Marathon Chameleon User Manual

U.S. Patent Pending

Chameleon

User Manual

Chameleon User Manual Doc# 100-03-080

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Table of Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2

2 Installation and Setup .............................................................................................................. 2

2.1 Uninstalling ..................................................................................................................... 5

3 Chameleon Encrypted Drives: Protecting Your Data ............................................................ 5

4 Encrypting Individual Files and Folders ................................................................................. 8

4.1 Encrypting Individual Files and Folders ......................................................................... 8

4.2 Decrypting Files ............................................................................................................ 11

4.3 View Encrypted File Details ......................................................................................... 14

5 Duplicating a Chameleon Device ......................................................................................... 15

6 Disabling Lost Chameleon Devices ...................................................................................... 16

6.1 Migrating Encrypted (.cge) Files .................................................................................. 18

7 Password Protection .............................................................................................................. 19

7.1 Password Modification ................................................................................................. 20

8 Adding, Deleting, and Resizing Encrypted Drives ............................................................... 21

9 Additional Functions and Limitations .................................................................................. 23

9.1 Using a Chameleon Device with Multiple Computers ................................................. 23

9.2 Using Multiple Devices with the Same Computer ....................................................... 23

9.3 Windows Paging File .................................................................................................... 24

9.4 Safe Removal ................................................................................................................ 25

9.5 Backing up your Data ................................................................................................... 26

10 Limited Warranty and Legal Notices ................................................................................ 26

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Chameleon User Manual Doc# 100-03-080

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1. Before installing the Chameleon software, make sure any previous versions of the

Chameleon software are uninstalled. Uninstalling does not delete existing encrypted drives.

2. Insert the installation CD and run the Setup program.1 (You can also download the setup

program from http://www.marathon6.com/chameleon.)

1 Introduction

Chameleon protects the files on your PC with AES-256 encryption. Chameleon differs from
other USB encryption devices by protecting the files on your hard disk rather than transferring
them to a USB device. Chameleon creates an encrypted drive using the free space in your hard
disk. Files and applications stored in this encrypted drive are protected and can only be accessed
when the Chameleon device is plugged in. Like the key for your car, the Chameleon device acts
like a physical key for your hard disk.

Chameleon works with Windows XP, Vista, and Win7 based PCs.

2 Installation and Setup

1

On some Windows7 computers, you may get a User Account Control warning that a program is trying to make

changes to the computer. Select “Yes” or “Install” if this occurs.

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Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

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Chameleon User Manual Doc# 100-03-080

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3. Click on the "Install" button to load the

software.

4. Insert the Chameleon device then press

"Start" to launch the installation wizard.

5. Choose between A), B), or C)

A) Choose a Recovery Passphrase. This passphrase is only used for making duplicate copies

of your Chameleon device (in case you lose it) and not used in normal operation. You can think
of the Recovery Passphrase as a password stored on the device itself.

Select a unique passphrase. Another Chameleon device with the same passphrase may be able to
access your data. Once programmed, the Recovery Passphrase can never be changed.

A good passphrase is at least 16 characters long and includes random letters (upper and lower
case), numbers, and special symbols. Protect your passphrase as you would protect a password.
An attacker who learns your passphrase can use it to make a duplicate device. There is no way
to duplicate a Chameleon device without your Recovery Passphrase.

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485 E. Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

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Chameleon User Manual Doc# 100-03-080

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B) For the best balance of security and redundancy, use a random sequence of at least 64

numbers and letters as the passphrase. After completing the installation, make several duplicate
devices with this sequence as backups (See “5 Duplicating a Chameleon Device”). In order
to create additional duplicates in the future, save the random sequence in a secure location.
Delete the sequence, otherwise.

C) Disable the Recovery Passphrase. For the
strongest security, disable the Recovery
Passphrase. This instructs the Chameleon
device to generate its own random encryption
key. However, this means that you will not be
able to duplicate the device if it is lost or
broken.

6. Enable/Disable Password. When enabled

the password must be entered every time
the device is plugged in. A password is not
required and may be added or changed at
any time.

If enabled, the password should be
different from the Recovery Passphrase. A
password protects the Chameleon device
from unauthorized use.

7. Create an encrypted drive. Specify the

size and location of the drive. The installer
creates the encrypted drive using the free
space at that location. It can reside on your
local hard disk or on external USB drives.
The encrypted drive can be resized later.

All content copied to the encrypted drive is automatically protected. It is accessible when the
device is inserted, and disappears when the device is removed.

