PortableApps is cool even better than U3 that currently have most of their applications out of date, Firefox 2.0 by example.
I think that the only thing PortableApps needs to be more robust is a password protected applications because if you’re using FileZilla and/or Putty and your thumb-drive is lost or stolen other person will have access to this sensitive applications with sensitive data stored between them meaning that someone will have chance to access to your router or servers before passwords can be changed.
U3 system prevents this issue by locking their “LaunchPad” behind a password. If U3 makes this possible, PortableApps can make this possible too!
Someone knows if this is considered for a future releases of PortableApps???
I hope so!
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It wouldn't stop someone who knows what they're doing from just going into the PortableApps folder and running the apps directly. U3 can do this because it's integrated and the apps require the launchpad to run, but the PortableApps launchers are designed to work without the PAP being installed.
True security requires encryption, via either a hardware-encrypted drive (like an IronKey) or software like TrueCrypt--both of which require installing special drivers, i.e. administrative privileges.
That's true!
I was playing with TrueCrypt and works very fine but you need to mount the usb-drive every time you need to access its content and IronKey is expensive, some $80.00 dollars for 1gig of space.
I was looking for something like E-Capsule and Portable-Vault for U3 but compatible with PortableApps, that would be great!
Felix
Note that Win7 will have BitLocker To Go, which works something like TrueCrypt except built into the OS so it's seamless (no need to mount an extra drive). Trouble is, I'm pretty sure accessing a drive encrypted with it would require Win7 or later, unless Microsoft releases a redist for Vista/XP later on (which would still require admin privs to install in any case).
Totalmente de acuerdo. Días atrás perdí mi memoria flash y no hacía otra cosa mas que pensar como le iba a hacer para evitar que alguien acceda a mi correo en Thunderbird. Por suerte a los días la encontré.
Meanwhile we can use, in Thunderbird, a password to initiate the program. Just go to the settings and you'll find the option.
If someone knows the way to password-protect the whole usb-key using some open source software, please let us know.
.fer
Este es uno de los problemas que tiene PortableApps a diferencia de U3 pero para que PortableApps pueda trabajar igual a U3 (www.u3.com) entiendo que hay que re-escribir nuevamente el programa mas hacer que las aplicaciones dependan de el, sería un exito.
Actualmente existe una forma de encriptar todo el usb-key o solo una porcion y es utilizando el OpenSource TrueCrypt ( www.truecrypt.org ) lo que no me gusta es que tienes que accesar una aplicacion con privilegios de administrador para hacer "mount" del drive encriptado antes de poder escribir y/o leer del drive.
Too Complex for an easy task!
Pienso que PortableApps debe hacer una mimica completa del sistema U3, este ultimo al parecer esta abandonado porque las aplicaciones tienen versiones muy antiguas.
If someone knows something better please let us know.
Felix
Just now while reading the OP's post, I thought of something I don't think other people thought of before concerning password protection.
I'm not sure if my idea is what faviles meant, but I don't think it has been mentioned before.
What if you all integrate password protection into the app launcher itself? So when you click on "AppName Portable.exe", whether it be a portable app or the platform itself, it will ask the user for a password to run the app. Incorrect password and the app will not run, thereby making the data inaccessible.
The are only two flaws that may exist with my idea. The first concerns licensing issues. Many license of many apps here prohibits up from actually modifying the app; but adding a password-protector to run before the app itself cannot logically be considered a modification of the app. It's just an addition/extension that runs before the app itself, not a mod.
The second is that someone can just copy the contents of the Data folder into another Data folder of the app that is not password protected, thereby allowing access to the data within it.
I'm on the verge of coming up with a way to avoid the latter problem. I have the basic concept in my head, I just need to put it into words. I'll let you all know. The only thing is that I'm not sure if you all will be able to actually do it, as I have no experience of actually creating a portable app.
