Cryptic Disk wiki

From Software Informer

Cryptic Disk is a software application that is designed for securing computer data stored on hard disks, disk partitions, as well as on removable and portable storage devices (such as a USB-drive, flash-cards, laptop computers, etc.) through encrypting them. The main purpose of such software is prevention of confidential and sensitive information from being used or viewed by unauthorized persons. It restricts access to the computer data by encrypting partitions of a hard drive or removable media and requesting a user to enter a password. This allows protecting data stored on a disk from recovery when, for example, someone found a lost USB device or got your hard drive out of the PC. Among the specific advantages of the program are a very good and user-friendly interface, which enables convenient and easy work with the program, and, most importantly, the possibility to save network-shared resources list. The program uses the AES 256-bit encryption algorithm – a trusted and a FIPS-approved symmetric encryption algorithm – the same type of encryption that NASA, the FBI and the Department of Defense use to protect their data. Moreover, Cryptic Disk works with any storage devices supported by Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008. Among the possibilities the program suggests are the following: • Creating encrypted disks and disk partitions on the basis of regular ones • Restoring encrypted disks and disk partitions back to regular ones at all times • Mounting and unmounting encrypted disks • Possibility to mount an encrypted disk/partition onto the system and work with it just as with a regular disk/partition • Multi-user access, meaning an individual password and specific access rights for each user of an encrypted disk • Protecting the program with a password, which allows one to restrict access to the program by other users of the computer • Possibility to save network-shared resources list of the encrypted drive The newer version of Cryptic Disk has been developed to include 64-bit Windows Vista, 2008 Server and Windows 7 operating systems for working with the tool while its encryption driver now has a digital signature. Also, it is no longer necessary to reboot the system after creating encrypted disks in the above operating systems so as to be able to start working with the disks. Moreover, upon shutting the system down the Cryptic Disk is now the last to end its process so other applications can properly finish work with files (also, see History).

[edit] History

Cryptic Disk was developed by Exlade, Inc. and its first version release was on October 1, 2003. Initially the program was designed to work with hard drives only, but it can also be used to work with removable storage devices. There have been a number of improvements and updates since the program’s first public release. Among the first improvements in Version 2.0 released on 6 December, 2005 are: saving the encryption key to file so as to be able to restore it in case the password is lost, launching the program automatically when entering the system, automatic unmounting of the encrypted disk upon disconnecting removable disks from the computer or upon completion of work or exit from the system, creating a partition on a disk when the encrypted disk is removed, and some other program interface and usability improvements. As for further program releases, Versions 2.1-2.2 (2006) faced such changes as the addition of individual setup of each encrypted disk, Hot System Keys setup, which contributed to the convenience and faster use of the program, possibility to select multiple users in User Management dialogue box, and running the program without prior installation, which is an important advantage when it comes to having to read the data from the encrypted disk on other computers (see Usage). In August 12, 2006 the program’s Version 2.3 could support Windows XP x64 Edition and Windows Server 2003 x64. Numerous changes both in program usability and features improvement were introduced in Version 2.4. Some of these include plug-ins support (with the SDK distributed as an open source together with the software distribution package), configuring the screensaver and protecting it with a password, and the focus of applications automatically restoring after mounting and unmounting disks. The latest and most significant improvements in terms of competitive advantages that the program faced were made on 15 July, 2008 when Version 2.5 saw the light, and these were mainly connected with the user interface, several settings functionalities, Windows Vista support and, most importantly, the possibility to save network-shared resources list of the encrypted drive. The current and the most up-to-date version of the program is Cryptic Disk 2.7, and it has been developed to include 64-bit Windows Vista, 2008 Server and Windows 7 operating systems for working with the tool while its encryption driver now has a digital signature. Also, it is no longer necessary to reboot the system after creating encrypted disks in the above operating systems so as to be able to start working with the disks. Moreover, upon shutting the system down the Cryptic Disk is now the last to end its process so other applications can properly finish work with files.

[edit] Usage

Cryptic Disk can be used either at home or in the office. In order to protect the data stored on a disk and prevent any third persons from viewing or using them one should encrypt the disk and set a password for it. For this, a user needs either to install the program on their PC or run CrypticDisk.exe. Encrypting and decrypting itself takes just one click. After this, the encrypted data cannot be accessed without entering the password. In cases when a user needs to read or use the data from the storage device on multiple computers, they can keep CrypticDisk.exe on one of the partitions of such a disk (the partition should not be secured) and run it on the computer on which they are going to read their data on the encrypted disk. There are various ways of using Cryptic Disk features for encrypting the computer data; the program supports multiple users with different degrees of access privileges, as set by the system administrator. Each user will then have access to the encrypted data that they has the access rights to, and will not be able to read or use the data they are not authorized to. Or, for example, one can allow some person to access encrypted disks only for reading data so that the person could not delete or damage them, through adding a new user in the user manager and giving the user the corresponding rights.

[edit] Process

The program uses the AES 256-bit encryption algorithm, the same type of encryption that NASA, the FBI and the Department of Defense use to protect their data. All the encryption operations are done on-the-fly: when being recorded on a disk, the data is automatically encrypted, and when being read - decrypted. Thus, all the information including names of files/folders and files themselves are kept encrypted at all times. A mounted encrypted disk does not differ from the standard ones in the system, and the user, therefore, does not experience any difficulties with working with the security system. It supports 32- and 64-bit operating systems of the Microsoft Windows NT 5 families and more recent ones.

[edit] Problems

The major problems commonly referred to in relation to encryption with Cryptic Disk are impossibility to encrypt a partition without a data loss, firstly, and impossibility to encrypt the disk with the operating system installed on it, secondly; both of them, however, being resolvable. The solution to the first difficulty could be transferring all the data from the to-be-encrypted disk to another disk partition or any other temporary depository for the time-being of the encryption process, and returning it to this disk partition now being encrypted. As for the second problem, there are actually some deeper underlying reasons for this, since it touches upon the entire security policy of a PC-owner itself. In most cases concern for the security of the system implies a strict and clear distinction between the system disk and the disk for storing data, meaning the one who is concerned about keeping their data safe should keep them away from the system disk. And Cryptic Disk is meant for protecting these data. That is why, the issue of encrypting the system disk is not legitimately posed, especially in respect of an increased concern for the security of data.

[edit] See also