Ciphire Accounts

The Accounts window lists your secured email accounts.

When you click on a Ciphire Account in the list, it gets highlighted, and you can use the options specific to this account in the Options window, to the right. In the Options window, you will find these categories: Account Status, Encryption and Signing, Export Account.

You can add an email account to the list by using the Create new or Import buttons below the Accounts window.

Create new

Use this function to secure an email address for the first time. If you want to add an existing Ciphire Account to your Account window, you should use the Import function.

  1. Click the [Create new] button to launch the Account Creation wizard. In the next steps, simply follow the wizard instructions to complete account creation. The progression chain on the top right allows you to follow the advancement of the process.


  2. Enter the email address you want to secure and click [Next >].


  3. Check the spelling of your email address, and confirm by clicking [Next >].


  4. The Ciphire System will now create RSA, DSA and ElGamal data in sequence. You do not need to interact during that time.


  5. In order to verify that you are the owner of the email address, Ciphire sent you a verification email. Use you email program (Outlook, Eudora, etc) to retrieve this email.


  6. Now that your email address was verified, Ciphire sent you 2 confirmation emails in a row. Check again your emails and retrieve these emails to complete the account creation.


  7. It is recommended that you create a backup of your account data, to a USB stick for instance. If you use Ciphire Mail on other computers, click on [Export >] to copy your account data and transfer it to the other computers.


During the account creation, your email address is shown in grey and italics in the Accounts window. When the Account Creation is completed, the Ciphire Account is displayed in black.

Import

The Import function allows you to add existing Ciphire Accounts, created on other computers, to the Ciphire Accounts list on this computer.

  1. Click the [Import] button.

  2. Choose the file you want to import and click [Open]. Account data files have the extension ".txt".

  3. Enter the passphrase to decrypt the file.
    This is the same passphrase that was used to encrypt the file when it was exported.

Account Status, Disable

This window show the status of the account selected in the Account list. Normal Ciphire Accounts are shown as "Account is active". One of your Ciphire Accounts is your "Primary Account". By default, it is the first email address you secured. In this window, you can disable the account:

  1. Select an email address in the Accounts window.


  2. Click [Disable]. You will be warned of the risks related to disabling an account. If you want to continue, click [Disable].


  3. A window appears, explaining the steps taken by Ciphire Mail.


  4. Check you emails to retrieve the confirmation email sent to you by Ciphire.


  5. Your account is disabled. Click [OK] to finish.


Attention!

After disabling your Ciphire account you will no longer be able to sign or encrypt emails for this account.

Encryption and Signing

First select a Ciphire Account in the Accounts window, then use the drop-down menus to select your preferred encryption and signing settings for this account. The following options are available:

Encryption Options


Only send encrypted messages Ciphire Mail ensures that every email leaving your computer gets encrypted by Ciphire Mail. Message encryption requires the recipient to have a valid Ciphire Account. If the recipient does not have a valid Ciphire Account, Ciphire Mail warns you that the email will not be transmitted, as it cannot be encrypted.
Warn if encryption is not possible

Ciphire Mail checks if the recipients of the email has a valid Ciphire Account. If yes, Ciphire Mail automatically encrypts the email before sending it. If not, Ciphire Mail warns you that the email is about to be sent unencrypted, and lets you chose to continue or cancel email sending.

Use encryption when possible Ciphire Mail checks if the recipients of the email has a valid Ciphire Account. If yes, Ciphire Mail automatically encrypts the email before sending it. If not, the email is not encrypted and sent plain text.
Do not encrypt messages Ciphire Mail does not encrypt emails sent from this email address. Your communications from this account are unsecured (plain text transmissions).


Signing Options


Do not sign outgoing messages The email you send from this email address is not digitally signed by Ciphire Mail. The recipient of the email cannot be sure that you sent exactly that email. You or the recipient cannot prove to third parties that this email communication took place.
Sign all outgoing messages The email you send from this email address is digitally signed by Ciphire Mail. The recipient can be sure that you sent exactly this email. You and the recipient can prove to third parties that this email communication took place.

Default

The Ciphire Mail client is installed with the following default strategies:

Export Account

  1. Select the account you want to export in the Accounts window.

  2. Click the [Export Account] button.

  3. Select a directory, folder or storage device where you want to store the account data. Chose a file name and click [Save].

  4. Enter a passphrase of at least 8 characters to encrypt the file (to protect it in case it gets lost or stolen while being moved over to a different computer). Click [OK]. Repeat the passphrase and click [OK].

  5. The account data of the selected email address is now stored in an encrypted file, under the path you selected. It is ready to be moved to another computer. (Use the Import function on the other computers).

Security Status Reports

Change incoming emails

Ciphire Mail allows you to modify incoming emails so that you can immediately see the security level of the email you receive. Ciphire Mail uses tags, between brackets in the email headers, and security reports added at the bottom of the incoming email. Chose from the following options in the drop-down menu: