Is filename encryption no longer free?

stkmks

Hi, today boxcryptor suggested i do an update, and while downloading, i noticed that under the options for the differences between the free and paid versions, filename encryption is now listed as a paid feature.

The reason i ask is i've always been a free user, but my filenames are definitely encrypted. Will there be any impact to my current encfs filesystem with encrypted filenames if i apply the update?

I'm also a user of beta 0.9 on the mac, and have the same concern there.

Thanks for any advice!

ps. i wouldn't think twice about paying for it if the cost was $10 or less. For $40 the easier course is to change my usage to not need the unlimited features :)

Robert

Hi,

If you're already having BoxCryptor Folders with encrypted filenames, you are still able to use them with the new BoxCryptor version. Just creating new BoxCryptor Folders with encrypted filenames is not possible anymore - in "exchange", you can now use the Free version to encrypt as many files as you want.

Best,
Robert

PS: It's the same for BC for Windows and for Mac OS X.

stkmks

Hello Robert, much appreciated for clarifying how it works.

(Personally i'll be sticking with the old version :)

zooster

I think that too... :)
But what's the changelog of 1.3.2? Why don't you post it?

Boris

Hello zooster

Here is the chaneglog:
* Modified: Restrictions in free version (e.g. no folder size limitation anymore)
* Modified: Upgraded to the latest CBFS version
* Fixed: BoxCryptor crashed when a file in the BoxCryptor Folder has been changed outside of BoxCryptor and path length was > 260 characters

We will include a changelog.txt in future releases so you don't have to search for it anymore.

Best regards
Boris

Hbenditsky

If I upgrade to business or unlimited on my iPad, will I be able to have encrypted file names even if I maintain the free version on my laptop.

Boris

Hello

the BoxCryptor mobile apps are now completely free! (The Umlimited licenses in the Stores will be removed).

Furthermore it is not possible to create an encrypted folder with enabled filename encryption with the mobile apps.

The filename encryption feature is restricted to the Unlimited Desktop versions.

Best regards
Boris

coAch23

I'm a boxcryptor user from the 1st day, later I also bought the unlimited personal key for android (htc desire/one x).

Filename encryption is fundamental for me and was working perfectly until last update. I could encrypt entire folders and files of my sd-card (yeah!!!), but it's not possibile anymore. And it's not just that, I even see thumbnails of the encrypted files (in ES file manager) what is absolutely not acceptable.

Why there isn't this function anymore? Any reason? I would pay for it like I did before!

If I'm not able anymore to encrypt also filenames on my one x unfortunately I have to uninstall this app. Besides: I paid for the key and now the entire app is free. :(

Hbenditsky

Boris

Thanks for your prompt reply. What I want to ensure is that files I store in BoxCryptor are fully encrypted including the file name. I then want to be able to work on the files from my IPad 3 using the Pages and Filemaker 12 Pro apps (storing doc, docx and fmp12 suffixed files). If I purchase a version of BoxCryptor and install it on my Windows 7 laptop and then add my files to the BoxCryptor "Z" drive, will I be able to do so?. If yes, will the actual file name or only the encrypted name be visible to me when I open BoxCryptor on my IPad? If only the encrypted file name is visible, how will I know which file is which? Which is the least expensive version of BoxCryptor which will meet these needs? Thank you

Howard

Robert

@coAch23: As part of the new pricing, BoxCryptor for Mobile is now completely free without paid restrictions and BoxCryptor for Desktop can now be used free to encrypt as many files as you want. On the other hand, creating new folders with filename encryption is now reserved for BoxCryptor Unlimited customers and can only be done on the Desktop. Existing BoxCryptor Folders with filename encryption can still be used.

Two possible workarounds for your problem are:

1) Manually downgrade to the previous version of BoxCryptor for Android and continue to use BoxCryptor for Android as before. You can download it here: http://www.boxcryptor.com/download/BoxCryptor_16_v1.2.2.apk.zip

2) Purchase BoxCryptor Unlimited, create a new BoxCryptor Folder with filename encryption enabled and then copy the BoxCryptor Folder to your One X.

@Hbenditsky: In order to open files from BoxCryptor with other apps, these apps must be registered to receive these files via "Open In". This is basically the case for most file types and apps, e.g. it works for Word files and Pages and FileMaker files and FileMaker Go.

