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My Data Guard (MDG) will securely protect all your personal information. No one will be able to view the data without knowing your password.
MyDataGuard uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) - a virtually unbreakable encryption - the same encryption used by US Government organizations to protect sensitive data. For more information on this encryption see 'About Encryption' found later in this document.
Items that you can use MDG to protect include... Internet passwords, Medical information, Phone account codes, PIN numbers, Social Security Numbers, Bank Accounts, Private phone numbers, Goals, Diary entries, Business strategies, or any other information.
The first time you run the program you are asked to enter a MyDataGuard (MDG) file name and password. You enter the password twice to verify that you have typed it correctly, then press the OK button.
A reminder pops up to caution you not to forget your password since, without it, you will not be able to open your file.
The data screen opens, populated with example data. Edit this example data to make it your own.
Using the File menu, Select SAVE then EXIT.
A dialogue box pops up and asks if you want to Email or Back Up your file. Select the Back Up Button, then select the OK button to back up to your local drive. You'll see a message reminding you that it is best to back up to an external drive. Press OK.
Your data is now safely encrypted, and an additional backup copy of the encrypted data file is saved for added protection.
Each time you start the MDG program or open an existing MDG data file, the program needs to know which file you want to open.
If you've only created one MDG (MyDataGuard) file then that file is used as the default file and it's name is listed in the lower left hand corner of the login window. You are only asked to enter a password.
If you have more then one file, pull down the list box to view all your files listed in alphabetical order.
Select the file you want to open. Enter the password for that file. Select OK.
View and/or edit your MDG data file contents, and exit when you're done. Each time you exit your data is automatically encrypted based upon your password.
Choose a file name that will be meaningful to you. You can use your own name or a name that indicates the kind of data the file will hold such as "MyDiary" or "Finances".
User experience has told us that it is best to create just one file for all your private data. This makes it easy to locate the information you need when you need it. If you do decide to create more then one file (example, one for finance, one for diary) we recommend using the same password for each. This will help insure that you don't forget the password.
Your password is the 'key' that encrypts your file. Your password may be anywhere between 5 and 25 characters. the longer you make your password the more secure the encryption of your data will be.
Spaces are ignored. If you were to type 'Long Live the King' as your password, the actual password would be entered as 'LongLivetheKing'. Use the space key as you like, The program strips spaces for you.
The password is case sensitive, meaning that if you enter "animal" as your password "Animal" will not work.
It is also recommended that you include symbols (` ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * _ + - = { } | [ ] \ : " ; ' < > ? , . /) and numerals to make the password more secure, for example G0neToP$hoenix.
Use a password that is not obvious but easy for you to remember. A combination of letters and numbers and characters is best such as 'mounT0live2. In this case the '0' is a zero and the 'T' is a capital 'T'. If you write your password down, keep it in a place well away from your computer and do not identify it as a password for your MDG data file.
NOTICE! If you forget your password you will not be able to retrieve your data. For security reasons there is no "back door" or other ways to access your data. The correct password MUST be provided.
The most important part of creating a password is to create one that you can remember. A password may be highly secure based on its makeup, but it can't be remembered, then it is a poor choice for a password. You might also consider just what is the likelihood of someone trying to discover your password as you decide how complicated to make it.
You may change an existing password at anytime from the file menu.
To open another file from within the program:
Choose the File menu, then Open.
Select the MDG data file name you want to open. Enter the password for that file.
Click OK.
My Data Guard employs the standard Window's editing functions. The following commands may be called through the MDG Edit menu, the MDG Toolbar, or the standard Window's key combinations.
Undo - Undoes the most recent edit you made to your data.
Cut - Removes the highlighted data and places it in the window's clipboard, replacing any existing clipboard data.
Copy - Copies the highlighted data and places it in the window's clipboard, replacing any existing clipboard data.
Paste - Paste's the contents of the clipboard into you data.
CTRL + HOME.
CTRL + END.
Page Down and Page Up keys.
Vertical Scroll bar.If you use a computer in two locations, one at home and one at the office, or one desktop and one laptop, you can easily transfer your MDG data file between them.
If a file with the same name and password as the file you want to transfer between machines does not already exist on the target machine use the import button on the login page to import the file.
If a file with the same name and password as the file you want to import already exists, you must import it using the File | Import command from within the program. This is for security. No one may import a file from the login screen that already exists. They must first load the original file by entering it's correct password.
See 'Export' below for more information.
The export process allows you create a backup of your MDG data file and also to share it between two computers that both have the MDG program installed. There are two ways you may export: 1) to an external memory device such as a USB memory drive or 2) Using email.
Insert your USB Flash drive or other external memory drive that you wish to export to.
Choose File menu, then Export.
Select the drive you want to export to. If the USB drive was already inserted before starting MyDataGuard, the default drive will be the USB drive. If the drive you want is not the default, use the pull down to select it.
Click OK.
Export copies your Data File to the drive of your choice. In most cases you will want to export to a USB Flash Drive. You may export to any portable data storage device that is interpreted as a drive.
