non-Frequently asked questions about Dekart software

- That is correct, however, we chose a different approach. The keys are generated by a software algorithm and then transferred to the card. This is a cost-effective solution, because the cards that can generate the keys on their own are up to 5 times more expensive than the usual ones. In contrast, Dekart Cryptographic Provider generates the keys by itself, while the card is used just as a storage device, allowing you to use simple (cheap) cards as well. The convenience of this method is that you can store any RSA key on the card, as long there is free space left on it.The keys can be managed with Dekart Key Manager (assuming that the PIN code is known), therefore the software-approach is just as efficient as the hardware-approach, and the difference is that it is more affordable.One advantage the hardware-approach has over the software one it that the keys are generated internally; therefore they cannot be intercepted by malicious applications. However, in a secure environment (such as your company's private network) this risk is maximally minimized, hence a soft-approach is just as safe.

- If you are not careful – yes. An external device is facing the risk of being dropped down, or an accidental disconnect. Depending on the hardware, the consequences can be minor or major. You can minimize the risk of data loss by making sure that the device is disconnected via the 'safe removal' menu; by providing a reliable power source; and by firmly connecting all the cabling. If you follow all these indications, you can be sure that there will be no data corruption.

- Obviously – yes. But just as in the previous case, this can be avoided. Most often, large image files (tens of gigabytes, a hundred Gb, or as much as your hard disk can hold) are corrupted by 3rd party applications, such as disk managers that have 'enhanced' copy functionality. In certain cases, these programs do not make an identical copy of the file, the result can be several bytes longer or shorter. The larger the file is, the more significant these differences can be. When you attempt to open such a file with Private Disk, the operation will fail. To avoid these errors, we advise you to use your OS's native copy function. If you insist upon using other software, you should try to mount the copy of the image before deleting the original. Another preventive measure is Private Disk's built-in key backup function. You should use it at least once (after creating the image). If you do, you can use the backup to restore as much as can be restored (assuming the disk has no physical damage). As you can see, the integrity of your data is in your hands. If you have a serious attitude, your files are safe.

 – It's not, if you previously followed the recommendations given in our guides and on our forum. We advise you to use the built-in password generator. In this case it will be impossible to guess the password. An important fact is that the generated password is not shown to the user, it goes directly to the USB flash disk or smart card – this eliminates the possibility that it will be intercepted by a person or an application that runs in the background. Another measure, which is by far more efficient, is the 'disable safe mode' policy. If it is enabled, one will simply be unable to start the OS in safe mode. But you have to be aware of the fact that if something goes wrong, you will be locked out of your system. To find out more about enhancing security, consult this guide – " The basics of pc protection ".

Note: To disable safe mode, run the registry editor and delete the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot We advise you to make a copy of this registry key and the access key (the token or smart card you use) before deleting it.

Note: To backup your access key, you should use Dekart Key Manager.

Note: To backup the registry key, run regedit.exe, select it (the key), then press File\Export.

No, it is not. We insist that you use a PIN code. If you do, the file will be encrypted with it, hence the key is useless without the PIN. You should also note that the code can be more than 4 characters long, and it can contain letters, as well as digits. Therefore it is a 'simple' password, the name 'PIN' is just symbolic. A strong PIN code is at least 8 characters long, and it contains non-repeating digits and letters. To learn more about choosing a strong password, consult this guide – " The basics of pc protection " .

- Sometimes it is possible that the email that contains the registration data does not arrive to its recipient. There are multiple reasons behind that: our SMTP server is blocked by your provider, your spam-filter deleted the email, your mailbox is full, etc. If you did not receive an email from us during one day after the registration, it is possible that such a situation occurred. In this case, you should email us from a different email address, or post a message in our forum, describing the situation and supplying additional contact information (another email, icq number, etc.). Please understand that if we don't have this info, all the messages we send to you, will be blocked. As soon as you contact us from a different address and confirm your identity, we can send you the information again.