Copyright: Copyright © 1998 Trillium Technology Group
Citation: Written by Ron Tubman


Contents
A-Lock Help!

 A-Lock

How to Encrypt a Message

How to Decrypt a Message

Easy Encryption with Encrypt with Default Password

The Password Book

A Note About Passwords

Further Information About Passwords

Key Exchange

Advanced Options

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)/Trouble Shooting Guide

How to Register A-Lock

Important Information about A-Lock


How to Encrypt a Message

Here's how to encrypt an e-mail message. You can also use this technique to encrypt text in almost any application window.

Type the message in your e-mail program window as usual.

NOTE: If you are encrypting an already existing message, then make sure the window that contains it is the active window. You can make a window active by simply clicking anywhere inside of it with the mouse.

Click the A-Lock icon [image] located on the Windows Task Bar, (in the bottom right corner of your screen) and select "Encrypt/Decrypt" from the menu or “Encrypt with Default Password”.

If you select “Encrypt/Decrypt,” enter a password (see A Note about Passwords) or select a name from the "Password Book" and click "OK." See  The Password Book.

The selected text in your message will automatically be replaced with scrambled characters.

OR

If you select “Encrypt with Default Password” the password you have defined as the default (see below) will be used to encrypt the message.

OR

Click the left mouse button and the message will automatically be encrypted with the default password.  If you have changed the setting in “Advanced Options” this may not function in this way.

How to Make a Default Password

To make a password the default password, click "View/Edit Password Book," then select a name from the list of names and click "Make Default On/Off."

NOTE: The "Password Book" itself can be password protected so others using your computer can’t access your encrypted messages.


How to Decrypt a Message

Follow these easy steps to decrypt an e-mail message. This technique can also be used to decrypt text in almost any application window.

Make sure the window that contains the encrypted text is the active window. You make the window active by simply clicking anywhere inside it with the mouse. Also, if you see the cursor blinking inside of the window, then it is active.

Click on the A-Lock icon [image] then select "Encrypt/Decrypt" from the pop-up menu.  Type in the correct password then click “OK”

NOTE: for registered users only.

Left click on the A-Lock icon located on the Windows Task Bar (bottom right corner of your screen)

A-Lock will search the "Password Book" to see if any entries in it can decrypt the message. If such an entry is found, the message is decrypted automatically and displayed in the “Private Window” where it can be edited, deleted or saved. If the password is not found, you will be prompted to enter the password.

NOTE: If the "Password Book" is password protected, you will be prompted for that password before the decryption process can continue.


Trouble Shooting Guide/Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)/Trouble Shooting Guide

Will A-Lock work with all e-mail programs?

We do not guarantee that A-Lock will work will all e-mail programs.  We do know it works with Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape 3.x, Netscape Communicator, Microsoft Mail, ccMail, Hotmail, ICQ etc.  A-Lock should work with any application that supports the keyboard shortcuts for “Select All” and “Copy”, specifically Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C

How do I access A-Lock's main menu?

Simply click the A-Lock icon on the Windows Task Bar. The icon will usually be situated in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

Sometimes I get a message saying A-Lock cannot find  <<START_PC_Encrypt_DATA>>.  What's going on?

This problem exists because some e-mail programs do not support editing of received messages and thus the Ctrl+A (Select All) keyboard shortcut is not available.  The way to solve this problem is to highlight the entire message and then click the A-Lock icon on the Windows Task Bar and proceed with decryption as usual.  If even this doesn't work, highlight the text and then go to your application's "Edit" menu and select "Copy".  Then click the A-Lock icon and proceed with decryption as usual.

How secure is A-Lock?

A-Lock uses the tested and proven Blowfish encryption algorithm developed by the world famous cryptographer, Bruce Schneier.  Blowfish has been challenged by many cryptographers but has yet to be cracked.

Can messages be edited, saved, etc. in the "Private Window"?

Yes. The "Private Window" supports all standard editing operations. Decrypted messages can be saved to a file or simply discarded by closing the "Private Window" without saving.

How does "Tell a Friend" work?

To use A-Lock both the sender and the recipient must have A-Lock.  This option will send a message to people you specify asking them to download a free copy of A-Lock so you can protect your communications with each other.

When you click on this option you are taken directly to The “Tell a Friend" web page.  This page provides space for you to enter up to 5 names and e-mail addresses of friends and associates with whom you may wish to exchange encrypted information.

