File Plug-in

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Entrust Entelligence™ File Plug-in?
2. How does the File Plug-in protect my sensitive information?
3. Does the File Plug-in help to meet government legislative standards?
4. Can I use Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in on my laptop?
5. Will the File Plug-in encrypt my entire hard drive?
6. Does the File Plug-in use the same digital ID as Entrust Entelligence E-mail Plug-in and other Entrust Ready applications?
7. Can I protect subfolders?
8. Can I encrypt files for other people to access?
9. Is Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in easy for employees to use?
10. What happens if I forget my password?
11. Can I use a biometric device or token with Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in?

1. What is Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in?   (top)
Entrust Entelligence™ File Plug-in provides security for files and folders to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access and misuse. The File Plug-in, along with the Entrust Entelligence™ Desktop Manager, provides identification, verification and privacy of information that is stored on and used by Microsoft® Windows™ applications

2. How does the File Plug-in protect my sensitive information?   (top)
The File Plug-in automates the encryption processes required to protect sensitive information on desktop computers. By encrypting files in specified folders and subfolders, the File Plug-in secures selected parts of a computer for access by individuals that you specify. Requiring an Entrust digital ID from Entrust Authority™, the File Plug-in shares the secure key backup features supported by Entrust Authority. Key backup allows users to recover encrypted files if they forget their passwords and allows organizations to recover encrypted information if an employee leaves the organization. Because the File Plug-in uses public-key cryptography and works along with Entrust Entelligence Desktop Manager, users can specify which files are to be encrypted for a specific set of recipients. Once the file is encrypted using the recipients' public keys, only the designated users can access the encrypted information.

3. Does the File Plug-in meet government legislative standards?   (top)
Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in has been validated to FIPS 140-1 government legislation standards. In addition, the File Plug-in provides a standalone utility that runs transparently in the background to securely scrub deleted files from disk according to U.S. Department of Defense ('Orange Book') standards.

Unlike deletion utilities that require manual intervention from users, the File Plug-in automatically protects the Windows SWAP file, locates hidden temporary files, and securely deletes files from disk so that they cannot even be retrieved using a disk recovery utility.

An active 'shredder' icon in the Windows system tray indicates that this utility is working to protect the user's desktop.

4. Can I use Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in on my laptop?   (top)
Yes, the File Plug-in can be used on portable computers. This product is ideal for laptop users as the product encrypts information on a user's hard drive. The rapidly expanding numbers of laptops in use and increasing concerns over the theft of laptops and the potential loss of valuable intellectual property make it a valuable tool for any laptop computer user.

5. Will the File Plug-in encrypt my entire hard drive?   (top)
No, Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in does not encrypt the entire hard drive. Users specify security settings for individual folders (including the hierarchy of subfolders) and do not have to encrypt their entire drive to protect sensitive information. The File Plug-in may be used to only encrypt the most sensitive information on users' disks and not every file. This is in contrast to disk encryption products that encrypt everything on the disk.

6. Does the File Plug-in use the same digital ID as Entrust Entelligence™ E-mail Plug-in and other Entrust-Ready applications?   (top)
Yes, the File Plug-in uses the same digital ID that is used with Entrust Entelligence E-mail Plug-in and other Entrust Ready applications enable users to:

• reduce the number of times they perform security login
• utilize Entrust Authority key and certificate recovery to protect them from loss of information if they forget their passwords or if their profile is corrupted.
• centralize the management of keys and certificates

7. Can I protect subfolders?  (top)
Absolutely. Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in can be configured to automate the encryption of all files within a root folder, including files contained within subfolders of that folder.

8. Can I encrypt files for other people to access?   (top)
Because Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in uses public-key cryptography and works along side Entrust Entelligence Desktop Manager, users can specify that files are to be encrypted for a specific set of recipients. Once the file is encrypted using the recipients' public keys, only they can access the encrypted information. The ability to encrypt files for multiple users makes it possible to share sensitive information on publicly-accessible hard drives while protecting the files from unauthorized access.

9. Is Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in easy for employees to use?   (top)
The File Plug-in makes security as easy as opening any other file on your desktop. Simply double-click on a protected file and the File Plug-in will decrypt the file and launch any application associated with the file extension, such as launching Microsoft Word when decrypting a text.doc file.

10. What happens if I forget my password?   (top)
Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in requires a digital ID, issued by Entrust Authority, and benefits from the secure key backup features supported by Entrust Authority. Key backup allows users to recover their encrypted files even when they forget their passwords.

11. Can I use a biometric device or token with Entrust Entelligence File Plug-in?  (top)
Yes, absolutely. The Entrust digital ID used by the File Plug-in can be made portable using hardware tokens and biometric devices. Users can take their key storage mechanisms (i.e. profiles/tokens) off the disk on which the information is protected, providing the user with additional security. Biometric devices (such as a fingerprint scanner) may be used to add an additional layer of security or replace passwords.