Overview

Cryptographic Technologies

The Underlying Encryption Technologies

Public/Private-Based Keys

• Disadvantages
• Overall Quality

User-Based Shared Secret Keys

• Disadvantages
• Overall Quality

Combined System-Based Secret Keys, and Service-Based Certificate (SSL)

• Disadvantages
• Overall Quality

Product Comparison *

Solution Advantages *

Technology Comparison *

Gargoyle Strategic Advantages *

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Cryptographic Technologies

The current cryptographic products fall into two major groups.  These products use either the shared secret key, or the certificate based public-private key technologies.  The products in the categories of shared secret key fall into two categories by themselves.  One type uses system-based shared secret keys, and the other type requires user-based secret keys.   

Here we have provided brief review of the technologies.  And after presenting the detailed industry reviews, like many of our customers, we have concluded that only the Gargoyle eSecure Suite has adequately addressed the most critical elements of a reliable, maintainable and secured encryption product for email privacy, and computer protection.   

The Underlying Encryption Technologies

All the encryption product may transform useful information and content into a meaningless form that may not be used or recognized by other software applications.  The transformation is called the encryption process.  The content may be transformed back to its original form during a reverse transformation process.

The encryption products use well known encryption algorithms.  Currently, there are a few safe and popular encryption algorithms exist. Each transformation and reverse transformation requires the use of certain keys.  The encryption algorithms are extremely safe.  Though, using master keys available to the authorities may break them.   

 Public/Private-Based Keys

The products in this category use the public/private key algorithms for encryption and reverse transformation purposes.  The public, and private keys are complex data types.  These keys may only be used by computer software.  Every individual may obtain a set of public/private key from organizations known as certificate authorities throughout the world.  The users of the encryption products need to obtain and use the public keys of all the individual email recipients.  The email users may encrypt the email messages or attachments by using the recipient's public keys.  Therefore, while the recipient's public key is used for email encryption to that recipient, the recipient's private key is used by the recipient to reverse transform the encrypted content into its original content.

After the initial email address book setups, there is no need to acquire or exchange the encryption keys electronically.  Only the email recipients or the individuals may use the encryption product to re-store the original contents of emails by using their own private keys as part of the reverse transformation.  

For an example, please visit the following site: www.ArticSoft.com

Disadvantages:

When email users may use address books for registering the email addresses, they also need to obtain, and maintain a well known public key for each email recipient.  This requires an efficient key management and updating system.   

The use of private keys always creates a security risk for the key holders.  The private key holders need to store their keys on the known computers resources and locations.  These keys are NOT SAFE.  This is because of the existence of the Internet viruses, Spyware, Trojan Horses, Intruders, and other malicious electronic elements.

The use of these products are extremely limited due to the fact that the content encryption may only be used for email recipients and individuals that hold a private/public key certificates.  All the others may not benefit from the products.

The use of the encrypted emails, and email attachments will trigger data mining, and Spyware engines.  Any detected encryption contents may provoke alarming signals to the mass eavesdroppers.

The encryption mechanism is as safe as the security of the key certificate authorities.  These organizations are physically located in various countries, and by nature, they abide by the governing laws in those countries.  These authorities may break the user privacy by themselves.  This is a very gray area of privacy and security in the Internet world.

The encryption is as safe as the issued user public/private key certificates.  This means the encryption may be extremely vulnerable when the certificates are used.

The use of the encrypted emails, and email attachments will trigger data mining, and Spyware engines.  Any detected encryption contents may provoke alarming signals.

The encrypted emails may be used for only single recipients.  This is because the encryption key is the recipient's public key.  Therefore, the emails for multiple recipients may not be properly encrypted.

All the family products in this group are difficult to maintain.  This is because of the need for storing and updating the public keys on the email address books.

Overall Quality:

The use of these encryption products is fairly safe for computer systems, with some exceptions.  

Their use in email encryption, and attachments are not advised.   

Only one-to-one email encryption is possible.  Therefore, the group mail encryption is not possible.  This makes the encrypted emailing a time consuming effort. 

The additional operational difficulties may be discouraging for average users.

User-Based Shared Secret Keys

The private secret key based encryption algorithms may use any proper secret key for some content encryption, and its reverse transformation purposes.  While any secret key may be used for the complete cycle, only the identical key used in content encryption, may be used for its safe reverse transformation. 

When used for Email Privacy protection, the email user may choose a specific secret key for encrypting content.  After the encryption, he may send the content to the email recipients.  The email recipients may only restore the original content by using the identical key as was used by the sender.  The same secret keys are used for encryption, and in a reverse process.   Every email recipient may use the products for encryption purposes.  Currently, there are few good implementation of this algorithm, such as Blowfish, Triple-DES, and AES.  

Disadvantages:

The encryption secret keys should be exchanged between two parties prior to any encrypted email exchange.  This creates a major opportunity for eavesdroppers to obtain a copy of the key, and the encrypted contents.  Then they may use the key to re-store the original contents.  Occasionally, a third party may be involved. 

The computer users may use the secret key based products to lock their computer file systems.  These users need to store the keys on electronic medias such as floppy disks, or the computer itself.  This invites the unauthorized access to these secret keys.  Others may require the use of external token keys.  When a used key may suddenly be lost, the encrypted file will become useless.