To the first part, this does not prevent someone from bypassing the launcher and launching the main app .exe directly. True, for some apps this may not work at all, but for most apps, the app will still run to some extent.
As far as the second goes, I am guessing that you are thinking of perhaps encrypting the Data folder and use the launcher's built in password to decrypt it when you successfully run the launcher. At the very least it would be messy to implement, but it still wouldn't stop someone from using the app, just keep your data secure (depending on how the app stores your data in the first place).
Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.
One thing I miss on the PortableApp Menu is an option to start automatically applications I can select. With this kind of option and with an encryption application with some specific options (decrypt all data directory of all applications) we can have a level of secure. And if have an option to execute applications when ejecting/closing the menu, we can trigger the encryption process.
The point is that kind of trigger. On the start and on the end. Then the encryption/decryption process will be simple to do.
of the Platform (which is available in the beta frorum) has that feature.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
Simeon, Just to clarify,
The latest version of the platform will have the ability to autolaunch apps, how well that might work with encryption software is open to question.
And always good to see you around Simeon
Tim
Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?
What if the launcher(portable apps) could have add-ons like automatic compression and encryption for apps and auto-run. it would make a lot of these things work well, really well but without some kind of custom driver the apps would still try to get files associated with them manually using some conventional driver and wouldn't find the file or they wouldn't be able to interpret it, it probably wouldn't work. windows has to support something like this you can run stuff out of zip archives windows will treat them like a normal folder. App compressor manages to compress settings files and apps still get at them. that would be a start.
Security is there in many levels.
1st level should be to lock your USB device. My Dane-Elec USB stick can only be accessed after entering a password. One click and it is locked again.
2nd level is de encryption of any passwords stored in settings files like Filezilla and Firefox are doing. BTW, are there any other apps doing that?
This can be done by creating in Toucan a special Job that encrypts all those folders/ files.
3rd level of course is using strong passwords. And if you can not remember them, use Keepass or RoboForm to store them and apply when required.
What could indeed be made is an extention on Toucan that simply detects all PortableApps used and 'creates' on the fly a new Job when requested. This saves an enromous amount of time to find out, maintain and test above 2nd level encryption.
Who can create such extention?
Regards,
Frank
Kind Regards,
Frank Henkes
Currently, I'm using Portable-Vault-Lite to encrypt my files but this application run on U3 environment. Is easy to use, just open the application, enter the password then on a Windows Explorer like environment, you encrypt your files using drag and drop to the usb-key and decrypt your files by double clicking or doing the same drag and drop out of the usb-key, on the fly, without administrator privileges couldn't be easier.
Applications like this would be excellent if we have them on PortableApps environment. What happens developers????
Portable-Vault-Lite
http://software.u3.com/Product_Details.aspx?ProductId=225&Selection=15&L...
The lite version of the software permit you to have 10Mb of data encrypted. The Professional version is unlimited.
Felix
Someone knows if there are any application for PortableApps environment that works similar to U3's Portable Vault?
This application is password protected and also offers a good level of encryption.
Portable Vault Lite
http://software.u3.com/Product_Details.aspx?ProductId=225&Selection=15&L...
Felix
You must have a mouse in your pocket because the title starts off as 'We need...". Since you have not defined 'we' and this is a posted public forum, you must think I need "Password Protected Apps".
I can personally handle whatever level of protection I feel is necessary.
Please do not include me me as part of your we. so the title shouls be We (less 1) need.
Thank you,
Bob
As you know, this is a posted public forum where people express their phrases in many ways. As simple as that!
My time is valuable! Don't make me lose my time reading senseless information.
The log out button is at your left.
Felix
You expressed my feelings entirely about the original post! Your reply is so very elegant.
RobertMilk and faviles
Both of you can stop now.
If not this subthread will be deleted.
Robert you should not have started, faviles you should not have replied
Moderator Tim
Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?
Dear faviles and all,
I offer my sincerest apology.
Sincerely,
Bob
Dear Bob and all,
I offer my apology too.
