.


Choosing an Algorithm

Neocrypt has three built-in methods of encryption:

        Blowfish, designed by Bruce Schneier (with a key length of up to 448 bits).

        GOST (with a key length of 256 bits).

        3-Way, designed by Joan Daemen (with a key length of 96 bits).

The key length is proportional to the difficulty of decrypting a message without having the key (password). It is commonly thought that a key length of at least 64 bits is necessary for security against such attacks. Neocrypt can use some standard algorithms that may be installed in some systems. However it does not use a commonly installed component which uses 40 bit keys.


Neocrypt File Folders

While files can be individually added to a Neocrypt safe, it is often more convenient to include folders or entire subdirectories. Neocrypt folders allow the inclusion of entire system folders in a safe. They can include all files or just some file types. For example, only text files could be selected when other files types such as executables do not contain sensitive information. They can also include all subdirectories of a system folder.

They cannot include files that are part of another safe, or overlap with folders from another safe. If files are added or removed from a file system folder, they are also automatically added or removed from the Neocrypt folder.

Creating a folder in Neocrypt does not modify the files that it contains, or change their location. They can still be used normally by any application as long as they’re not encrypted.


Encrypting Files

Entire safes, folders or individual files can be encrypted from within the Neocrypt user interface. They cannot be encrypted or decrypted from oustide the program. Note that safes that use their own password and not the user’s Neocrypt log-in password must be unlocked (by supplying the correct password) before any file operations.

All file types can be encrypted. Caution should be used when encrypting files, encrypting some system files may corrupt or crash the operating system. It is recommended that only known file types (txt, doc, wps, etc..) be added to Neocrypt safes.

The files in the Neocrypt directory should not be encrypted or modified.

Encrypted files are moved to a subdirectory of the Neocrypt folder. They are returned to their original location when they are decrypted.


Decrypting Files

Individual files or entire safes or folders can be decrypted from within the Neocrypt user interface. They cannot be encrypted or decrypted from outside Neocrypt.

In the event of any malfunction where files cannot be decrypted from the Neocrypt visual interface, files can be individually decrypted by using the “Recover Encrypted Files” option from the Operations menu. This command should not be used otherwise.


Wiping Unused Space

Data from previously erased files is normally left on the drive until it’s eventually overwritten. Such data is present in the normal unused space of the drive, and also in a region that is never written to at the end of files. Neocrypt can delete all traces of those files by overwriting it from three to seven times, the last one with pseudo-random data. The number of overwrites can be set in Preferences from the Options menu.

Two operations are offered: wiping unused space, and wiping unused space at the end of files. Wiping unused space can take quite a while and wiping at the end of files can take a very long time. Those operations may disrupt some programs if they’re creating or editing files. It is highly recommended that all other programs be closed or inactive during those operations, particularly those that write often to the hard disk.

To effectively erase all traces of previous files, disks shoud be regularly wiped. Disk wipe operations may be scheduled for any interval. They will start automatically after a thirty second warning. Wipe operations can also be limited to certain times of the day when system use is low, for example late at night for a system which runs 24h a day.


The Benefits of Registration

A 30-day trial period is offered to evaluate a fully functional version of this software. After this period, the program will no longer encrypt any files. You will still be able to access your data and decrypt your files.  The About Neocrypt dialog from the Help menu displays the number of days left in the trial period.

Registering the program will restore the full functionality of the program as well as include free minor upgrades (1.1, 1.2, etc.).

A single user license for version Neocrypt 1.10 (and any minor upgrades) is $18.


How to Register

For ease of use, the Kagi registration service is used. Payments can be made in US check or money order, Canadian postal money order, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.

Credit card payments can be made directly through the internet by logging on to a secure on-line registration form at https://order.kagi.com/?OSX. If your browser does not support a secure SSL connection, you ca use http://order.kagi.com/?OSX. You can also register by phone at +1 (510) 658-5244.

For email or postal registration, use the Register.exe program found in the Neocrypt directory. This program is easy to use, and securely handles credit card information. It will automatically generate an order form. You can e-mail it to Kagi (for credit card payments) or print it and send it to Kagi’s postal address.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation of the transaction from Kagi, and your user name and registration code from Neocode Software. Enter that data in the Enter Registration Code from the Options menu to complete the registration.

Contact Neocode Software at neocode@neocode.webaxxs.net or neocode@kagi.com if you have any question.

Note that because of U.S. export restriction of encryption software, this program can only be licensed to permanent residents or citizens of the U.S. or Canada.