If you want to edit those files in other apps and upload the changed files with BoxCryptor again, these apps have to support "Open In" so that you can send the changed file to BoxCryptor. Not all apps do support this, e.g. while DocsToGo does, Pages and FileMaker Go do _NOT_ offer a way to send the files back to BoxCryptor.

BoxCryptor for iOS will show the actual filenames wether they are encrypted or not. A possible workflow could be:

1) Install BoxCryptor for Windows
2) Purchase BoxCryptor Unlimited and enter the serial number (http://www.boxcryptor.com/download)
3) Create a new BoxCryptor Folder (with filename encryption) in your Dropbox
4) Store Word and FileMaker files in the BoxCryptor Drive "Z"
5) Install BoxCryptor for iOS on your iPad
6) Connect to your Dropbox
7) Open the BoxCryptor Folder
8.1) Open a Word file and choose "Open In DocsToGo"
8.2) Edit the file in DocsToGo
8.3) When finished editing the file choose "Open In BoxCryptor" in order to re-encrypt and re-upload the edited file to Dropbox
9.1) Open a FileMaker file and choose "Open In FileMaker Go"
9.2) View the file in FileMaker Go

Hope I could help you.

--Robert

nickcockman

The filename encoding is part of encfs and has nothing to do with Boxcryptor. Boxcryptor uses standard encfs to encrypt files and directories. The .encfs6.xml file located in the boxcryptor source directory contains the configuration for encfs encryption - including what file/directory encoding to use.
To enable filename encoding you simply update 'nameAlg' node in the xml file. For example, use a name of 'nameio/stream' and major/minor numbers of 3/0 respectively, and you will get encoded filenames that are kept as short as possible. The other nameio options instead of 'stream' are 'null' for no filename encoding and 'block' for filename encoding which hides the filename size (but will create longer encoded filenames).

I felt it is important to point this out. Boxcryptor seems like a good application, and for me one important factor is that it uses the standard well proven encfs for the encryption! There is nothing worse that an application using a home-grown encryption system!! :)

Cheers, Nick

Joe0815

Hi nickcockman,

unfortunately you're (only partially!) wrong: 'nameio/block' is not accepted by BC 1.3.2.0
And the encrypted filenames are far too long, even with 'nameio/stream'.

Regards, Joe

nickcockman

Joe, I have to confess that I didn't try 'block' filename encoding with boxcryptor! :) Stream encoding should work fine. I tried a couple of uploaded images from the current iphone app and it seemed to work ok. How long is too long for a filename? ;) I think the few I have are around 20-25 characters for the filename, which seems reasonable to me...

I guess later versions of the free boxcryptor might forcibly stop the use of stream filename encoding (to encourage users to upgrade) but at the moment I expect on all platforms they are backwardly compatible with source dirs previously created with stream encoding...

Joe0815

@nickcockman: https://forums.boxcryptor.com/topic/how-to-find-files-with-to-long-names-not-synct-with-dropbox

Limited path length is a Win problem (not only Dropbox) but we do have it with /unencrypted/ filenames already. Even worse when names get up to double as long as unencrypted.

Yours, Joe

jnam

Removing an existing feature in a new version is *always* a bad idea. especially when all boxcryptor is doing is removing access to underlying functionality in encFS (GPL!) which, as per post above by nickcockman (thanks, i don't have to repeat it), is easy enough to re-enable. encFS is under GPL so boxcryptor can't really modify *it* without invoking real bad karma.

it stinks when a company locks up *free* functionality for its own commercial purpose, when encFS & FUSE are free and the bulk of what Boxcryptor is. the decent thing to do is to put the functionality back in. needless to say, i'll be apprising encFS of this.

clesenne

jnam,
you're getting some things mixed up here: the EncFS code is under GPL, but not the EncFS technology. You're free to write your own implementation of EncFS under a non-free license as long as you don't use the original EncFS code. In fact, large parts of EncFS were just recently re-licensed under LGPL to make it easier to incorporate it into commercial software.
C
PS: I'm not affiliated with BoxCryptor in any way.

David R.

Hey Clesenne,

Thanks for clarifying this! :-)

Best regards,
David