Scenario 1: Encrypting or Decrypting Text or a File from within R10Cipher
In these circumstances instead of having to remember and enter the Shared Secret for the contact you can instead select the Keys Tab and input the Master or Usage Password for the appropriate contact. Then choose the contact from the list. You can search for the contact and filter the list using the search box on the bottom left of the screen.

Select the contact in the list. If you have entered the correct Password the indicator will change from red to Green and the Shared Secret fields will be populated.

You can now encrypt text or files without having to enter the Shared Secret.
Another Advantage of retrieving the Shared Secret from the Key Management Database is that if you are sending an encrypted email, R10Cipher will know the email address and fill in the email header appropriately.

So instead of having to remember lots of Shared Secrets and Email Addresses, you only, using the Key Management Database, have to remember a minimum of one Password.

Scenario 2: Double Clicking an Encrypted File to Decrypt It
When double clicking an encrypted file you now see the following screen:

In these circumstances instead of having to remember and enter the Shared Secret for the contact you can instead input the Master or Usage Password for the appropriate contact.

You can search for the contact and filter the list using the search box on the bottom left of the screen.

Select the contact in the list. If you have entered the correct Password the indicator will change from red to Green and the Shared Secret fields will be populated.

Click Continue to decrypt your file.

Steven Cholerton
Arten Science

Subscribe to our RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArtenScienceRssFeed

Tags: R10Cipher, Key Management, Arten Science

The creation of keys is done by selecting the following Menu Option:

Key Management
Key Creation and Administration

You will see the following screen (Mac OSX version shown):

This is where you setup your clients/contacts and your/their Shared Secrets. In addition, for each client you setup you can assign two passwords, a Master password and a Usage Password. For an explanation of the two passwords see the Key Management Introduction section.

To Insert a contact, just start typing and fill in the five information fields, from Name to Usage Password. When complete press Save, and Save again to confirm.

To Edit a contact, select the contact from the list on the left hand side of the screen. You will see the Name and Email Address but the Shared Secret and the Passwords are encrypted and not readable. To view this data and edit it you need to input the Master Password for this contact into the Decode Password area of the screen and press the Decode button. You can then edit the information and save it using the Save button.

To Delete a contact, select the contact from the list on the left hand side of the screen. You will need to input the Master Password for this contact into the Decode Password area of the screen and press the Decode button. You can then press the Delete button to erase the record.

Note: Deleted records are gone and cannot be retrieved.

If you intend entering a number of clients or contacts you may already have them stored in a database or spreadsheet somewhere. If that is the case then you should Import the records which will save you time and increase information accuracy.

Note: You will need to edit each record later to apply the Shared Secret and Password(s).

To Import records you have three choices which can be selected using the ‘radio’ buttons on the bottom left of the window. When you have selected the type of import you require press the Import button. The three choices are:

Tab - Tab Delimited

This is the Tab Import Window. The fields required are Name and Email Address. Select the import file using the Select File button. Select the records you would like to import, and save them to the Key Management database using the Save Selected button.

ContaX - ContaX CRM Import

This is the ContaX (http://www.r10contax.com) Import Window. You point R10Cipher at your ContaX database, using the Select DB button, and this pulls data into the import window, allows you to sort by Type and then import the selected records using the Save Selected button.

Address Book - Apple Only

This is the Apple Address Book Import Window. Select the records to import and save them to R10Cipher using the Save Selected button.

Steven Cholerton
Arten Science

Subscribe to our RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArtenScienceRssFeed

Tags: R10Cipher, Key Management, Arten Science

Shared Secret

This is the code or phrase that is used to secure a communication between yourself and a particular third party, ie: your client or contact.

Master Password

This is the password that only you should know. It safe guards your Key Management Database records. You could use a different Master Password for each record if you preferred or use a different one for each type of contact, or use the same one for each record. It’s entirely up to you, but bear in mind that you have to remember this one ...

Usage Password

Only needed if another individual may be using your R10Cipher to communicate with your contacts. They can retrieve the Shared Secrets for use but cannot see them or change them.


It is recommended that for each client/contact you assign a different Shared Secret. Make it at least 8 characters, 16 or more is ideal, it doesn’t have to be particularly memorable as the Key Management makes it easy for this to be retrieved when needed.

You should secure your Key Management Database and the Shared Secrets using a Master Password. This Master Password should be more memorable as this is the what you will have to enter in order to edit, delete or retrieve the Shared Secrets. I recommend you base this password on a something familiar, for example the first letter of the words of the first two lines of your favourite song. Mix this using upper and lowercase and substitute numbers where possible.


Note: The reason for having a password secure the Shared Secrets is that the Shared Secret is used to encrypt the communication, this communication will be ‘in the wild’ when transferred over the internet between email or web servers, hence it needs to be unique and strong. Your Key Management Database however is not exposed to the outside world so a small amount of passwords or a single password should be sufficient to encrypt and control access to the records in the Key Management Database.

Steven Cholerton
Arten Science

Subscribe to our RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArtenScienceRssFeed

Tags: R10Cipher, Key Management, Encryption, Arten Science

Key Management is an extremely useful and important part of encryption, yet is often sadly neglected by the developers of encryption software.

In this document the term ‘Key’ relates to the database record for an individual which contains the following information:

Name
Email Address
Shared Secret
Master Password
Usage Password

If you have several contacts who you communicate with using encryption, how do you keep track of, remember and retrieve the individual Shared Secrets ? The Key Management database makes this possible.

Note: Storing information of this nature in a database would under normal circumstances be a security risk in itself, R10Cipher however stores this information in an Encrypted format using 384 Bit encryption and a 56 Character Secret.

By inputting (or importing) your contacts into the Key Management Database you can retrieve their Shared Secrets and Email Addresses when you need them, quickly and easily.

There are two password fields in the Key Management Database Record. If there is only one person using your Key Management Database then you need only bother with the Master Password, if someone else is allowed to use your Key Management database then they will be given the ‘Usage Password’ which will allow them to Encode and Decode communications from the contact, but not change any details, including the Shared Secret.

Steven Cholerton
Arten Science

Subscribe to our RSS Feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArtenScienceRssFeed

Tags: R10Cipher, Key Management, Encryption, Arten Science