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The Original Shareware 1.1
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The Original Shareware (WeMake CDs)(Volume 1.1)(CDs, Inc)(1993).iso
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cloaksh.zip
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README.BOX
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1990-09-03
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╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 1 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Cloak ║
║ ║
║ This program is being distributed as Freeware by Thunderhead Soft- ║
║ ware, Inc. You may distribute it freely, and use it without fees or ║
║ 'reminders' that Shareware/Begware often throws at you. ║
║ ║
║ I do request that you do NOT modify any of the files, or re-pack the ║
║ archive file. I KNOW there are better archivers out there,but there ║
║ are also HACKERS and VIRUS-distributors around, and I don't want any ║
║ of my programs involved in those messes. ║
║ ║
║ Thunderhead Software is a small software company in McKeesport, Pen- ║
║ nsylvania, in the United States, which sells commercial software for ║
║ a variety of uses. I have enclosed a copy of our August, 1990 cata- ║
║ log for your perusal. ║
║ ║
║ If you have questions, comments, or orders,PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WRITE ║
║ US at: ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 2 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ║
║ Thunderhead Software, Inc. ║
║ P.O. Box 91 ║
║ McKeesport, Pa. 15135 ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ DISCLAIMER ║
║ ║
║ The author of this program warrants that this program will run on ║
║ his computer when he uses it. No further warranties exist in relation ║
║ to this product, stated or implied, on the part of the author. There ║
║ is no warranty of suitability or fitness for a particular purpose, nor ║
║ is there a warranty of merchantability. The author is not responsible ║
║ for damages, direct or indirect, that arise as a consequence of the use ║
║ or misuse of this product. This includes, but is not limited to damage ║
║ to other software, data, and hardware, and claims by other parties. ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 3 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ║
║ ║
║ Cloak: A self-inverting data encryption process. ║
║ ║
║ This program was written by Richard Parker. This is the latest ║
║ 'Freeware', package, with logic number 8462. This package is a small ║
║ hint at what the REAL (commercial) Crypt is like. ║
║ ║
║ What is data encryption? Data encryption is an added measure of ║
║ security that you can add to your confidential files. It will NOT ║
║ prevent others with access to your computer from changing or erasing ║
║ your information. What it DOES is prevent others from UNDERSTANDING ║
║ your data, and making sense out of it. The file can be read, but the ║
║ contents will be meaningless garbage to unauthorized personnel. Only ║
║ a person with this particular Cloak package (#8462), AND your pass- ║
║ word will be able to return the file to it's normal state. ║
║ ║
║ What is a self-inverting data encryption process? The simplest ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 4 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ method of data encryption: you use the same program to encrypt and ║
║ decrypt the file. This provides a safe, reversible method of ║
║ securing your data. Other systems require 2 or more programs ║
║ to encode your data, which can lead to disaster when the wrong ║
║ program is used at the wrong time. ║
║ ║
║ You will find a copy of this file called 'guess.me' on this ║
║ diskette. Try to read it. Use your word processor, or the dos 'type' ║
║ command. Try any means you can think of to decipher it. Chances are ║
║ you wouldn't have any idea what the contents are, unless you had the ║
║ Cloak program AND the password I used to encrypt the program. ║
║ ║
║ The password I used was "Thunderhead" with no spaces. Passwords ║
║ may be 1 to 78 characters long, with six significant characters. ║
║ Which six? That's part of the secret: the significant characters ║
║ change depending on the length of the password, so in most cases, ║
║ only the exact password will decrypt the file. (By Comparison, the ║
║ commercial versions use 6 - 24 significant characters, meaning that ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
