Encryption: Would A File Encryption Tool Be Useful Feature?

[r_w_loranger]

I switched to XYplorer from PowerDesk Pro 7 and I'm very happy.

One thing I miss from PD Pro 7 is the file encrypt/decrypt tool found on its File menu.

Would something like that be useful to XYplorer users?

My PowerDesk Pro - Encryption dialog image attached.

Thanks

[Minimax]

Welcome to the forum.

I would like to point out some third party alternatives since you cannot expect encryption to be integrated soon.

Single file encryption:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/axcrypt/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/axcrypt ... o/0.0a0.1/
http://www.7-zip.org/

For volume containers:
http://www.truecrypt.org/

Regards

[zer0]

Hello and welcome to the forums!

Encryption is a very complex feature. A proper integration of it would almost certainly lead to a creation of an encryption tool within XYplorer.
I think such technically complicated tasks need to be delegated to stand-alone tools like TrueCrypt (free) or PGP (commercial).

P.S. DES (as shown in your screenshot) encryption is now considered insecure and was cracked in less than a day over 11 years ago

[PeterH]

Still don't exactly know what you are talking of.
As the window you show is named Encrypt/Decrypt it seems that you want to encrypt files "in place", and must decrypt them before use? If so: does this make sense?
If it's so: you could integrate any linemode-program for encryption/decryption into XY to do this work by click or keystroke.

But to say so: I would prefer a tool like truecrypt: you can mount a crypted file or harddisk as a virtual drive, then access all it's files transparent, until unmounted again. Seems much better for me...

[Stefan]

Yes, encrypting files "in place", and decrypt them before use does make sense
Maybe not for daily use, but for storing and to distribute over an unsure channel ...

One could use an archiver with password protection... or an dedicated encrypting tool like
MySecret from http://www.di-mgt.com.au/mysecret.html (or one from the many others flying around)

-


If someone want to use such an encrypt tool, then he/she perhaps wants
to integrate them into XYplorer by using an script like this example:

(Use this with test file first. And for good speed with less then 10 MB file size)

Code: Select all

/*
===================================================================================
INSTRUCTIONS
 Download the latest version of MySecret.zip (47 kB) from http://www.di-mgt.com.au/mysecret.html
 Unzip the MySecret.zip into an folder, e.g. into "<xypath>\Tools\MySecret\..."
 Save this script e.g. as "MySecret.xys" into "<xypath>\Scripts\..." folder
USING
 Select one file (to handle multi files, create an archive first)
 Launch this script, e.g. from menu "Scripting > Load Script File... > MySecret.xys"
 From the dialog choose "Encrypt" [or "Decrypt"]
 The resulting output is encrypted and encoded using base64 encoding, ready to mail it.
===================================================================================
*/

"Encrypt"
  // creates an new, encrypted file with additional 'mys' extension:
  $pas1 = Input("MySecret EnCrypt","Enter your password for ""<curname>"":");
  $pass = Input('Confirm','Re-type your password:');
  end ("$pas1" != "$pass"), "Password did not match";
  run "<xypath>\Tools\MySecret\MySecret.exe -w -e -p $pass -i ""<curitem>"" -o ""<curitem>.mys""";
//=============================== 
  
"Decrypt"
  // creates an new, decrypted file and removes the 'mys' extension:
  $pass = Input("MySecret DeCrypt","Enter your password for ""<curname>"":");
  run "<xypath>\Tools\MySecret\MySecret.exe -d -w -p $pass -i ""<curitem>"" -o ""<curpath>\<curbase>""";
//===============================

"Readme"
  sub "_readme";
//===============================

-

"Edit this &script : edit"
   self $ScriptFile, file;
   OpenWith "<xypath>\Tools\NotePad2\Notepad2.exe", ,$ScriptFile;
//===============================   

"_readme"
 text <<<TEXT
MySecret Blowfish Encryption Utility
Version 3.1.1 Released 9 June 2007.

Works fine for file size till ~5MB. 
Decoding an file with e.g. 25MB takes a few minutes.

TO INSTALL
    1. Copy the file MYSECRET.EXE into a directory on your PC's path,
       e.g. C:\Windows or C:\WINNT
    2. That's it!
    
SYNTAX
Usage: MySecret [OPTIONS] [-p password] [[-i] infile [[-o] outfile]]
OPTIONS:
-?|-h display this Help
-e|-d force Encrypt/Decrypt
-n do Not ask to confirm password
-w Warn before overwriting existing outfile
-2 use v2.0 algorithm (no compression)
-@ use stdin/stdout pipes if in/outfile not given
-L display licence conditions
EXAMPLES:
MySecret                (=clipboard-mode, prompts for password)
MySecret -p "my pass phrase"
MySecret infile outfile (=file-mode)
MySecret -@ infile      (output to stdout)
MySecret -@ -o outfile  (input from stdin)
MySecret -@             (input from stdin/output to stdout)
For more information go to <http://www.di-mgt.com.au/mysecret.html>

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

MySecret is copyright (C) 2002-7 DI Management Services Pty Ltd, all rights
reserved. MySecret is freeware. Install and use entirely at your own risk.

Read more at http://www.di-mgt.com.au/mysecret.html

TEXT;
//===============================<EOF> 

Example use:

MySecret001.PNG

[PeterH]

Yes, encrypting files "in place", and decrypt them before use does make sense

OK - not in place but create a copy. (As the script does.) I didn't think of that use...

Wouldn't it really be better to zip and encrypt the file(s) for transmit etc? Will be smaller, and can be a list of files and directories. Or is this not secure enough?

[Stefan]

Or is this not secure enough?

Sure it would (see 7-Zip AES-256 encryption).
It's just one of several flavors - each hes own.
Some people prefer dedicated tools instead finding the right switch in an one-of-all tool.
(i didn't find the right words to explain)


So i didn't judge - just provide an solution - showing the flexibility of XYplorer.

[PeterH]

Or is this not secure enough?

Sure it would (see 7-Zip AES-256 encryption).
It's just one of several flavors - each hes own.
Some people prefer dedicated tools instead finding the right switch in an one-of-all tool.
(i didn't find the right words to explain)


So i didn't judge - just provide an solution - showing the flexibility of XYplorer.

Your explanation was fine! Thanks!

And surely I don't want to judge.
Sometimes reading such things I think, if there is something in being able to help me with my way to work. And kind of "provokating": "isn't zip better for this" could result in a description, why not.
In the end it's not a "good" or "bad" in general, but what I decide to be useful for me. And this sometimes can be changed...