CryptZone FAQ’s for Users

Secured eMail

I want to store my secured email on another location for backup purposes, what should I do?

1. Open Settings – select Archiving
2. Here you can change the location of the archive folder. By default emails are stored in the My Documents – Secured eMail folder

Can I secure folders on the network?

Yes, you can secure files and folders on the network.
Note: When securing large folders it will allocate a lot of memory that may slow down your computer for a brief period.

I have received an encrypted message from someone using Secured eMail. How do I open it?

To open the email you must download the free Secured eMail Reader.

What happens in the system when I open a secured email from one of my secured contacts?

When opening a secured email, the system searches the archive folder for a copy of the secured email. If no copy is found and only the original exists, the system will prompt for the Shared Secret (the password used when you established this secured channel). If the secured channel exists, the system will automatically find the right key and open the email.

How do I open a secured email from my web mail?

To read a secured email, you must have Secured eMail, Secured eMail Reader, or the Reader Lite. The free Reader can be downloaded here.

1. When you receive a secured email, either save or open the attachment.
2. This can be done by selecting the attachment and clicking the right mouse button.
3. Select either open or save. If you select open, you will be asked to enter the shared secret. Once entered, the mail will open normally.
4. You can also save the attachment. We recommend saving it onto the desktop, since it is easier to find the message this way.
5. Double click the saved attachment on your desktop.
6. A window will appear asking you to enter the shared secret that you share with the contact. Once entered, the mail will open normally.
7. Now that a secure channel has been created between you and the sender, you will never be asked to enter the shared secret for this contact again.

What does the email recipient receive?

The email recipient will receive a mail with the subject: "This is a secured email from [sender’s name]".
The receiver will need to download the free Secured eMail Reader. If the recipient has any of the fully supported email clients, the Reader will automatically integrate into it, allowing for the receiver to read the secured email like normal. If the recipient does not have a supported email client, they can still open the attached .sema file, and the email will be displayed in Internet Explorer.

I have already established a secure channel with my contact, but I am being prompted for the shared secret.

This can be due to your contact deleting you from their secured contacts list. If you are encountering issues with a secured channel, we recommend both parties delete each other from the secured contacts list and establish a new secure channel.

What is the shared secret?

The shared secret is a password allowing you and your contact to create a safe communication channel. These channels are created by adding a new contact to your secured contacts list. The recipient has to enter the shared secret only once, when they receive the first secured email from you.

What is the difference between the shared secret and my Private Password?

The shared secret is what you communicate with your recipient to create a safe channel. Your Private Password is used to access any mails that have been archived encrypted and to lock certain functions within the software.

Can I secure any USB stick or only sticks provided by Secured eMail?

You can secure almost any USB stick on the market however some sticks contain pre-installed software which may cause a conflict. If you encounter a problem please contact Secured eMail support.

Do I need to secure the entire USB stick?

No, you can choose to secure only part of the stick. Go to settings - select Secured eUSB and click "Allow unsecured data to be stored on the USB device". You will need to do this before securing the device.

Is it possible to secure USB devices of every size?

Yes, but if you want to secure USB flash devices that are larger than 4GB you have to format the device with the NTFS file system as FAT32 is limited to 4GB. This is limitation in the FAT filesystem, not in Secured eUSB.

I would like to configure my password security but I cannot find it in the Settings?

1. Go to Settings and select "Security"
2. If the Admin Lock is (Enabled) you have limited access and cannot make any changes. Only the Administrator can disable this lock to configure the password security.

The Secured eMail Reader does not start when I double click on an encrypted email. Instead a window appears saying the file cannot be opened because Windows does not recognize it.

In the window that appears, you will be given two choices. Either your web service will help you find the right program or you can choose a program from the list. Choose the second option and a list with programs will appear. Choose Secured eMail and press OK. The next time you double click on the email, the Secured eMail Reader will start automatically.

Does Secured eMail Reader support webmail like Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail etc?

With the Secured eMail Reader you can read encrypted emails on any email platform including all web based email platforms.

1. Click Start
2. Click Program
3. Select Secured eMail Reader
4. Click Reader and add the shared secret
5. The Reader will open the email

Can secured emails be stopped by Anti-spam software?

No they cannot. The Secured eMail extension, .sema, is an internationally authorized extension. If a secured email is stopped you will get a notification saying "This email has been stopped. Do you wish to authorize this email and all similar emails in the future?" You can then decide how you would like to handle secured emails in the future.

Will my anti-virus system stop a secured email?

No. As Secured eMail is an add-in for your email client, it is integrated seamlessly into the system and therefore it will not be stopped by your anti-virus program.

How would Secured eMail work alongside a virus scanner that rejects all encrypted emails as viruses?

That depends on the virus scanner software. If it would block secured emails, the user will receive an email informing them that the email has been blocked. The anti-virus program will ask the user if they wish to unblock the encrypted email and by accepting this, any future emails will be accepted. Furthermore, the .sema file extension is registered with the worldwide internet authorities as well as with anti-virus and anti-spam companies. This means that the .sema file will be accepted by many different software products.

Are virus scanners on the client able to scan ingoing and outgoing mails that are encrypted with Secured eMail?

Yes, they are. When opening a mail in Outlook by double-clicking it, a temporary copy is created which is treated in the same way as a normal incoming mail and therefore will be scanned. The same applies for outgoing emails.