Securing a Folder???

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a.k.a. Djeau
Posts: 104
Joined: February 19th, 2010, 8:40 am

Securing a Folder???

Post by a.k.a. Djeau »

Is there some way that I can secure a folder to not allow a viewer without a password?

(I have filed some personal stuff that I want to keep from prying eyes.)

Thank you as always!
Joe/Joseph/Dad/Pop/Poppop/”Djeau”
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tanstaafl
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Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm

Re: Securing a Folder???

Post by tanstaafl »

POP or IMAP account?

Its easier to protect the "local directory" (where the messages and filters are stored for an account) for an account than a single folder. If you're using POP accounts and aren't using global inboxes you could reconfigure "Local Folders" to be stored outside of the profile on a password protected encrypted partition. That doesn't have to be a real disk partition, VeraCrypt for example knows how to use a "file container" to emulate one using a file. Or you could move the entire profile there if you're not worried about somebody accessing your PC when you walk away for a couple of minutes..

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Protecting_th ... ile_-_mail , http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_m ... hunderbird and http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_p ... hunderbird

I used VeraCrypt to create a password protected encrypted partition that I store important documents on. That's useful in case my computer won't boot and I need to leave it at a computer shop. I could move my profile to that partition too, but I prefer to use my PC with that partition unmounted (no access as I didn't provide the password) most of the time.
a.k.a. Djeau
Posts: 104
Joined: February 19th, 2010, 8:40 am

Re: Securing a Folder???

Post by a.k.a. Djeau »

POP or IMAP account?

I use verizon.net (POP) 99% of the time. Very occasionally gmail.com (IMAP) - but not for personal stuff!

As for your very much appreciated and detailed explanation, I will have to study it to understand more about it. I confess that my 78+ year old brain is not working so well lately. I also have never used Local Files in my 20-some year of using T-bird.

I will let you know how I make out with your suggestion(s). But if you have other ideas - now that you understand my limitations - I'd be grateful to hear them.

Many thanks for your reply!
Joe/Joseph/Dad/Pop/Poppop/”Djeau”
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tanstaafl
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Re: Securing a Folder???

Post by tanstaafl »

If you're uncomfortable dealing with a password protected disk partition I suggest you consider moving the messages you want to protect into a folder in the "Local Folders" account and then use AES Crypt to encrypt the mbox file they are stored in. A mbox file stores the messages for a mail folder in a single file named after the folder, with no file extension. So a "inbox" mail folder would have a "inbox." mbox file that contains the messages, a "inbox.msf" file that is a cache of the folder listing (if its deleted Thunderbird will automatically re-create it) and a inbox.sbd child directory used to organize any other child folders into a folder hierarchy. The "Local Folders" special account doesn't know how to check for new mail so nothing is going to notice that the mbox file is encrypted until you explicitly open that folder. Trying to open it should fail, but not harm anything. Some quick experimentation using a encrypted folder that has copies of messages that you don't care about should prove that one way or another.

Axcrypt is more popular than AES Crypt but it still only uses 128bit AES. That is why I suggest AES Crypt since it is open source, uses 256bit AES and is growing in popularity. "You do not need to be an expert to use AES Crypt, nor do you need to understand cryptography. When using Windows, the only thing you need to do is right-click on a file, select AES Encrypt or AES Decrypt, enter a password, and AES Crypt will do the rest."

http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/secur ... crypt.html (freeware tools to encrypt/decrypt software from a shareware site I like to use).
https://alternativeto.net/software/axcrypt/ (some alternatives to AxCrypt)
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tanstaafl
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Re: Securing a Folder???

Post by tanstaafl »

I updated http://kb.mozillazine.org/Protecting_th ... ile_-_mail to mention using AxCrypt or AES Crypt to secure just a folder.
a.k.a. Djeau
Posts: 104
Joined: February 19th, 2010, 8:40 am

Re: Securing a Folder??? Plus - another Question..

Post by a.k.a. Djeau »

tanstaafl wrote:I updated http://kb.mozillazine.org/Protecting_th ... ile_-_mail to mention using AxCrypt or AES Crypt to secure just a folder.
tanstaafl, my friend: It looks like I have my work cut out out for me! However, let me again THANK YOU for your excellent replies and more importantly, your patience!

I'll let you know how I make out. May I ask one other question?

I find my error file is always filled with various error messages. None of which I know what they mean.

Since I am not having any problems, I don't know what the error log does for me.

Do I need them? Or are they for some other persons use in analyzing a problem?

Just trying to learn...
Joe/Joseph/Dad/Pop/Poppop/”Djeau”
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tanstaafl
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Re: Securing a Folder???

Post by tanstaafl »

The error console rarely has anything useful for a user, just chatter that you can safely ignore. My error console has 22 entries and I don't have any problems. The messages tab in it typically has the most useful/understandable data. Mine has:

Could not read chrome manifest 'file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Mozilla%20Thunderbird/chrome.manifest'.
Could not read chrome manifest 'jar:file:///C:/Program%20Files%20(x86)/Mozilla%20Thunderbird/extensions/%7B972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd%7D.xpi!/chrome.manifest'.
While creating services from category 'profile-after-change', could not create service for entry 'Sapi Speech Synth', contract ID '@mozilla.org/synthsapi;1'
1487460614366 addons.update-checker WARN Update manifest for {972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd} did not contain an updates property
1487460673596 addons.update-checker WARN Request for https://harris.hostingzoom.com/~b2v/alex/update.rdf timed out


My best guess is that it is complaining about some problems with the manifest file (it describes whats in a package) in the header tools lite add-on (which works fine).

Whats most useful is session logging per http://kb.mozillazine.org/Session_logging_for_mail/news . That generates log files, it has nothing to do with the error console. However, you need to understand the protocol (POP3, IMAP, SMTP etc.) that you are logging. It also doesn't support logging some stuff that would be very useful such as starting up Thunderbird.
a.k.a. Djeau
Posts: 104
Joined: February 19th, 2010, 8:40 am

Re: Securing a Folder???

Post by a.k.a. Djeau »

Again, my friend, I thank you for the explanation. And as you said, you are not having any problems with your T-bird and neither am I.

BTW, I recall my daddy saying, "If it aint broke - DON'T FIX IT!"

Ergo, if the future, I will occasionally clear the the report - if only for to keep things "neat"...
Joe/Joseph/Dad/Pop/Poppop/”Djeau”
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