“Tell a Friend” is also displayed immediately after you download A-Lock.

Why is it that I can Decrypt a message in Netscape (version 3.01) when it is first received but when I try to decrypt it again I get a message saying "cannot find <<START_PC_Encrypt_DATA>> in selected text"?

Netscape versions prior to version 4.0 did not include a "Select All" option in the Edit mode.  When a message is first received it is in the "active" window and is found by A-Lock.  When you try to decrypt the same message at a later time it will not come up in the "active" window" so A-Lock cannot find it.  The solution is to highlight the entire message (using your mouse) the click "Decrypt" in the A-Lock menu.

This problem may also occur in other e-mail programs.  The solution is the same.


How to Register A-Lock

Click the A-Lock icon [image] and then select the "Register" option on the menu.  You will be presented with a screen containing a link to the A-Lock 's “Register” page.  Also displayed is a field containing the "Product Code".  Click “Copy Product Code”.

Now click on the blue text to go to the “Register” page. When the “Register” page appears paste this number into the Product Code field (right click your mouse and select “Paste”).  Click “Register” to proceed.

The next page is a secure web site where information pertaining to your credit card is gathered.

You can use MasterCard or Visa for payment when you register.  A secure dedicated server connected directly to the banking system handles all credit transactions.  Once the transaction is completed (several seconds) you will get an online receipt that you should print for your records.

An e-mail will be sent to you immediately acknowledging your order.  This e-mail will contain an encrypted section.  Use you’re A-Lock to decrypt this message and you’re A-Lock will be automatically registered.


A Note About Passwords

The password that you use to encrypt the message is the same password that must be used to decrypt the message. The password should be easy to remember but hard to guess. The unregistered version limits the password length to 5 character for encryption but will accept up to 56 characters for decryption.

A good password is not your birthday, the year you were born or the year anyone close to you was born, your maiden name, your middle name, or any word in the dictionary.  Also avoid passwords with repeating characters.

Passwords should be completely meaningless. For example, do not use the name of your favorite movie star.

It is best to use a combination of letters and numbers or other characters. Or you can use a phrase consisting of several words (registered users can use passwords up to 56 characters long)

It is best to avoid short passwords. Longer passwords are not only harder to guess, they provide better encryption, since the password is used to generate the "keys" that will be used in encryption.

Registered versions of A-Lock can accept up to 56 characters (448 bits) for USA or Canadian users and 7 characters (56 bits) for International users.


Important Information about A-Lock

A-Lock works best with applications that support the following keyboard shortcuts for copying data to and from the Windows clipboard. Fortunately, almost all Windows applications support these shortcuts:

Ctrl+C

Copy: Copies selected text to the clipboard. This shortcut must be supported or A-Lock will not work.

Ctrl+V (for encryption only)

Paste: Replaces current selection with text in the clipboard. This shortcut is nice to have but not necessary. If there is no such keyboard shortcut, use your application's Edit|Paste command to copy the encrypted data into your application's document window.

Ctrl+A

Select All: Selects all text in the application's document window. If this shortcut is not available, you must select all the text yourself before you can encrypt or decrypt it. There is probably a Select All command in the Edit menu.


Advanced Program Options
General Options (for registered users only)

One Click Encryption/Decryption

Click to turn this option on/off.  Allows you to use left mouse button to automatically encrypt text with the default password. (default is on)

After Decryption is Completed

Option allows you to select whether the entire message is displayed in Private Window (default) or just the decrypted portion.

Startup Option

Select whether you want A-Lock opened on startup on not.  If A-Lock is opened (default) the icon appears in the task tray.  Otherwise it appears in the “Start” menu.


The Password Book
The Password Book (for registered users only)

The "Password Book" is where you store frequently used names and associated passwords. You don't have to remember a password that is in the "Password Book." - and you don't have to worry about keeping it in a safe place either, because all entries in the password book are stored in encrypted format.  To be entirely safe, you have the option of specifying a password to protect access to the "Password Book".

NOTE: You can create any number of Password Books (see Advanced Options”) and the instructions that follow apply to each one.  Multiple Password Books are very useful where more than one person uses the same computer.

