BestCrypt NP Data Protection system Jetico, Inc., 1997 File: README.txt **************************** Contents ************************************ 1. About BestCrypt NP software 2. About BestCrypt NP system installation 3. If you have file-containers created by a previous version of BestCrypt 4. Wiping free disk space - recommendation 5. If You Want to Comment on the Product ************************************************************************** 1. About BestCrypt NP software ------------------------------ BestCrypt NP software supports encrypted logical disks for Windows 95 computers and works with all kinds of media, including network-accessible disks. How does BestCrypt NP work? BestCrypt NP creates a pre-encrypted file called a container. This container is created by an encryption algorithm (Blowfish, GOST28147-89 or DES) using the key generated from the user password. In addition, BestCrypt NP creates a logical disk. The container is linked to a logical disk, and the disk is opened for access using the unique container password. All data stored in the logical disk are stored in the container in an encrypted form and transparently accessible for an authorized person. 2. About BestCrypt NP system installation ----------------------------------------- The Setup program copies all necessary files to your hard disk and inserts needed lines into the Windows95 Registry database. To install the BestCrypt NP system run the SETUP.EXE program. It is recommended that you exit all Windows programs before running Setup. The BestCrypt Setup program uses the standard Windows95 method to install software and provides necessary explanation of all the installation's steps. The only default information the user may want to change during installation is the Folder name for BestCrypt NP software and the Directory name where to place the BestCrypt NP files. All dialog windows of the Setup programs have a similar appearance and have the following buttons: Cancel - click this button to abort installation Next - click this button to proceed with installation Back - click this button to return to the previous step of installation After a successful installation Setup will ask you to restart your computer. This is required because the BestCrypt NP drivers will need to be loaded into the computer memory before you begin to use the BestCrypt NP system. Note: The BestCrypt NP Setup program also writes information to the Windows95 Registry database, places virtual drivers in the SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS system directory, and prepares the file for the uninstall procedure. Please do not make any manual manipulations to install or uninstall BestCrypt NP software to prevent the appearance of unused garbage software in the system directory or unused strings in the Registry database. 2. If you have file-containers created by a previous version of BestCrypt ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Containers of BestCrypt NP software are compatible with BestCrypt 3.x containers. Hence, the user may copy BestCrypt NP containers from Windows95 computers to DOS or Windows 3.xx computers and access the data using BestCrypt 3.x software. NOTE: The 'Read-only' attribute of the file-container should be set if you are going to use the container with BestCrypt 3.x, and this attribute should be reset if you use the container with BestCrypt NP software. 4. Wiping free disk space - recommendation ------------------------------------------ Please take into account that when you move your sensitive files from conventional disks to BestCrypt NP logical disks, the operating system (Windows 95) won't erase your files' contents from the disk - it will delete only 'references' to them from the FAT (Fat Allocation Table). To make it impossible to restore deleted files from your disk, you need to run a wiping utility to erase information from disk sectors that are currently marked as free, but may contain previously written sensitive data. You may run the BestCrypt NP wiping utility from the BestCrypt NP Control Panel or from Windows 95 Explorer. After installing the BestCrypt NP system you will find the command "Wipe free space" in Explorer if you call up the context menu (by pressing the right mouse button) for the drive you would like to wipe. In case you have any other questions about BestCrypt NP, please read the Help-file in the program itself. The Help-file contains a complete description of all aspects of the software. 5. If You Want to Comment on the Product ---------------------------------------- If you like the BestCrypt NP software, we invite you to register your copy of the software. Once registered you will get a commercial version of BestCrypt NP, help and product support. To become a registered user, please order a commercial version of the BestCrypt NP Data Protection software using a form available on: http://www.jetico.sci.fi/order.htm If you have a product suggestion or comments on how to make BestCrypt NP better, e-mail us at this Internet address: jetico@sci.fi Be sure to include your name, the version number of BestCrypt NP, and your Internet address with all correspondence. Please visit our WWW-site to get information about our other products, Frequently Asked Questions lists, BestCrypt User's Evaluation page and other: http://www.jetico.sci.fi Note that your comments become a property of Jetico, Inc. We'd like to thank you for the time you have spent with us. We hope that it has been useful to you. Jetico, Inc. company team. http://www.jetico.sci.fi jetico@sci.fi