When a text based file (i.e., .txt, .html, other files) has sensitive identity match information in it and you wish to keep the file on your computer, you should utilize the Secure feature to automate the securing of this file within an encrypted compressed file. Depending on the software you use for uncompressing files, you should be careful to choose the correct encryption options.
There are two ways to secure a single text based file within an encrypted compressed file:
Single click the file result with the left mouse button to highlight it and click the "Secure" button on the Main ribbon.
Single click the file result with the right mouse button to highlight it and bring up a context menu, then highlight and left-click on "Secure."
To secure multiple text based files at one time, check the checkbox of each file and then choose one of the methods described above to begin securing the files.
After clicking Secure, a dialog box will open with three available options: Portable, Strong, and Stronger. Select the encryption level you want, enter a password to secure the file(s), and click OK. If you click Cancel, no files will be secured. If you click OK and multiple files were selected via their checkboxes, the password and encryption option you provided will be applied to each file. After clicking OK, Identity Finder will secure each file and remove its result row from the Results View allowing you to continue dealing with other, insecure identity matches.
Each file you choose to secure inside an encrypted compressed zip will named according to its original filename plus a .zip extension at the end. For example, if you secure c:\data files\mydata.txt, you will end up with c:\data files\mydata.txt.zip. Contained Inside this encrypted zip will be your original file with no changes. Because your original file contained sensitive identity match information, it will automatically be shredded.
You are also given the option to "Securely store this password in your Password Vault". If you do, the location and password will be saved securely within the Password Vault for you to reference later. Only you have access to your Password Vault because it is only accessible if you authenticate to Identity Finder and load your Personal Information File.
Next time you try to open the file in your uncompressing application (i.e., Windows or WinZip), the associated application will prompt you for the password you entered via Identity Finder. If you forget your password, you will not be able to open your file.
Note: Portable is the only option available by default within Windows 2000/XP and higher. However it is not a strong encryption option. Strong and Stronger are better options, but will require the use of the Identity Finder Open Secure Zip File Tool or a third party application like Winzip. Strong utilizes 128bit AES encryption and Stronger utilizes 256bit AES encryption.
Note: Choose a strong password to be sure your document is safe.