Close password protected document after period of inactivity

[raylittle]

Is there some setting or easy way to have a password protected document automatically close after a period of inactivity?

Thanks,
Ray

[Hagar Delest]

Why? It's a desktop manager issue: if you leave your computer, then lock it so that no application are available. Why only that document?

[raylittle]

First, I'm running WinXP (I won't bore you with the details of that story). Most of what I have up on my desktop is not a problem, but the few critical password protected items I would like to have close after a very short period of time, not my entire desktop everytime I get up.

Ray

[Hagar Delest]

What would be the difference between typing a password to unlock that document or to unlock the whole system? The wider the security is, the better I guess. What if someone takes the files on a USB key while you're not here? Then he will be able to try to crack it.

[raylittle]

There are times when I have to let people on my system (e.g. recently I was switching from DSL to broadband and I was working with a technician to resolve some issues). To prevent people from stealing data (e.g. I took a PC in to Best Buy for repair and caught them looking over my hard drive) the last thing I would rely on would be the log on protection (especially of WinXP). Instead I use virtual drives with government level top secret encryption.

However, from what I've been able to gather here there's no answer to my question.

Thanks,
Ray

[Hagar Delest]

No, there is no such feature and I doubt there would be ever one like that.

In your case, I guess that the only way is to use removable drives and keep the files out of touch. If someone wants to steal your top secret files, they won't just try to open them, they're quite sure they're rather well protected (except if you use .doc passworded files ) so their first goal will be to copy the files and send them to their specialists to decode them. So even if OOo close them, they'll be able to access them.

BTW, you work on top secret files and leave them open when strangers have access to your machine (as you need OOo to close them automatically)?

[TerryE]

Hagar what Ray said was "I use virtual drives with government level top secret encryption" not "I work on files which have a government level top secret marking". Big difference.

Ray, as a general issue none of the commercially available OSs (and this certainly includes XP which has so many complex and backdoor APIs that it leaks like a sieve) will warrant protection between users within a system let alone processes within one user space. So if you allow anyone to log onto or access your PC whilst you have processes and files open that you wish to protect then all bets are off.

The concept of mountable encrypted files systems is a good idea and will help. These typically will use something like AES-256 for the pseudo-block level encryption possibly in an RSA-1024 wrapper if some form of multiple access is required. But even here this would only deter the casual hacker. The heavyweights would just pinch a copy of the file system entire and leave some small trojan on you PC to capture the passwords etc the next time that you log in.

BTW this is no stronger than the strong encryption used inside OOo. This will at least protect the content of the files -- until your passwords are compromised.

[Start-of-mind-fart] If someone really wants to get at your information then they will. It only starts to become inconvenient if they don't want you to know or to find out. Most of us don't need to protect our information to that degree, but if you really don't want anyone to get at your info, then the real answer is to keep it on a PC that you never directly interconnect to a network, such as one of the little Zonbu PCs ($99) which you keep in a wall mounted safe with minimum 6 digit electronic lock (another $99 nope that's the down-payment, but there are other bricks out there for ~$200 ) and some seals ($30) which you can sign. That way (i) you will deter 99.99% of thieves, and detect 99.9999% of thieves who wish to steal your data. But what you then really need to worry about is the lengths that that remaining micro-%age of theves would be willing to go to to get that data. [end-of-mind-fart]

[raylittle]

Thanks TerryE, I guess I'll just have to be more mindful about closing files when I may have to let someone log onto my computer (or even worse, take it in for repair). BTW - I don't use a complete encrypted file system because I need to have applications that are cross-platform. Therefore, I just creates encrypted volumes.

No Hagar my CIA days are long over (just kidding). But Incidents like the one at Best Buy just so offended me (actually even more so than some identity theft attempts) that I've become a little paranoid.

[Hagar Delest]

Incidents like the one at Best Buy just so offended me (actually even more so than some identity theft attempts) that I've become a little paranoid.

Of course, I can understand that!
I'm not used to virtual drives (thanks Terry, for the correction I had read too quickly I guess), that's why I would secure all my personal data on an external drive and remove it from the HD before giving it to any third party.

[raylittle]

I didn't really mean for this to turn into a debate over different approaches to security. It's more complicated than that. I use it all. I have password protected documents, virtual volumes, network hard drives, and external hard drives. I just use whatever approach (or combination) is appropriate for each situation and task. There's no one method for all situations. For example, many people have one set of rules when they're on the road with their laptop and another set of rules when they're working on the desktop in their office.

[Dave]

To the original question: The answer is always that possibility and feasibility often collide. The answer is, "Yes", but it might be expensive [available scripting software], and might entail a lot of effort programming. It is not a natural feature of any word processor [or any other generally used application program] that I know of.

If someone really wants to get at your information then they will.

Guaranteed! Quite a few years back, a hacker, on his arrest, was asked how long it took to break into the Pentagon computers. He smiled as he said, "Less than a minute."

Keep your important stuff OFF the computer HD , and carry it with you. The program will close down when you save it and take it with you. Sometimes life requires more than a single magic button press.

David.