APC BIOM34-EC user manual File and Folder Locking File Encryption, Part 3. Configure

3.6.2Switch User Identity -- To switch identities at any time, right-click the OmniPass system tray icon and click Switch User Identity from the submenu. The Switch Identity dialog will appear. Select the desired identity and then click OK.

3.7 Identities and Password Management

On the Manage Passwords interface of the Vault Management tab of the OmniPass Control Center, there is a pull-down selection box labeled, Identity. This field lets you choose which identity you are managing passwords for. When you select an identity here, only those password protected dialogs that are associated with that identity are shown. You can perform all the functions explained in Chapter 3.5 Password Management.

Chapter 4. File and Folder Locking (File Encryption)

To protect yourself from theft or unauthorized viewing of sensitive material, OmniPass allows you to securely lock files or entire folders on your machine. These files are locked with a method called encryption, in which the data are converted to a form that unauthorized users cannot read. Once encrypted, the files can only be unlocked, or decrypted with your master password or enrolled hardware security device.

OmniPass encrypted files will have the extension ".opf". You can always search your hard drive for *.opf to find all OmniPass encrypted files. We recommend that you dedicate a new folder in which to put all your OmniPass encrypted files. OmniPass encrypted folders take the name of the original folder but end in ".opx".

4.1 Encrypting Files or Folders

To encrypt a file or folder, right-click the file or folder that you would like to prevent unauthorized access to. Click OmniPass Encrypt File(s) in the contextual menu. OmniPass will prompt you to authenticate.

If a folder containing multiple files is encrypted, a window will appear with a list of the files in the folder and their encryption status. Click OK when encryption is complete.

There are certain folders that cannot be encrypted because it would have a negative impact on your system and your installed programs. The contents of C:\Windows and C:\Program Files cannot be encrypted, nor can the folder where OmniPass is installed be encrypted.

4.2 Decrypting File or Folders

To decrypt a file or folder, right-click the file or folder to which you would like to regain normal access. Click OmniPass Decrypt File(s) from the contextual menu. OmniPass will prompt you to authenticate. OmniPass Decrypt File(s) will not be available if the files are already encrypted, or if they are system files, unable to be encrypted.

Other ways to decrypt files are to right-click them and select Open, or double-click the files. Both of these actions will cause OmniPass to prompt you to authenticate. They will remain decrypted unless you decide to encrypt them again.

If you encrypt a folder containing multiple files, all the contained files will be encrypted. Files you copy or move to the encrypted folder will also be encrypted. You can open and edit the contents of these files, and so long as they stay in the encrypted folder, when you close and save these files they will automatically be encrypted. To decrypt a file contained in an encrypted folder right-click it and select Decrypt To…; select a location to which the decrypted file will be saved and click OK. A copy of the file will be decrypted to the target directory. The original encrypted file will remain in the encrypted folder.

4.3 OmniPass Encrypted File Sharing

Once you have encrypted a file or folder, you have prevented anyone from viewing the contents without first decrypting the file or folder. OmniPass allows you to selectively share your encrypted files with other enrolled OmniPass users.

Biometric Password Managers

To share an encrypted file or folder with another OmniPass user, right-click the encrypted resource and select OmniPass Sharing… from the contextual menu. OmniPass will prompt you to authenticate.

Upon successful authentication, the OmniPass Encrypted File Sharing dialog automatically opens (see Figure 37). Select the OmniPass user with whom you want to share this encrypted file or folder. Click Add User(s), and click OK. The encrypted resource has been shared.

NOTE: Sharing an OmniPass encrypted file effectively gives full control of the shared resource to whomever you shared it with. The users with whom you share these files can open, copy, delete, and modify all files you share. They can also remove you from the list of authorized OmniPass users, effectively taking control of the encrypted resource away from you.

4.4 Encrypted Files

Files that are encrypted by OmniPass have a new icon. These files cannot be accessed until they are decrypted. Icons of encrypted folders are also updated with a lock graphic

4.5 A Special Warning for those who Encrypt …

If you are reading this then you are taking steps to safeguard your information. You will probably start encrypting your files with OmniPass soon (if you haven't already). IMMEDIATELY export your current user profile (the one you have used and are going to use to encrypt) and save it on SEVERAL floppy disks and perhaps some places on your hard disk. Email it to yourself and save it in your Inbox.

If your system crashes (or you mistakenly remove or overwrite OmniPass), and you do not have the OmniPass user profile that encrypted all you archived data files, THEN YOU WILL LOSE THAT DATA.

Creating another OmniPass user with the same name and password and settings will not do. It will not be the same user profile that you created before.

Part 3. Configure

If Part 2 could be viewed as a "Getting Started Guide" then this part can be viewed as an "Administrators' Guide". This part will give an overview of both the Export/Import function and the OmniPass Control Center. Much of what is discussed in this part could be considered customization of OmniPass. Customizations can be made on a per-user basis, or globally. Authentication rules will be discussed; in OmniPass, authentication rules can be configured so as to require very stringent levels of authentication (Multi-Factor Authentication

Chapter 5. Exporting and Importing Users

Using the OmniPass Control Center, you can export and import users in and out of OmniPass. The export process backs up all remembered sites, credentials, and any enrolled fingerprints for an OmniPass user. All OmniPass data for a user is backed up to a single encrypted database file. During the import process, the Windows login of the exported user is required. If the proper credentials cannot be supplied, the user profile will not be imported.

NOTE: You can, and should periodically export your user profile and store it in a safe place (e.g. on several floppies). Should anything happen to your system, you can import your OmniPass profile on your new system and have all your remembered sites, custom OmniPass settings, and enrolled fingerprints instantly. You would even be able to decrypt files that you had encrypted with that user profile (see 4.5).

5.1 Exporting an OmniPass User Profile

To export an OmniPass user open the OmniPass Control Center, and click Import/Export User under Manage Users.

Click Exports an OmniPass user profile. OmniPass will prompt you to authenticate. Upon successfully authentication, you must name the OmniPass user profile and decide where to save it. An .opi file is generated, and you should store a copy of it in a safe place.

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