Introduction:

iFolder is a versatile, accessible, and easy to operate tool that allows users to share and store data. It is excellent file synchronization software. It is a client server technology, where the server maintains all the details about users, stored data, and more. The client is available on Windows, SLED and Mac platforms. In addition it has web access too, to access the files any time and from anywhere in the world.

Description:

One of the good features available in iFolder is "Encryption". This feature has one good usability that, even the administrator will not be able to see the contents once a user encrypts it. Encryption in iFolder is based on "Recovery Agent (RA) Certificates" which the administrator will maintain in the iFolder server. Users can purchase them from 3rd party vendors like VeriSign etc and place the RA on the server.

On the client (for example), when a user logs in, it will prompt the user to select the RA and provide a passphrase; based on which iFolders are encrypted. Later on, whenever the user wants to upload a folder encrypted, just select the "Encrypted" radio box while uploading a folder.

But in general, humans have the tendency to forget the passphrase. What to do in this scenario? Don't worry, iFolder provides a key recovery tool, that will help to get back your data. In this process, the user needs to have some other files like ".p12" etc which are available along with the RA file at the time of creation or during purchase. Also for doing this iFolder server's administrator involvement is needed. There is a possibility to bypass the administrator from this scenario and that is the user has to purchase his own RA. Obviously all users cannot afford this and so this task will be little bit laborious.

To over come this, iFolder has introduced a new feature called "Passphrase recovery on Server". Look like weird feature??? Not at all. It's so simple and easy to use. No extra cost, time, work, etc. are involved in this.

Note: This feature is available in iFolder 3.8.

Here shows its usage of how it can be done from the client side:

• Step 1: At any instance of running iFolder, if you encounter a dialog to select the RA and provide a new passphrase, select RA as "Server_Default" and provide some passphrase. An example is shown below:
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  Click to view.

  
  
  
  
  

  Then start uploading your encrypted iFolders to the server. Now at any point of time, if you forgot your passphrase, there is a key recovery wizard which will guide you how to recover your passphrase. But using the method which I am going to tell you now, you can leave the process of recovering the passphrase to the server which makes your work easy. Also this is a secure way of doing this.

  
  

• Step 2: Go to menu "Security" and click "Forgot Passphrase". Select the iFolder account for which you selected RA as "Server_Default" and click the "Next" button.
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  Click to view.

  
  
  
  
  

• Step 3: Provide your "New Passphrase" with confirmation. Also you have to provide your authentication credentials to allow the server to do this operation. This is for security purposes that no one other than the actual user is requesting this operation. Some times, there is a chance that the user has logged in and not with the machine. At that time, there is a possibility that some other person can do this operation. So, this authentication is a must. If by chance, authentication fails, it will logout the user preventing them to repeat the operation again. This is for safe side.
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  Click to view.

  
  
  
  
  

  Click "Next" which will take you to last page.

  
  

• Step 4: This shows the confirmation message whether the operation is successful or failure.
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  Click to view.

  
  
  
  
  

  Click "Finish" to complete the operation.

  
  
  

It is not necessary for the user to authenticate again. As said previously, if the operation fails, the user will be logged out for security purposes.. Isn't it simple and a secure and simplified way of recovering your lost pass phrase on iFolder, and still allowing you to access your encrypted data all the time?