Hi folks,

Today I would like to introduce you a nice app which will help you to treat your sensitive data with proper confidentiality. It is called AxCrypt.

Below you will find a description of this freeware and also links to some ideas concerning situations when this progy can by useful. I would only like to add one specific idea of how it can be used by translators.

Imagine that you have a customer whom you don't know well or don't trust. You have several files to translate. You do your job and then you send the files to the customer but all (or some) of them are encrypted with AxCrypt and though the customer has the files he can't open them without your authorisation. The best thing is that he doesn't need any special software installed on his machine to open the files. All he needs for that is the password which will be sent to him as soon as he transfers the payment to you or on any other terms. Certainly the app should be used like this very carefully and only as the last resort but still it's nice to have such a tool in your arsenal.

If you are interested in the topic you may also want to read the somewhat related threads called Direct job offers: Be careful! and How to password protect your job before delivering it to a client.

► TITLE & VERSION: AxCrypt 1.6.1 (March 17th, 2005)  

► LICENSE: freeware

► HOMEPAGE: http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/

► Software Publisher's DESCRIPTION: AxCrypt is a file encryption program that uses the AES algorithm with 128-bit keys. It combines strong symmetric encryption with compression and double-click editing. Encrypted files have a ".axx" extension added to their names, and are shown with a new icon.

AxCrypt is free and easy to use open source strong file encryption for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2K/XP, integrated with Windows Explorer. Encrypt, compress, decrypt, wipe, view and edit with a few mouse clicks. Cryptographic primitives are AES-128 and SHA-1.

Encrypted files have a ".axx" extension added to their names, and are shown with a new icon .
To encrypt a file, right-click it in Windows Explorer, select 'AxCrypt | Encrypt' and enter a pass phrase plus the path to an optional strong key file. 
To edit or view an encrypted file - just double-click it.
To decrypt, right-click and select 'AxCrypt | Decrypt' instead, and enter the correct pass phrase plus the path to the correct key file, if used.
To encrypt to a self-decrypting .exe program, right-click and select 'AxCrypt | Encrypt Copy to .exe' . You can send these files to anyone, they do not need to have AxCrypt installed.
AxDecrypt, a stand-alone, install-free, decrypt-only version is also included.
No configuration is necessary. Download, run the installer, and AxCrypt is ready to use.
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian or Swedish will be used for installation, messages and dialogues depending on the language of the system or your choice. Documentation (this document) is in English.

For programmers and system administrators, there is also a command line interface callable from batch files, scripts and other programming languages.

Backup your data!

Encryption protects your data from being seen by others, and against undetected change. It does not protect data from loss. Please backup your important encrypted files as you normally would.

Usage Tips

Here's a description of what AxCrypt is made for, and some specific situations where others have found AxCrypt useful, and you might too:

• Target use - what is AxCrypt intended for?
• Personal Privacy...
• ...but the file name reveals information too!
• Making archives of encrypted files
• Backups
• PIN's and passwords
• Confidential data in public repositories
• Networks
• Program (.exe) protection
• Pre-distribution
• Confidential e-mail
• Hide .AXX Extension

► RATING & REVIEWS:

1) (snapfiles.com):  AxCrypt is a powerful, yet extremely easy to use file encryption program. It integrates directly with Windows Explorer, enabling encryption, decryption, viewing and editing of any file with just a few clicks of the mouse. AxCrypt uses the AES-128 and SHA-1 algorithms, which comply with US Government and Internet standards. Additional features include creation of self-decrypting files, automatic re-encryption after editing, secure deletion (wiping) of files and temporaries, cryptographic data integrity validation, separate key and data encrypting keys, secure internal memory handler and more. AxCrypt uses a straight forward one-click way to process files. There is no extra interface to configure or open, other than selecting/entering your password.

2) (Tech Support Alert): Best Free File Encryption Utility: it's tiny, easy to use, has open code, employs proven techniques that are essentially unbreakable and comes from a highly reputable source. In summary, dsCrypt offers the average user everything they want in a simple file encryption program and it's free. That's why I use it myself.  Equally impressive is an Open Source program called AxCrypt. It t provides secure AES-128 encryption using passwords or key-files, which AxCrypt can generate. Usage is wonderfully simple; to encrypt files or folders just right-click them and select "encrypt." while double clicking on encrypted files lets you edit or view them with the program of your choice. Closing any open files automatically re-encrypts.

► NK's Rating & Notes:

AxCrypt is a very good app for earlier Windows versions. It would be also useful for Windows XP Home users but for Windows XP Pro it won't be of much use as you can encrypt files and folders there with OS own tools.

If you want to see AxCrypt in action try to read my very special graphical message to all the TC members which I have put in an encrypted file (ILY-gif.zip) attached to this post (it is zipped because it's impossible at TC forums to attach files bigger than 50KB). Download the attached file to your computer, unzip it and try to read my very special message by clicking on the file ILY-gif.exe. If you you are not able to open the file and read the message then try to use the passphrase placed in the P.S. to this post.

NK

P.S. This is a passphrase without which you won't be able to open the below attached file (ILY-gif) and read my very special message): 0#1J2Zn Just copy it here and paste into a special line when AxCrypt will ask you about it. 

Attached file : axcrypt.gif (22 KB - 1634 downloads)

Attached file : ILY-gif.zip (44 KB - 307 downloads)

Now this is one great tool! Thank you, Nik, for posting this here!

I've been looking lately for something like this but could not find anything as easy, well working and cheap

Have a nice weekend!
Patrick

Originally written by Arthur Borges Is your suggested software better?

Hi Arthur,

Well, in most cases the MS Office feature you've mentioned will be ample for general needs but if you want an exact answer to your question here it is: Yes, AxCrypt is better for the following reasons:

• AxCrypt encryption is stronger than that of MS Office feature (it is possible to decrypt MS Office documents and it's impossible to open files encrypted with AxCrypt if you don't know the pass phrase, so be careful: if you forget the pass phrase the documents have gone forever)
• as far as I know this MS Office feature was introduced only in MS Office 2003 and thus people using earlier versions can't use it
• with AxCrypt you can encrypt any files (not only MS Office ones)
• in order to open documents encrypted with the MS Office feature one has to have MS Office installed on his machine while it is possible to open documents encrypted with AxCrypt on any machine, one doesn't even need the app itself, it's enough to click on the file and enter the pass phrase

NK

P.S. BTW have you managed to read my encrypted message?

Originally written by John Colangelo Problem with the Crypt...How do the people you send the documents to open the document?

John,

First you should do the following:

To encrypt to a self-decrypting .exe program, right-click and select 'AxCrypt | Encrypt Copy to .exe' . You can send these files to anyone, they do not need to have AxCrypt installed.

The resulting .exe file you can send to anyone with a computer: they will be able to open the encrypted file by clicking on it and entering the pass phrase which you should let them know.

NK

Hi folks,

This is just to inform you that a new version (1.6.1) of AxCrypt was recently released. I have already updated my initial posting (and certainly the software itself).

BTW I still don't know whether there is anybody who has managed to read my very special message inside the encrypted file (ILY-gif.zip) attached to the initial posting in this thread...

NK

we love you too, Nikita

And thanks for this piece o' software - it appears that the encryption is really strong - I've tried to crack it but to no avail...

So eventually I had to use your pass

Vladimir

Great Vladimir,

It seems you are the only person at TC who has managed to read my special message...

And many thanks for testing the app's performance capabilities!

NK