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║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 5 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ there are many more different ways to encrypt a file.) ║
║ ║
║ Cloak will ask you for two filenames: the file to be encrypted ║
║ and the output file. This should be self-explanatory. To decrypt a ║
║ file, you simply encrypt it with the same password a secod time. ║
║ Case in point, to decrypt the 'guess.me' file, the source file would ║
║ be 'guess.me' and the target file would be 'original.txt' or whatever ║
║ filename you wish. The password is, again, "Thunderhead". You may ║
║ tell Cloak this in either of two ways: ║
║ ║
║ Cloak guess.me original.txt Thunderhead ║
║ ║
║ or ║
║ ║
║ Cloak, and then answer the questions appropriately. ║
║ file to be encrypted: guess.me ║
║ output file: original.txt ║
║ password: Thunderhead ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
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║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 6 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ ║
║ ║
║ After the process is done, Cloak will ask if you wish to erase ║
║ the source file. BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS FEATURE! Cloak'S ERASE ║
║ FEATURE CANNOT BE UNDONE! MS-DOS unerase utilities, including the ║
║ Norton Commander, and PC-Tools can NOT effectively un-erase files ║
║ erased by the Cloak program. It's best to answer N to this question, ║
║ and use the dos erase or delete command until you are comfortable ║
║ with this program. ║
║ ║
║ How did I encrypt the file originally? I simply typed: ║
║ ║
║ Cloak readme.doc guess.me Thunderhead ║
║ ║
║ If you wish to try this, keep two things in mind: all files ║
║ should be in the current dos directory, and the output file must not ║
║ exist before running Cloak. ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 7 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Too simple? Afraid someone might guess your password? There ║
║ is a solution. Run the Cloak program more than once, and use diff- ║
║ erent passwords. Example: ║
║ ║
║ Cloak readme.doc readme.2 Thunderhead ║
║ Cloak readme.2 readme.3 RFParker ║
║ Cloak readme.3 readme.4 wow ║
║ ║
║ Now erase readme.doc, readme.2, and readme.3. The readme.4 ║
║ file cannot be decrypted unless you do the exact same thing: ║
║ ║
║ Cloak readme.4 readme.3 wow ║
║ Cloak readme.3 readme.2 RFParker ║
║ Cloak readme.2 readme.doc Thunderhead ║
║ ║
║ Change a step, forget a step, or misspell a password, and the ║
║ data is history. This program is so powerful that I, the author, can ║
║ not decrypt an encrypted file without both the logic number and the ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 8 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ actual password used. ( In actuality, the shareware release takes ║
║ under 10,000 PC-Hours to break. The commercial releases take 59,000, ║
║ 125,000, and infinitely many hours, respectively.) Remember, also, ║
║ that you can not unerase a file that Cloak erases, so be careful ║
║ with that function until you are sure of yourself, and can remember ║
║ your exact password or passwords. ║
║ ║
║ Statistics of 7 August 1990 release of (Shareware) Cloak @ 8462: ║
║ ║
║ Test machine: STI-286-12 multispeed machine: ║
║ Turbo: 12 MHz with a Norton Computing Index of 13.7 ║
║ Slow: 8 MHz with a Norton Computing Index of 9.0 ║
║ Hard Drive: 40 Meg ST-251 with W.D. AT-style controller ║
║ Norton Disk Index of 2.5 in either speed mode ║
║ ║
║ Test file: a: old wp program file: 274,384 bytes long ║
║ ( ed.exe from pc-write 3.0.1) ║
║ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Cloak: Data Encryption from Thunderhead Software Page: 9 ║
║ P.O. Box 91, McKeesport, Pa., USA, 15135 (412) 751-4020 ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Cloak.exe: 30,752 bytes long at 03:16: pkzip csum: bcb55792 ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ Test Mean Turbo Mean Slow CPS Turbo CPS Slow ║
║ (sec) (sec) (C/sec) (C/sec) ║
║ --------------------------------------------------------------------- ║
║ copy a b 5.93 5.99 46,270 45,807 ║
║ cloak a b t 13.13 16.86 20,897 16,274 ║
║ cmp a b 54.61 56.20 5,024 4,882 ║
║ ║
║ Please remember, this is a 'Crippleware/Freeware' Type Program! ║
║ The commercial versions of Cloak run more quickly, and use a much ║
║ more sophisticated enrcyption scheme. Commercial versions also allow ║
║ multiple encryptions and/or multiple passwords, and have a friendly ║
║ user-interface option, in addition to the command line and 3 question ║
║ modes. ║
║ ║
║ ║
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