Print

Welcome to Smokey's Security Forums.

Guests have only limited access to the board and it's features, please consider registering to gain full access!

Registration is free and it only takes a few moments to complete.

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jetico]

Newer versions of the program are always compatible with archives created with an old version.
All the needed information is encrypted inside archive.

[beelz]

What if I uninstall my older version of BC Archive and then install a newer version? Will the newer version be able to decrypt the archives made by the older version? I mean, is the older version writing a file somewhere that tells it which key algorithm, hash,  salt and iterations were used in my archives, and needs this info to decrypt? Or will the newer version not need this info to decrypt? Or perhaps all the needed info is in the archive itself?

[beelz]

Okay, thanks for the answers.

[Jetico]

I'm not in front of my computer now, but I believe the "iterations" always seem to default to 1024 or some number not far from that. I have no idea what effect "iterations" has on the security or speed of the encryption. Can anyone elaborate on this?

About "Salt" and "Iterations", please read here:
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=5010

The information concerns BCArchive as well as BestCrypt.
The number of iterations does not affect speed of encryption.
It works against "password-guessing modules".

When creating a new archive in BC Archive, in advanced "encryption parameters" you can select an algorithm and also a "key algorithm." Should the key algorithm be the same as the regular algorithm? What is the reason one might want the key algorithm to be different? Should "Salt" and "Iterations" be left at the default selections?

The algorithms may be the same or not - it does not matter.
The "algorithm"  affects the speed of encryption.

In future, if you wanted to decrypt the files with a different program, would you need to remember the algorithm used and also the key algorithm, hash and salt, in addition to your password?

I do not nthink you will be able to decrypt archives with a different program.

[beelz]

I'm not in front of my computer now, but I believe the "iterations" always seem to default to 1024 or some number not far from that. I have no idea what effect "iterations" has on the security or speed of the encryption. Can anyone elaborate on this?

[beelz]

When creating a new archive in BC Archive, in advanced "encryption parameters" you can select an algorithm and also a "key algorithm." Should the key algorithm be the same as the regular algorithm? What is the reason one might want the key algorithm to be different? Should "Salt" and "Iterations" be left at the default selections?

In future, if you wanted to decrypt the files with a different program, would you need to remember the algorithm used and also the key algorithm, hash and salt, in addition to your password?

Thanks