Release celebrated with sale, double-license offer

A new utility from WellRedApps aims to make public-key encryption of sensitive documents easy enough that business and other users will routinely do it rather than risk data interception. Called DropKey, the drag-and-drop program uses a 256-bit version of public-key cryptography, which uses a matched-pair standard for encryption and decryption. The program features Address Book integration, and support for multiple files into a single encrypted archive.

The public-key system works by having the sender and recipients share public encryption keys. Later, when the sender offers a document that has been encrypted with their own private key (by dragging the document into the menubar DropKey icon), the recipient uses the public key to decrypt without the use of passwords. Users just drag a file or files into the DropKey icon, write in the recipients (which uses Address Book autocompletion), and their mail client opens with a new message and the encrypted document(s), reading for sending.

The public key will continue to work in the future, ensuring that once the relationship of trust has been established, the trusted recipients need do nothing other than drag the encrypted document to their own copy of DropKey, which will decrypt it and offer to save it wherever the recipient would like. The program works with all file types, including images, spreadsheets, text and other files.

In order to promote the initial release of the program, WellRedApps is offering it at $20 (normally $30) for a limited time, and the offer includes a free second license to share with a trusted regular recipient. In addition to being able to encrypt multiple files into a single encrypted archive, DropKey can also encrypt documents so that they can be opened by any number of individual recipients.

The program is available as a demo from the company's website; sales can be handled either directly or via the Mac App Store (customers who buy from the MAS need only send their receipt to support@wellredapps.com to get their free second license).

by MacNN Staff