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485 E. Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

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Chameleon User Manual Doc# 100-03-080

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2.1 Uninstalling

You can uninstall the Chameleon software by locating “Chameleon” from the Windows start
menu and selecting “Uninstall” (Start > All Programs > Chameleon > Uninstall). Uninstalling

does not remove your encrypted drives. To remove the encrypted drives, delete the directory
ChameleonDrives from your hard disk’s top level directory (ex. C:\ ChameleonDrives\). The
ChameleonDrives directory can only be deleted when the Chameleon device is disconnected.

3 Chameleon Encrypted Drives: Protecting Your Data

Plug in your Chameleon device to access the encrypted drive. The encrypted drive appears like
any other hard disk in your system. You can store files in it, open files from it, install and run
programs from it, move files from one directory to another, and direct applications to use the
encrypted drive. Once the Chameleon device is removed, the encrypted drive disappears from
Windows. A forensic examination of your hard disk will reveal only encrypted, apparently
random, data.

Only files that are stored on the Chameleon drive are encrypted. Any files copied or read from
the encrypted drive are automatically decrypted. For instance, if a user were to attach a file from
an encrypted drive to an email, that file would be attached decrypted. For securing email
attachments and cloud storage, see section “4 Encrypting Individual Files and Folders”.

You can copy files to the encrypted drive simply by dragging and dropping them there.
However, this retains the original unencrypted file at its original location. A more secure method
is to right-click drag and drop. Hold down the right mouse button, then drag the selected file to

the encrypted drive. A dialog appears showing “Copy”, “Move”, and “Secure move”. The

secure move option moves the file into the encrypted drive, then scrubs away any traces of that
file from its original location.2 If a significant amount of data is involved, this may take some
time.

2

The standard Windows move command copies the file, then marks the original file as deleted. The deleted file
may be recoverable with specialized tools. The secure move option prevents recovery by overwriting the deleted
file.

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You can also securely move a file to the encrypted drive by using the secure paste option. Right

click on the file or folder you want to move, then select “Cut”. Next, right click on a encrypted

drive or sub-directory, then select “Secure Paste”. Like the secure move option, the secure paste
command cleans away all traces of the unencrypted files from the hard disk.

Secure commands are only available when the Chameleon device is plugged in.

The Chameleon software also adds a secure delete command. Right click on any file or folder

then select “Secure Delete”. This is more secure than deleting the file then deleting it again from

the Windows’ Recycle Bin. Since secure delete overwrites every bit of the file from the hard

disk, this may take some time if a significant amount of data is involved. The normal Windows
cut, paste, and delete commands are still available.

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485 E. Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

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Deleting a file stored in an encrypted drive places it in the Windows’ Recycle Bin. You can

recover the file from the Recycle Bin as long as the Chameleon device is still inserted. Deleted
files disappear from the Recycle Bin when the device is removed. They reappear in the Recycle
Bin when the device is reinserted. There is no need to secure delete any files located in the
encrypted drive.

Any files you create directly on the encrypted drive are automatically protected. However, some
applications store temporary information to your unencrypted drive. This information may be
recoverable with specialized tools. You should direct your applications to store their temporary
files in the encrypted drive. This can usually be accomplished by installing your applications
directly in the encrypted drive.

You can plug or unplug the Chameleon device at any time. Your computer is still fully
functional without the Chameleon device. Only the encrypted drive (and any programs and data
in it) will be unavailable. Be aware that unplugging the device while writing data to the
encrypted drive may result in data corruption. This is similar to removing an external hard disk
in the middle of a write to it. To be absolutely sure that no writes are occurring, use the
Windows Safe Remove function before unplugging the device.

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Chameleon User Manual Doc# 100-03-080

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1. Plug in the device

2. Enter your password

(if enabled)

If an application is open with an encrypted file, that application and file may still be accessible
even after you unplug the Chameleon device. For example, let’s say you are editing a protected
file in Microsoft Word. If you unplug the device, a copy of this file is still open in Word. You
cannot save this file to the encrypted drive until you re-insert the device. However, you are still
able to view and edit the parts of the file cached in working memory.

4 Encrypting Individual Files and Folders

The Chameleon device automatically encrypts all data placed in the encrypted drive and
automatically decrypts all data taken out of the encrypted drive. While convenient and secure,
this does not protect information you email or store online. For these situations, the Chameleon
device can encrypt and decrypt individual files and folders.

4.1 Encrypting Individual Files and Folders

You can encrypt a single file, a group of files, or whole directories (but not shortcuts or special
icons like the Windows Recycle Bin). Files encrypted by a Chameleon device can only be
decrypted using the same device (or by its Master).

Copyright © LucidPort Technology, Inc.

485 E. Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

www.lucidport.com