The procedure to share access to your files with one or more other computers is quite simple;
it amounts to creating a text response file to correspond to each request, and sending them (by email if you like!)
to the persons making the requests. The hard part comes first -- collecting requests, and reviewing which requests
to honor.
You do not need to collect new requests every time you intend to share access to your
information. The tiny request files may be recycled as often as you choose. Recall the
earlier discussion that these request files are very sensitive from a security viewpoint; you do not want
smart hackers getting their hands on these files.
Review the requests carefully each and every time you plan to provide access to any of your
privatized information. For example, requests from employees who have left or subscribers who have passed the
expiry date should be removed. Requests from persons who have switched computers should be replaced.
Requests may be processed one at a time. Alternatively, many requests may be appended one
after another in a file of combined requests.
Master / backup reconstitution file: Sharing access means making a privacy protected
archive available to one or more other computers. A reconstitution file works on one and only one computer. The
"Share access" option creates reconstitution files for a privatized set of files (privacy protected archive) that
will each work on one other selected computer. To start the process, this section of the dialog invites you to
identify the archive to be shared. Do this by selecting that archive's reconstitution file (or its first
reconstitution file if cascading was used). To be eligible for making copies, this file must be either a master
copy (in other words, made on this computer) or a backup copy (made on another computer for this computer with
backup rights being assigned). See more on types of reconstitution file in the "objective" section immediately
below.
Password: You can only give rights to others if you already have rights yourself.
Input the password that was assigned when this privacy protected archive was created.
Objective: There are three types of reconstitution file ... master, backup, and
distribution. A master ("M") reconstitution file is created each time the user employs the option to privatize
computer data; two to seven such master reconstitution files are created if multiple pass cascading fragmentation
is involved. Backup ("B") and distribution ("D") reconstitution files are created by the "share access" procedure.
Master and backup reconstitution files may be used to share access, and/or delete privacy protected archives that
are posted to Internet locations. A reconstitution file marked "D" for distribution may be used only to
reconstitute privatized data, and to delete privacy protected archives on local hard disk.
Backup: Clicking on the radio button labeled Backup means that the reconstitution
file about to be created will have all the rights of the master reconstitution file for this privacy protected
archive. That's bad if you don't trust the person you are giving it to. That's good if your computer has a hard
disk crash or gets stolen ... you can get back your original data using the other computer that has been
identified as backup. You don't have to give the backup reconstitution to anyone else; just keep it aside as
insurance in the event you can no longer use your own computer.
Distribution: Clicking on the radio button labeled Distribution gives limited
rights to the other computer(s) with which you are sharing access. Suppose for example you have a report that
you want 20 offices around the world to receive today. Step 1 - Privatize the report, setting the redundancy
count to at least one so that the privatized version is hidden on the Internet. Step 2 - Produce a distribution
type reconstitution file for a specific computer in each office. Step 3 - Transmit the right reconstitution
file copy to each office. Then each can get the report. However, because they are only distribution copies,
they cannot give rights to others, they cannot know where the hidden files are located, and they cannot delete
the files on the Internet or interfere with the ability of the other offices to get the report.
File containing request(s): Your computer can open any "request" files sent to
it by other users of Pryvit, so long as the request is addressed to your computer.
Suppose other people have sent request files to you, and suppose you want to share information with them. You
can either open one request file at a time here, or you can use a word processor to load a series of requests
one after the other into one combined file. This section of the dialog helps you locate and identify the
request file which may contain one or dozens or hundreds of requests.
Click on the OK button when you are satisfied that you have identified the
correct reconstitution file for the archive that you wish to share, that you have set the option for either
backup or distribution, and that you have selected the file containing the request(s) for the information
that you wish to share. Click on the Cancel button to leave this part of the program. Any selections
you have made above are ignored if you click on Cancel.
After running the Share Access procedure, you will find new reconstitution files in
place alongside the one you identified above. Each new copy has the ten digit computer code at the beginning
of its name. This version of Pryvit does not send these new reconstitution files out for you automatically.
(We are not yet convinced of the security of Microsoft's .NET "Common Language Runtime" technology,
and we do not want Pryvit restricted to computers that have Windows XP or later.) If there is demand, we may
consider a separate little add-on program to e-mail new reconstitution files in the future.
Is e-mailing one of these reconstitution files safe? Yes. Each one has a alphabetic
wrapping that is unique to the requesting computer. Write down the digit 1 (one). Place 65 zeros after it.
Is that a lot of years? That's how many years it would take to break by brute force just one of these
reconstitution files, trying one million different complex combinations per second. So long as the request
file is treated securely, e-mailing the result file is okay.
Incidentally, in each resulting file the password in the request file is substituted
for the password in the original reconstitution file. In this process, the person sharing never learns the
password used by the person making the request.
