Protect files with double password protection

Discussion in 'privacy technology' started by Eagle Creek, May 9, 2009.

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  1. Eagle Creek

    Eagle Creek Global Moderator

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    Hi guys!

    I'm looking for the following:

    It sounds familiair to those of you that have watched Knight Rider in the 80's. The formula of KITT's molecular bonded shell wasn't known by anyone. There were 3 components and 3 people who only knew 2 of the components. In other words: you always needed 2 people to remake the formula.
    This was all very Si-Fi, but my question isn't.

    I've got some very important documents I want to protect. However, I don't want to give the password to someone that can access all those files.
    Instead I want to have two passwords for two persons: one that knows password one, and one that knows the other password. That way I'm sure it impossible for one of them to look at the files, without the other person knowing it. I'm the only one that knows both passwords.

    Basically I need some program or environment that allows me to lock (encrypt) files until two separate passwords have been entered. I could put a password on a ZIPfile, then rar it with another password, but that's not quite the solution I'm looking for.

    Does anyone know a program like this?
     
    Eagle Creek, May 9, 2009
    #1
  2. AKAJohnDoe

    AKAJohnDoe Registered Member

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    AKAJohnDoe, May 9, 2009
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  3. Warlockz

    Warlockz Registered Member

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    I used drive crypt before, and it had the option to use up to 4 passwords to be able to open the file, so you would have to enter all 4 passwords if you wanted to open the file!

    http://www.securstar.com/home.php
     
    Warlockz, May 9, 2009
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  4. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    Hi Eagle Creek

    I have a similiar situation and what I've done is first use a VM machine which makes it just a bit more difficult. I have Returnil installed on that machine. It has a virtual partition which doesn't auto mount. The GUI is password protected, so to mount the partition you have to have the password(1st password). Then in that partition is a true crypt container which mounts using true crypt and requires the 2nd password. So to access the files it takes knowing both passwords.

    Best part is when done, I can dismount the true crypt file, and then reboot. This relocks the RVS file, and also to a reasonable level erases evidence of what files were in use.

    Would it satisfy the most paranoid privacy people. Doubt it. But for reasonable use it works.

    Pete
     
    Peter2150, May 9, 2009
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  5. LockBox

    LockBox Registered Member

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    Eagle Creek, I know exactly what you need and have seen software advertised with this capability. I have googled around and nothing turned up, but I saw it in a print magazine a few years back. It was made for estate planning, post-death wishes, etc. You could keep all this info in the program and then give relative "A" a password and relative "B' a password and feel sure that it won't be read until your death. That's how it was advertised. I'm frustrated at not being able to find it now. But is that the kind of thing you're looking for?
     
    LockBox, May 9, 2009
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  6. LockBox

    LockBox Registered Member

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    This isn't the program I was talking about, but here's an app that you can setup for double-password protection:
    http://www.zodiacode.com

    It's called EZ Document Safe.
     
    LockBox, May 9, 2009
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  7. Warlockz

    Warlockz Registered Member

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    Here's a screen shot showing where you have the option in DriveCrypt to use multiple passwords, You can give one pass to one person and one pass to another, and you will need both people, each with their own password to open the encrypted file!

    passwords-499x289.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2009
    Warlockz, May 10, 2009
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  8. markoman

    markoman Registered Member

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    Two options that come to my mind are:

    1) Use a long password, and give half to one persone and half to the other. If each half cannot be easily bruteforced, you get what you need.

    2) In truecrypt (or any other similar product that supports it) use keyfiles to lock a volume. Use two different keyfiles, and give one to each person. Only when both keyfiles are present the volume will unlock.

    Options 1) and 2) can be used also together.
     
    markoman, May 10, 2009
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  9. LockBox

    LockBox Registered Member

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    There's two excellent solutions.
     
    LockBox, May 10, 2009
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  10. Warlockz

    Warlockz Registered Member

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    I also agree, then you have the option to use other encryption software such as AxCrypt, if you are looking to create an encrypted file rather than an encrypted container!
     
    Warlockz, May 10, 2009
    #10
  11. Eagle Creek

    Eagle Creek Global Moderator

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    Thanks for the many replies. The idea of having a split password sounds very simple, haha, but maybe effective indeed. Not sure I'm going to use that but I will consider it :). Some programs look realy usefull. I'm going to try them out and let you know :).
     
    Eagle Creek, May 17, 2009
    #11
  12. Pleonasm

    Pleonasm Registered Member

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    Eagle Creek, you may be interested in using “split keys” with PGP Desktop:

     
    Pleonasm, May 17, 2009
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  13. Eagle Creek

    Eagle Creek Global Moderator

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    Sounds nice. I will take look into that also.
    Thanks.
     
    Eagle Creek, May 18, 2009
    #13
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