Keep the good work and enjoy the Forum.
Felix
I've come to the conclusion that TrueCrypt meets my needs. Why have password protection so no one can use Firefox to see the websites you've visited if they can copy the profile to another installaion of Firefox and read them there? Why lock up Office Calc so no one can read your budget spreadsheet when they can mail it to their Google Docs account and read it there? Your data is at least as important as the information that can be leaked by the applications.
That's true Sysadmn
TrueCrypt is a good way to protect your data but I never tried to install ProtableApps inside a usb-key running TrueCrypt. Is that possible?
The reason behind protecting apps is because there are some applications like PuTTY and/or FileZilla (among others) that maintain sensitive information about servers FTP accounts and in the case of PuTTY (SSH Client) it maintain information stored regarding your Router's public IP addresses.
Felix
Absolutely possible, but keep in mind that you will need administrator privileges to run TrueCrypt in the so-called traveller mode (the machine you will use may or may not have TrueCrypt installed).
Thanks for the info!
Felix
I understand, that PortableApps should be portable, so executable without admin rights, but what if
I mainly use my USB flash drive on computers which for I am an admin. Maybe I am wrong, but I suppose, users which are using PortableApps this way (as admin) are in dominance against the users, which have restricted rights in system. So wouldn't be better to implement support for truecrypt at least somehow like this:
let G: be out Flash drive
G:\TC\PortableAppsWithTruecryptSupport.exe
- runs G:\TC\Truecrypt.exe with predefined parameters to map truecrypt file container called e.g. ENCRYPTED.TCP
- waits for changes
- searches for currently mapped partition (called e.g. ENCRYPTED)
- try to run ENCRYPTED:\PortableApps.exe
- PortableAppsWithTruecryptSupport.exe terminates itself
Maybe it's wrong idea, but this gives me the way, how to:
- mount encrypted volume (still with admin rights) with Truecrypt by one click
- automatically start PortableAppsMenu (and best would be to be able to configure some apps to autostart (or more then one autostart profile), someone wrote, this option is in beta testing)
You can start TrueCrypt with command-line parameters. For example:
TrueCrypt.exe /b /l X /m rm /q /v encrypted.vol
This command will mount your encrypted volume "encrypted.vol" to the drive letter "X".
Unfortunately, there's no such thing like autorun in the case of the TrueCrypt volumes, so starting the PortableApps menu can be accomplished only with some kind of third-party utility (Tarma AutoRun for example), or via a batch file.
An example batch file should contain the following lines:
@echo off
TrueCrypt.exe /b /l X /m rm /q /v encrypted.vol
start /wait PortableApps.exe
TrueCrypt.exe /d X
The last line shall unmount the encrypted volume after the PortableApps menu exits.
Note, however, that this is kind of a rude solution. You should write a simple NSIS script also (feel free to check LaunchKey at SourceForge for example code).
around, beside truecrypt you can use OTFC or many others.
Those have common, that they use a driver to mount the container file as drive. This is what people want, but not microsoft. You need admin rights for that. And who is just browsing internet with admin rights is definitely doing something wrong.
OK one can use run as utility if it is own computer.
But this of liitel practical use, since portable apps are supposed to be used underway, on computers in libraries or simply some public computers etc. They are definitely never open for any admin rights, so if you place your encrypted portable suite in it you can use it only at home, why to use it then at all??
To encrypt any files, you can use even zip or 7zip or what ever, aes256 encryption is included there.
And yes we can lock the usb stick, but this is only possible with specific software belonging to specific brand of stick , respectively the build in controller. So this is no general way to do it, but the only reasonbale way, buy stick with supplied software.
But on the other hand, number of such software runs also only under admin rights,some not , but some yes.
And BTW, the geek menu, kindof clone of portable apps, has true crypt option build in, but well this is not a problem to do, the problem is to use it...see above.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
Yes, this is the way how I use truecrypt now.