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FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line - FAQs

FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line provides automated PGP encryption at up to a third of the cost of competitor products.   It can be linked into existing systems such as work process so that you can automate your security without having to change the way in which your systems currently operate.


What are the known security problems with Secure FTP (SSL / SSH)?

Secure FTP products only protect the data whilst it is being transferred.   They do not protect the information on the servers and there is no proof of intergrity or of the source of the information.   Once the data has landed on the server it is in the clear (plain text) and at it's most vulnerable since this is where hackers are most likely to attack it.   Every published hacking attack has always been at the server and never whilst the data is in transit.   See SSL - a false sense of security.


Which secure FTP (SSL/SSH) problems does FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line solve?

  1. Secure FTP does not digitally sign information so you have no way of knowing who it really came from and whether it has been modified by a third party.   FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line can digitally sign information and  validate that information has not been altered and show who actually sent it.
     
  2. Information is only ever protected server to server and not person to person enabling anyone with access to that server to access the data.   You can't therefore protect information for individuals or specific groups of people. FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line provides true object  control - not just web server to web server.   Information is signed and encrypted before transmission, and remains protected until the final destination.   Information can be encrypted for individuals or groups of users.
     
  3. Each server that needs to receive the data securely needs to be configured with the software often involving a complex installation and implementation procedure.   FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line does not require network configuration, firewall management and complex installation or maintenance procedures.   It can be fully running in under 20 minutes.   You do not have to write expensive custom services to support the secure FTP link.
     
  4. Essential features such as comprehensive auditing of every action, secure file deletion and email support are not available in any secure FTP or SSL based services. FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line provides an audit trail for all activities, whether transferring  files using FTP services or sending by email.   All processing  information is recorded.   Secure FTP provides none of these essential services.

How do I schedule a regular transfer?

You can give schedule Scriptor to process particular commands at a given time, or every x amount of minutes/hours.   In this manner you can schedule events to happen at any time in the future.


Do I have to run multiple scripts in order to process different events - say encryption of one set of files and secure deletion of another set of files?

No.   Scriptor will process  multiple commands from one file.   If you use the Scriptor GUI you can easily add new scripting events until you have built up a list of events for execution.   This script can be executed straight away, at a given date/time and/or saved to a batch file for later use.


Do I have to use the FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line GUI to create command line scripts?

No.   You can enter parameters directly on the DOS command line.   The scriptor is just an easy way of creating these parameters for you.   Once the parameters have been created you can save them to a batch file for later use or paste them directly onto the DOS command line.   You can even run them directly from the scriptor application.


How do I send specific files to specific people automatically?

If you want this to happen automatically then you need to think about a naming convention for the files so that they can be readily associated with identities.   The recipient identity used by Scriptor is built up from a combination of the identity on the certificate and the associated e-mail address.   (E-mail addresses are unique but an identity is not, so Scriptor uses the combination just in case the same person has several identities with the same e-mail address.)

Do remember that you can substitute your own identity   record for the recipient.   This could be a customer number or an account number.   When you import the certificate into Scriptor you simply put in the identity that you want to use. Scriptor retains the original identity which it continues to use, but it uses your chosen identity when you are setting up the script.

So if you organize files to contain the recipient identity as part of the name you can tell Scriptor that if it finds a file containing that identity to encrypt the file for that identity (plus the e-mail) and either place the resulting protected file in a folder ready for subsequent processing or send it by e-mail.   If you choose to send by e-mail then the e-mail address on the recipient's certificate is used and the subject and message of the e-mail is taken from the command script.


Does someone have to logon to the server each time to run FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line?

No it can be started as a service.


What other useful facilties does FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line have?

  1. Files can be renamed automatically after downloading.
     
  2. Lines of a script are individually numbered so you can see straight away where in the script a problem has occurred.
     
  3. An administrator can be alerted by email if any errors occur during the processing of a script.
     
  4. Files can be deleted on a remote server (useful if you use wildcards to download all the files in a folder on a daily basis and wan the original files removed after they have been downloaded).
     
  5. You can use FileAssurity Open PGP Command Line's FTP for normal FTP transfers without encrypting or decrypting files.
     
  6. Built in SMTP service so you don't need an email client installed on the server.
     
  7. Encrypted files can be emailed to multiple email addresses and not just those specified in the public keys.

How does the digital signature and document authorization process work?

See FileAssurity Open PGP Digital Signature FAQs.

 
 

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