Adding Entries to the Password Book

From A-Lock's main menu, select View/Edit Password Book. The "Password Book" screen appears. To add a new entry, click the "New” button and fill in the fields. When you click OK, the new entry will be saved and will appear in the list.

Editing Entries in the Password Book

You can edit an entry by selecting it and clicking the "Edit/View..." button.

Deleting Entries in the Password Book

To delete an entry, simply select it and click the "Delete" button. You'll be asked to confirm your decision.

Creating a Default Password

To make an entry the default password, simply highlight it in the list and click the "Make Default On/Off" button. You should see a happy face beside the item in the list. To remove the default property, just click the button again. Please note that there can only be one default password/entry at any one time.

You must have an entry specified as the default before you can use the "Encrypt with Default Password" feature. See the topic Easy Encryption with Encrypt with Default Password for more information.

Protecting the Password Book

If your computer is being shared with other users you may wish to block access to the information in the "Password Book."  To do this, click the A-Lock icon in the Windows Task Bar and select "Options" and click on the "Password Book" tab. Then click the "Change/Set Password" button.  If this is the first time you have used this feature leave the "Current Password" field blank since there isn't a current password.

The password you choose should be a short word or character sequences that cannot be easily guessed by others  (don’t use the dog’s name).  Access to the "Password Book" will then only be allowed with the correct password.

You can remove password protection by simply specifying the current password and leaving all other fields blank.


Password Book Options

Password

This option allows you to password protect the password book, thus preventing others from perusing its contents.

To change the password, click the "Change/Set Password" button.  If this is the first time you have used this feature leave the "Current Password" field blank since there isn't a current password.

The password you choose should be a short word or character sequences that cannot be easily guessed by others  (don’t use the dog’s name).  Access to the "Password Book" will then only be allowed with the correct password.

You can remove password protection by repeating this process and simply specifying the current password and leaving all other fields blank.

Access

This option allows you to chose whether a password is required every time the Password book is accessed or just the first time it is accessed in each session (default).

Location

Displays the Password Book that is currently active.  You can specify a different Password Book, or create a new Password Book, by clicking “Change”.

Change Password Book

Click “Change” and a box appears with the heading “Select Password Book to use with A-Lock”.  All Password Books in the same Folder as A-Lock, are displayed.  If you have saved your Password Books to another Folder (or they are backed up to a different Folder or Drive) click the arrow in “Look In” then find the Folder and select it.   Chose the Password Book you want , click on it’s name then click “Select”.  This will make that Password Book active.

To Create a New Password book

Click “Change” and a box appears with the heading “Select Password Book to use with A-Lock”.  In the “File Name” field type a name for the new Password Book.  A confirmation box will appear asking you to verify that you want to create the new Password Book.  Click “Yes” and the new Password Book is created and becomes the active Password Book.

Backup

A-Lock provides an easy way for you to backup your Password Book(s).  You must first select the Password Book you want to Backup.  If you want to backup the Password Book displayed in the “Location” field then move on to the next step.  If you want to backup another Password book then follow the instructions above for “Change Password Book”

Click “Backup” and you presented with a listing of the disk drives on your computer.  Select a drive and folder (you can select folders by clicking the + in front of each Drive name), click on it then click “OK”. Many people chose to backup to their floppy drive so they can take their Password Book with them and use it on another computer (as long as the other computer has a registered A-Lock installed).

The selected Password Book will be copied to the specified location/

Restore

You are presented with a display titled “Select Password Book to be Restored”.  All the Password Books in the last drive and folder specified for “Backup” will be displayed.  Click on the Password Book name you want to restore Then click “Select”.  The specified Password Book will be copied into the current A-Lock folder.

If the Password Book you wish to Restore is not in the folder displayed chose the drive and folder containing the backup copy you want to Restore.


Easy Encryption with Encrypt with Default Password
Easy Encryption with "Encrypt with Default Password"

A-Lock's Encrypt with Default Password feature saves you the trouble of typing a password over and over again. This is handy if you have a password that you use more frequently than others. By making this password the default, you can encrypt messages with a single mouse click.

NOTE: If the "Password Book" is password protected, you will be prompted for that password before the encryption process can continue.

Here's How it Works

If you click the left mouse button (or if you choose "Encrypt with Default Password” from the A-Lock menu) A-Lock will check the "Password Book" for an entry marked as default. If such an entry is found, that entry's password is used to encrypt the message.

