Documentation and Help File for SecureData 1.4

When opened SecureData displays the information about itself and is set up with no database loaded. The user has two options at this point:

These are the menus and their options:

Selecting Open brings up a file browser window. The folder displayed will be the one in which the most recently opened or saved file is located

Once the file has been selected for opening you will be asked for the pass phrase for the file. If the pass phrase matches the file then the data in it will be decoded and displayed. Loading data replaces all data currently held by SecureData. If this data has not been saved then you will be warned.

The name of the file from which the data was loaded is shown in the title bar of the SecureData window.

Choosing this option saves the current data in the current file (normally the one from which it was loaded or saved to earlier).

If the data was not loaded from a file and has never been saved then you will be required first to specify a file in which to save it. You may choose any file name that is valid. However, if the file name does not contain a dot then .xml will be appended to the file name. [This is fine for Windows and Unix.] The name of the file in which the data was saved is shown in the title bar of the SecureData window.

This clears all the data loaded, added or modified. If there is unsaved data then you will be warned.

Choosing this option saves the current data in a file with a name that you choose.

You may choose any file name that is valid. However, if the file name does not contain a dot then .xml will be appended to the file name. [This is fine for Windows and Unix.] The name of the file in which the data was saved is shown in the title bar of the SecureData window.

At any time you may use this option to set the current pass phrase with an optional reminder. If you load data you will be asked to supply the pass phrase for decrypting. This pass phrase will then become the current pass phrase.

You may use this to show the reminder associated with the current pass phrase. However, it serves its real purpose should data not be loaded from an encrypted file because of an incorrect pass phrase. If Show reminder is slected immediately following such a failure then the reminder associated with the pass phrase for the file which failed to be decrypted will be displayed.

This option prints out the unencrypted data.

The circumstances in which it is reasonable to print sensitive data are few. Printing is essentially insecure. However, there may be a need to communicate the data without the aid of a computing system, and printing on paper may be the only practical means.

When data is printed with SecureData, the first set of pages contains only the group names and the left values of the entries. This is immediately followed by an equal number of pages containing the right hand values of the entries. No group names are printed on these 'right pages'.

To read any of the data, it is necessary to have a 'left page' and the corresponding 'right page'. The two pages must be aligned correctly and then the complete entry can be read. Horizontal rules are provide to aid alignment.

Some security can be maintained by keeping the left pages separate from the right pages, only bringing them together to ascertain the the value for a particular entry. For example, the two sets of pages could be sent through the mail in separate packages.

When printed data has served its purpose then the pages should be shredded.

Closes SecureData. You will be warned if the current data has not been saved.

Group Menu

Allows you to change the name of a group.

Removes the currently selected (the currently displayed) group from the database.

Adds a new entry to the currently selected (the currently displayed) group in the database.

The entry is given the name ** NEW **. This may be edited to change the name of the entry (the left-hand column) or to set or change the value of the entry (the right-hand column).

You may freely edit both names and values of entries. However, at certain points in the processing of the data, checks are made on the data in a group. If a group contains an entry for which the name is empty then it will be ignored and (in effect) be deleted. If a group contains entries with identical names then one of the names will be modified by appending asterisks to the end of it until it is unique within the group. You will be notified when either of these events occurs.

Option Menu

If the box for this option is ticked (checked) then when SecureData is closed the name of the file in which the current data is stored is remembered and on next opening SecureData will immediately ask for a pass phrase (that is the pass phrase for the remembered file) and if the correct one is provided will immedialtely load and display the data.

SecureData will continue to operate like this until the check box is cancelled or an incorrect pass phrase is given on opening.

If there is no interaction with SecureData for a period of time the the data will be cleared (thus hiding it from other eyes) and a dialogue box will inform you that the maximum idle time has been exceeded. Securedata will close down when you click OK and any changes to the data since the last save will be LOST.

About Menu

Displays the version number of the software and briefly describes the licensing conditions. Buttons provide access to more detailed information. This detailed information is available directly from the other options on this menu.

Allows you to view this help file using your default Internet browser.

GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION

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