The use of the encrypted emails, and email attachments may trigger data mining, and Spyware engines.  Any detected encryption contents may provoke alarming signals to the mass eavesdroppers.

Overall Quality:

The use of these encryption products is very safe for computer systems.

The key management may become complex.

The use of these encryption products in email communications may trigger eavesdropper's alerts.

One-to-many email communication encryption is possible. 

Combined System-Based Secret Keys, and Service-Based Certificates (SSL)

Currently, there are a couple of products in the market that use public-based certificates for server identifications, combined with the shared secret-based encryption for the data itself.  Such products are mostly dedicated for data streaming purposes.  They provide a dedicated channel for financial transaction processing between two parties, and with a fairly good privacy and security protection.  The SSL implementations are not suitable for file system protection, or email protection.  Please visit the following web sites for typical examples: verisign, or Information Security

Disadvantages:

For data streaming products (SSL), the key exchanges are safe from average hackers.  However the shared secret keys are generated by the system itself.

The key creations, and safety of the private channels fall at the mercy of the vendors who build and support such systems.  These systems are as secured and private as the integrity of the companies that support them. 

For data steaming products (SSL), such systems require pre-setup configurations for the business partners, or online vendors that may use the secured channels for their client information processing.  

May not be suitable for computer file system protection.

May not be suitable for secured email communications.     

May require complex key management.  

The use of the encrypted emails, and email attachments will trigger data mining, and Spyware engines.  Any detected encryption contents may provoke alarming signals to the mass eavesdroppers.

Overall Quality:

The use of these encryption products is fairly safe for computer systems, subject to adequate key protection to avoid intruder's attack.

Users may not store the encryption keys in the local computers.

The products in this group may not be adequately secured for email encryption, and their attachments.  This is due to the need to share secret keys with the email recipients. 

The maintenance requirements may also prove to be expensive due to the need to storing and maintaining many secret keys.

In general, the one-to-one email communication encryption is feasible.

Product Comparison

For the comparison purposes, we picked the best products in each categories.  We used important metrics for comparison.  The results are presented in the following table.  We invite all our visitors to examine these results, use the links to the individual vendors to verify these results, and then decide on the products that fit well with their needs.  

Notes: 

• The Red Cells in above table indicate the very undesirable values
• The Brown cells in above table indicate the acceptable values
• The Green cells in above table indicate the good values 
• The Dark Green cells in above table indicate the Best values

The above table clearly shows the advantages of our system in a number of most critical areas.  As seen in the table, with the exception of the Gargoyle eSecure, these systems do not provide the combined simplicity, security, adequate privacy, multi-user functionality and at a low cost.  We also considered the reliability as another major factor for deciding on the right product.  For example, the encrypted user files may become useless when an external device fails, or when the service based products may no longer be available.  

Most of the current products are service-based.  This means that the user may lose the encryption protection services, when a service provider goes bankrupt, or if the vendor may discontinue the service.  Worst, the users who lose their service will also lose their already encrypted files as well.   

Another threat is due to the product dependencies on the third part certificates, the use of peripheral instruments, keys, or cables.  This makes the product unreliable.

A different threat may exist if the product functionality depends on third-party certificates.

While most products provide the file, folder encryption, and email attachment tools, none provided smart email message encryption to hide the user intention against alerting engines.

As seen in the above table, some products allow the dangerous use of command line based encryption, and decryption processes.   This opens windows of opportunities for viruses, Spyware, local, and remote intruders to gain access to the computer systems, and execute malicious command to lock the user file systems.  As we discussed, no other person may undo such malicious actions.  Therefore, the user computer file system may become entirely corrupted.  No powerful encryption product should allow the use of encryption products without proper authentications, monitoring and control.  For example, the children should not be able to use these products to encrypt or even corrupt the files on the home computers.  The Gargoyle eSecure never allows such unauthorized, and unsupervised use of the product on multiple user computers.  

Solution Advantages

Gargoyle eSecure Suite use of proprietary user-based secret-key technologies solve the shortcomings of other encryption algorithms.  The product protects the encryption keys against insecure key exchange process.  The system also prevents users to store the keys on the user computer as well.  This minimizes the key exposure to the eavesdroppers, Intruders, Spyware, and Hijackers.  

Our patented technologies protect the encrypted emails itself against data mining engines, and other Spyware engines.  It also helps multiple computer users to safely encrypt their own files, and file systems against other user's accidental access.  This allows computer users to protect their information in case of computer lose, or unauthorized access.  Parents may use our product to prevent their children from accessing private files, pictures and sensitive financial information. 

Technology Comparison

By a comprehensive comparison of the best technologies and products on the market, it is evident that Gargoyle™ eSecure^™ Suite has set a new industry standard.     

Notes: 

• The Red Cells in above table indicate the very undesirable values
• The Brown cells in above table indicate the acceptable values
• The Green cells in above table indicate the good values 
• The Dark Green cells in above table indicate the Best values

You will never face any information loss, or theft, even in the case of any computer loss.  Now you can hide your data, and when you need them, simply you may unlock the files.  The product is extremely safe and efficient for daily use.  It supports a multiple user computer system similar to the home computers.  All the authorized family members may encrypt their own files on the same computer without damaging the others files unintentionally.  You will never lose any data again!

From now on, you can send emails to your financial agents, or your family members without any worries about the lose of your sensitive information.  Your encrypted emails may not be detected by spies, or used by data mining engines.