Creating a Default Password

Click "View/Edit Password Book," on the A-Lock menu. Select a name from the list of names and click "Make Default On/Off."   Clicking again will turn the default off.


Key Exchange
Key Exchange (for registered users only)

Key-Exchange is a system the server creates a random password on demand and delivers it securely anywhere in the world..  It is remarkably easy to use and contains several very innovative features.  The Key-Exchange service is provided free of charge to all registered A-Lock and PC-Encrypt users.  Some of its special features are:

·	It generates passwords for you, no need for you to try to think up hard to guess passwords.

·	The passwords it generates are random, the most secure kind of password.

·	Passwords are delivered in an encrypted e-mail for maximum security.

·	Passwords are automatically entered into your Password Book.  You don’t have to type a thing.

·	You can specify if a password is to be used by one person or by a group of people.  This is useful if you want to send the same encrypted information to a number of different recipients.

How to use Key-Exchange

The first time you use Key-Exchange you will be asked for your e-mail address and the product you are using (A-Lock or PC-Encrypt) plus a 4 character “Personal Code”.  The “Personal code” is required if you wish to replace your exchange key in the future. (this may happen if your computer crashes , for example) so write it down so you can find it if you need it.

Your private “Exchange Key” will be displayed on a secure web page. The simple instructions for transferring this key to your Password Book are included in this page.  Once you have the Exchange Key in your Password Book you can begin using Key-Exchange to exchange password keys with friends and associates.

Conducting a Key-Exchange

Click on the “Go to Key Exchange Site” link on the A-Lock menu.  This will take you to the web page where you list the name(s) and e-mail address(s) of the people you want to exchange secure messages with.  Each person listed (including yourself) will be sent the unique password generated by this exchange, encrypted with their Exchange Key.

Defining a Group  (how big etc.)

If you enter more than one e-mail address for recipients the next page will ask you for a group name

You have not received your Exchange Key

If you request a key exchange but have not yet picked up your Exchange Key, you will be linked to the Registration page where.

Recipient has not received their Exchange Key

If one or more of the recipients you list in “Conduct a Key Exchange” is not registered with Key-Exchange they will be e-mailed a form letter suggesting that they register with Key-Exchange to receive a password that is waiting to be delivered to them.

How passwords are delivered

Passwords are encrypted with each user’s Exchange Key then e-mailed to them.

What Happens with the E-Mail

When you receives the e-mail, left click on the A-Lock icon in the task tray or right click and select “Encrypt/Decrypt” from the menu.  A-Lock will decrypt the password and ask you f they want to add it to your Password Book.  If you click “OK” the password, and the name of the initiator, or group, will be automatically added to your Password Book.


Further Information About Passwords

The easiest way to manage passwords is to do it through the Password Book. However, there may be times when you want to use a special password that is not in your Password Book.  This also applies to unregistered versions of A-Lock.  Remember that the password that you use to encrypt the message is the same password that must be used to decrypt the message. So the recipient must also know the password.  Try to create a password that is a combination of upper and lower case with a number or two.  With the 5 character limitation on the demo version something like L3c&$  would not be too difficult to pass on to the recipient.  Please read the following notes to see how secure different password sizes are.

To be secure a password should ideally be made up of random characters, as in the example above.  There are 94 printable characters on a standard keyboard.  If you create a random 5 character (40 bit) password from the keyboard there are over 7 billion possible combinations.  This is considered ‘weak’ protection since this level has been ‘cracked’ many times.  A 7 character (56 bit) password similarly generates well over 68 quadrillion possible combinations.  This is very nearly impossible to break for all but the top experts.  However, rapid advances in computer technology and program sophistication will soon make 56 bit encryption unsafe.  The next common level is 128 bit, and with today’s technology it is claimed that it would take the most powerful mainframe computer over 20 years to crack this level.  But next year, or the year after, who knows?

PC-Encrypt uses 448 bit encryption for the USA and Canadian market.  This will generate a number represented by a 3 followed by 108 zeros!  The ability to crack this level lies well into the future.  The problem is how to create and distribute passwords of this size and complexity.  Random passwords are difficult to exchange securely with another person.  Imagine trying to tell someone that the password is "#f%hc)ma@e*j" over the phone!  Key-Exchange provides a free and easy to use way around this problem.

See the topic Key-Exchange

Written by Ron Tubman