CipherPad II
Text Editor Armed with Security Tools
for Windows 9x/Me/NT/2k

Copyright (c) 2000/2001 JfChua. All rights reserved
Shareware/Registered Version 2.91
=================================


  THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT ANY GUARANTEE MADE
  AS TO ITS SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IF
  YOU CHOOSE TO USE IT, YOU DO SO ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE
  AUTHOR TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY DIRECTLY
  OR INDIRECTLY BE CAUSED THROUGH ITS USE OR MISUSE. IF YOU DO
  NOT OR CANNOT ACCEPT THESE TERMS FOR WHATEVER REASON, DO _NOT_
  USE THIS SOFTWARE.
     THE REGISTERED VERSION OF THIS SOFTWARE IS _NOT_ FOR
  DISTRIBUTION. ONLY THE SHAREWARE VERSION MAY BE FREELY
  DISTRIBUTED PROVIDED ITS PACKAGE AND CONTENTS ARE NOT MODIFIED.
  NO FEE MAY BE CHARGED FOR SUCH DISTRIBUTION OR FOR THE SOFTWARE
  WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR.


WELCOME TO ERA II OF CIPHERPAD
------------------------------
  *  See the encryption:
     A "Crypto Mirror" sub-window shows the actual encryption
     data of the plaintext you're working on.

  *  Passwords file:
     If you want it, CipherPad maintains an encrypted file of
     your passwords -- for easy copy-&-paste. Better still, get
     CipherPad to generate tough-to-crack passwords for you.

  *  File shredding:
     Deleting a secret file doesn't destroy its on-disk data. To
     make file data near impossible to recover, shred the file.
     (NT/Win2k users: no support yet for NTFS.)

  *  Three encryption formula flavors:
     Choose now from 5 of the most robust and popular
     industrial-strength private-key encryption systems -- DES,
     TripleDES, a reinforced variation of "RC4", Blowfish, and
     Rijndael (US NIST's proposed Advanced Encryption Standard).

     If that's not potent enough for you, try Whammy -- a
     double-punch using "RC4"+ _and_ Blowfish! And you give your
     usual one password, but _two_ keys are generated from it for
     double-protection.

  *  Test crypto-systems for yourself:
     The serious and expert user can now test that the CipherPad
     implementation of the encryption systems is correct.

  *  Password-locking for Exe's:
     Do you have any security-sensitive executables in your
     system? Now you can encrypt them _without_ disabling
     execution. Any Windows or Dos .exe password-locked and
     encrypted by CipherPad can still run -- but it'll ask for
     the correct password first.

  *  Encrypt/decrypt several files at one go:
     The Encrypt/Decrypt functions are for files that you do not
     load for editing. You can now select and process more than
     one at a time, as long as they are all from the same folder.

  *  Make sfx exe of encrypted file:
     An already encrypted text file can be converted into a
     password-protected self-extracting executable. (Useful when
     the recipient of your file does not have CipherPad.) Eg.
     your myfile.cip can be turned into myfile.exe which, when
     run, asks for the password, then outputs the decrypted and
     uncompressed myfile.txt.

  *  Open up to 5 sub-windows:
     The MDI (multiple document interface) style is eschewed
     because all sub-windows get confined in the main window.
     Claustrophobic! CipherPad lets you open and load up to 3
     sub-windows (given adequate system resources) which may be
     moved anywhere and sized like any application window. You
     may often need to open other files for reference as you edit
     the main file, such as the email to reply to. Even encrypted
     files can be opened in a sub-window, but a sub-window offers
     no editing facilities, only highlighting and copying to the
     clipboard for pasting in your main window.

  *  Edit in hex/ascii format, too:
     For this, CipherPad switches into console-mode. Binary files
     are best edited this way. And avail yourself of disk-sector
     viewing and editing, too. (NT/Win2k users: disk-edit has no
     NTFS support yet.)

Introductory
------------
CipherPad is a text editor like the familiar Windows
NotePad/WordPad, but one's that also packed with security
features. Unlike NotePad, however, CipherPad can manage very
large files, and also adds many editing enhancements. Even
executable and other binary (non-text) files may be loaded,
displayed, edited if required, and encrypted or decrypted.

   CipherPad is intended for both the corporate and ordinary
user. So it offers 5 of the most robust and popular
industrial-strength private-key encryption systems -- DES,
TripleDES, a reinforced variation of "RC4", Blowfish, and
Rijndael (US NIST's proposed Advanced Encryption System).

   It's especially useful for email privacy. Write your email in
CipherPad, which is automatically compressed and encrypted. You
then send it as an attachment in the usual way.

