Encryption

The encryption module is used like a bank safe to secure sensitive data. A safe can be used, for example, as an extra drive like another hard disk partition and is very easy to use. The data safes are encrypted with the AES128 (Rijndael) method.

To create and manage safes, you have the following options:

Update: If you have opened or closed safes outside the encryption module in the meantime, it is recommended to click on Update to update the status view for the safes managed by the encryption module.
Open/Close: Here you can open or close your safes that are on your computer and the connected storage media. Please note that to open the safe, you need the password that you assigned for the safe when it was created. Safes can be closed here without a password.
Create new encryption: You can create a new safe using this function. An wizard opens to help you create this safe. Read the chapter Create new safe for further information.
Create portable safe: Once you have created a safe, you can also make it a portable safe, i.e. you can configure it so that you can use it on a USB stick or even send it by mail. Read the chapter Create portable safe on this.
Delete: In the safe management, you have an overview of all safes that are on your computer and the connected storage media. Here you can also delete safes that are no longer needed. Please note that you can also delete safes here without knowing their password. You should therefore make sure that you really no longer need the contents of the safe to be deleted.

Create new safe

If you want to create a new safe, you will be supported by an interactive dialogue. Click Next to continue.

Storage location

Please select here on which storage medium the safe is to be created.

Safes created in a protected directory are only visible on your computer if the G DATA software is installed on your computer. If you uninstall the software, the data safes created in this way are no longer visible.

Safe size

Then select a safe size by positioning the slider accordingly. You have as much space available at the selected storage location. In general, however, you should stay at least 2 GB below the maximum size, so that your computer system is not slowed down due to a lack of storage space in other areas.

The button to the left of the safe size slider gives you the option of a quick selection. You can define the exact size of the safe or make it so large that it can be burnt onto a CD, DVD or BluRay.

Now click the Next button.

Safe parameter

In this dialogue window you can make the following entries and settings for the safe:

Safe name: The name under which the safe is managed by the G DATA software.
Description: An additional short description containing, for example, information about the safe content.
File system: Here you can specify whether the virtual drive created by the safe uses the FAT or NTFS file system. As a rule, you should leave the entry "Automatic selection" here.
Select Safe drive automatically: The safe appears on your computer like a hard disk drive. You can either assign a fixed drive letter for the safe or let the system select one automatically. Usually automatic selection is recommended here.
Assign drive: This selection is only available if you do not let the software select the safe drive automatically.

Now click the Next button.

Access

Here you can assign a password for a safe. To do this, click on the Add button.

Now enter the desired password in the dialogue box that appears in "Password" and "Repeat password". The password is only accepted if both password entries are identical. This is to protect you, for example, from entering a password that you can no longer recover yourself.

Click Add to activate the password and then click Next to complete the configuration of the safe.

When creating a safe, you can also assign several different passwords and thus define different permissions. For example, you can create a safe for yourself in which you can read and change files, but also allow other people to read but not change the contents of this safe.

Settings

If, after creating the safe, you select it and click on the Permission button, you have the following setting options:

Edit Autostart: In each safe there is a directory called Autostart. If this option remains set to "Yes" all executable files in the safe will be started automatically when the safe is opened.
Open in read-only mode: A user who logs in with the read-only access method will not be able to save or modify the files in the safe. He or she may only read them.
Open as removable media: The G DATA software opens data safes in Explorer as local hard drives. If you want, the safe to be visible as a removable medium in the system, please check this option.
Shared use: Checking this option allows the safe directory to be shared with other computers on the network.

Safe access is possible with this setting without the need to enter a password. We recommend a cautious and conscious choice of sharing the safe. The shared use of the safe for all network participants is pointless at this point, as in this case the data is accessible to everyone.

Close safe after user logout: This option should normally be activated, because if the safe remains open after the user logs off, other users can view the contents of the safe.
Autosafe: All safes with this property can be opened with a single command.

The safe setup wizard informs you about the setting parameters in the last step. If you want to change these settings please click on the Back button. If you are satisfied with the settings, please click Create.

The virtual and encrypted data safe is created on the hard disk of your computer. With a final click on the Finish button, the safe is now created and opened directly if desired.

Create portable safe

Once you have created a safe, you can also make it a portable safe, i.e. you can configure it so that you can use it on an USB stick or even send it by e-mail.

Select a created safe in the data safe overview and then click on the button Create portable safe. A dialogue will now open to help you create a portable safe. Click on Next to start this start it.

Parameters

As with the assignment of safe parameters for standard safes, you have the option here to change parameters. There are, however, only limited setting options for portable safes:

Select safe drive automatically: The safe, while open, appears like a hard disk drive. You can either assign a fixed drive letter for the safe or let the system select one automatically. Automatic selection is recommended here.
Link safe with data carrier: Here you can specify that you want to use the portable safe exclusively with the USB stick or hard drive on which you create it. If you do not link the safe with the data medium, the safe file (recognisable by the file extension .tsnxg) can be copied or moved to other data carriers or even send vial email.

Medium for the portable safe

Specify here the medium on which you want to save the portable safe. This can be, for example, a USB stick, an external hard disk or a CD/DVD.

If you save a safe on CD or DVD, it can obviously only be opened and read. It is not possible to change files and directories in the safe is not possible on this type of data carrier.

Size of the portable safe

Here you will receive information on how much storage space the safe requires on the target data carrier. If the storage space too large, you can cancel the creation of the portable safe here.

In addition to the actual safe size, about 6 MB of additional driver data is added so that you can also open the safe on a Windows system on which the G DATA software is not installed.

Portablen Safe Fertigstellung

Now complete the creation of the portable safe by clicking on the Complete button. If you wish, the file in which the portable safe is located on the desired storage medium is now displayed in the file browser.

Accessing the portable safe

If you want to open a portable safe on a Windows computer that does not contain the G DATA data safe module, you can access the data by simply selecting the programme file "start.exe" or "Start" from the TSNxG_4 folder on the USB stick, mobile hard disk or CD/DVD. When you click on this, a dialogue appears which you can use to open the safe.

When the G DATA data safe is used for the first time on a computer, the corresponding driver data and programme elements are loaded. After this, a computer restart is necessary. After restarting the computer, please select the entry "Start" or "Start.exe" again.

Now enter your password or use one of the other access methods.

The safe is now opened and the contents of the safe can be used.

After logging into the safe, the symbol of the safe appears in Windows Explorer next to the local drives. Every user of a portable safe can transfer data from the safe to the computer. If a portable safe is used on a USB data carrier or flash memory data carrier, the authorised user can copy the safe data to the computer and vice versa.

It is recommended to close the safe after the work has been completed before removing the portable data carrier. To do this, go to the portable data carrier, open the directory of G DATA and click on Start.exe. A dialogue window then appears in which it is possible to close the safe.