A Breeze to Use
---------------
Apart from the customary menu/toolbar selection, CipherPad
supports drag-&-drop. (To drag-&-drop, click on a text file in
Explorer, then without releasing the mouse button, move the
cursor over to CipherPad's window, then release the button. Or
drop the file onto the CipherPad icon if you have it as a
shortcut on your desktop.)

Buttons become active/inactive as a guide. And there's the online
Help which details _every_ function.

  Whether for the corporate or ordinary user, security doesn't
have to be a hassle. Just load a CipherPad encrypted .cip file,
give the correct password -- and you can _read it right away_! No
need to first uncompress and decrypt. The file on disk remains
encrypted. And when you off-load this file, CipherPad zeroes out
its old area in memory, making it impossible for even a lucky
snooper with the appropriate software to recover scraps of it
still lingering in computer memory.

   So, place a proper value on your privacy. It hardly needs
stressing that you don't want your text files or emails read
without your knowledge, whether or not they contain anything of
importance. WARNING! _Remember your password!_ It's the only key
that will restore a text file encrypted by CipherPad. Without the
correct password, the file is as good as lost. And, as with all
software that manipulates data and allows you to overwrite files,
use CipherPad in the beginning with some caution. It pays to
repeat the injunction to keep backups of important files.

No install?
-----------
Not necessary. The archive contains:

          cpad.exe        -     the executable
          cp9505.exe,     -     required by cpad.exe
           cp9605.exe,
           cp9705.exe,
           cp9805.exe
          cpad.hlp        -     online help
          readme.txt      -     this file
          locked.exe      -     sample of a password-locked,
                                encrypted & compressed executable
                                (original is actually cpad.exe
                                itself); password is "security"
                                (no quotes)

Just create a folder/directory and unZip the files to it. 

To run CipherPad, click on cpad.exe in Explorer. Or click
Start/Run and add as a parameter the text file you want loaded at
start-up. To open a text file, you can use the customary
menu/toolbar selection, or drag-&-drop.

Only one file is generated, to save your preferences:

          cpad.cfg        -     saved config

This file also saves last window position and size; last folder;
wordwrap, insert-key & button-sound toggles. (CipherPad is
non-intrusive software and eschews messing up your Registry or
use INI/INF files.)

To remove CipherPad completely, just delete this folder with all
the files.

With its action hints on the status-bar, and its changing
active/inactive toolbar buttons and tool-tips, CipherPad is a
breeze to use.

NOTE: In the Shareware version, when a file is saved as
      encrypted, the limit is 2,500 bytes. The Encrypt file
      (without loading for editing) and Exe-lock functions are
      also available to registered users only.

Details of every feature
------------------------
You should click on the online Help to get full details of how to
use all of CipherPad's features and for some working tips. (Psst!
including an Anti-snoop button which acts against the snooper
wandering round while you're reading your encrypted text...)

"But I already have a favorite text editor..."
---------------------------------------------
CipherPad, of course, can also be used for ordinary editing,
minus the compressing and encryption.

But what if you want to take advantage of CipherPad's encryption
conveniences without giving up your favorite "mega-powered
multi-document" text editor or wordprocessor? No need to split
loyalties. You can run both CipherPad _and_ your other editor.
Load an encrypted file in CipherPad, click on Select All to copy
everything to the Windows clipboard, then click on your editor's
Paste. Edit to your heart's content, then reverse the process
back to CipherPad so you can save everything as an encrypted
file.

Acknowledgment
--------------
CipherPad II has been developed with the expert assistance of
Matthew J. Harmon, security consultant.

Shareware/Registered Versions
-----------------------------
The shareware version of CipherPad has no expiry -- but
registration removes the file encrypted-save limit and activates
the special features including Exe-lock and Crypto-Mirror. The
registration license is on a per-user per-machine (non-networked)
basis. Bulk discounts are negotiable. To get a registered copy,
send US$30 or S$45 or equivalent to:

  Chua Jan Fui
  c/o 21 Sennett Avenue
  Singapore 467029
  Republic of Singapore.

Pick a payment method most convenient for you. Send:

  (a) draft/check/money order in Singapore funds; or
  (b) check in non-Singapore funds, but please add US$10 to cover
      bank charges; or
  (c) cash in any currency, but maybe some risk of loss in the
      post :-).

No complicated order forms. Just remember to include your name
and email address (on the back of the check, or paper). You may
also want to email me to say payment's on the way. On receipt, a
Registered edition of CipherPad II with a unique serial number
will be promptly emailed to you.

   In any case, emails from all users are most welcome,
especially if you've any suggestions for improvement:

  jfchua@quickhosts.com

or visit my homepage at:

  http://jfchua.topcities.com

to look over my pocket utilities, shareware and freeware.