Export creates a encrypted backup copy of your MDG Data File. A backup copy is always recommended for data safety. If the hard drive on your PC should fail or become infected with a virus, you will still have a copy of your data available to you.
Export allows you to transfer the latest copy of your MDG data from one computer to the other. For additional details see 'Importing Your Files'.
The export process copies your encrypted MDG Data File to a specific folder on the target drive's root directory. This folder's name is MDGBackup. The import process looks to this directory and folder to find the data file to import. This is why you are not asked to enter a complete path but only the drive. If you want to manually indicate the directory folder, click the 'Free Style' button.
Each you exit the program, if you have edited your data, you will be asked if you want to create a backup copy (export).
To use Email to Import/Export your MDG files see Export by Email.
This is another easy way to keep a backup of your file. You can email the file to yourself. The file is encrypted, so the data cannot be deciphered by anyone unless they know the password and have a copy of the MyDataGuard program.
Use the Email menu option under the File menu OR select the EMAIL button when you are asked if you would like to Backup you data (This happens each time you exit the program if you have edited or saved your data).
In most cases, simply entering the 'To' and 'From' addresses is all you need to do. My Data Guard email uses an advanced feature named DNS lookup. This means that you can send an email without having to enter any server information. However, not all emails can be delivered this way, so including server information is recommended.
'From' and 'To' will work in many cases, but not all. Also, without server information, the email you send is likely to be interpreted as spam. So, if you have access to an email server (and if you have an internet account you probably do), go ahead and fill in the server information in [Server, User, Password].
Do you use outlook? Then you can find your email server information in the email account properties. Open Outlook and look under Tools | Email Accounts. The server address and username (normally your email address) are visible. The only thing not visible is your password. If you don't have that, contact your internet/email provider. [remember to put this information in My Data Guard for safe keeping!].
If you use Cox, Verizon or other such internet services you normally would have an email server address, user name (usually your main email address) and password. The server name does not have a "@" in it, like an email. It uses only dots as separators. See below for server name examples.
You can go to Google and sign up for their free email. As part of that free account, you are given server information that you can use. See Gmail below for details.
After setting up your free email account use the Google smpt server name (address): smtp.gmail.com. Select 'My server Requires user Authentication' and enter your username (your google email address) and password. Select 'My server Requires SSL connection'. This changes the default port to 465. Now you can send your emails. All settings are stored for you and are redisplayed the next time you open this email window. For more Google help on these settings go to http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=13287
If you send an email to a Yahoo address, you must supply server information. Yahoo does not allow direct DNS lookup. You must also use a server address that is not Yahoo (unless you have the paid for Yahoo version MAILPLUS). For more information see: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/mailplus/pop/pop-14.html
If you send an email to a Hotmail address, you must supply server information. Hotmail does a reverse lookup looking for the server name, so you must supply one to deliver to the hotmail address.
The MDG file attached to the email is entered automatically and is based on the file that is currently being viewed. The file is encrypted and included as an attachment to the email when you select the 'Send' button. You may also use the ADD button to attach additional files.
Here is a list of SMTP addresses for some of the major internet providers taken from OneWebHosting. To see a complete listing please go to their web site at: www.onewebhosting.com/esupport/?_a=knowledgebase&_j=questiondetails&_i=7
Gmail: smtp.gmail.com
Verizon Internet service: outgoing.verizon.net
SBC Internet service: smtp.sbcglobal.yahoo.com
Earthlink Internet service: smtp.earthlink.net
Qwest Internet service: pop.dnvr.qwest.net
OPTOnline Internet service: mail.optonline.net
SBC Internet service: smtp.sbcglobal.yahoo.com
SCB (Pacbell): mail.pacbell.net
SCB (SBC Global): smtp.sbcglobal.net
StarStream Communication: smtp.starsteam.net
Comcast Internet service: smtp.comcast.net
AT&T (Broadband): mail.attbi.com
AT&T (Dialup): smtp1.attglobal.net
Bellatlantic.net smtpout.bellatlantic.net
NetZero: smtp.netzero.com
The server port 25 is used by default and will work fine in most cases. Sometimes however it will not. If you are travelling and connected to the internet using someone else's wireless network, you may find yourself blocked from sending emails. In this case try using port 587, which may then work. This is also a solution to try in your outlook or other third party email settings.
For SSL the default port we set for you is 465. If this does not work, check with your email provider to see what port you should use here.
The Import process allows you to share your MDG Data File(s) between two computers that both have the MDG program installed. It also allows you to replace an existing file with its backup copy. To import an existing file:
Choose File menu, then Import.
Select the drive you want to import from (normally a USB flash drive). Click OK.
You may import from any portable data storage device that is interpreted as a drive as well as from your own computer's hard drives.
Import allows you to transfer the latest copy of your MDG data from one computer to the other. This is useful if you are running the MDG program on more then one machine and want to move the most recently edited copy of your data from one machine to the other. For additional details see 'Export' and 'Moving MDG files between Two Computers'.
During the import process, if the file being imported is older then the file that it will overwrite, you are warned and asked if you want to continue the process.
Import allows you to restore your MDG Data File. If the hard drive on your PC should fail, and you have created a backup copy of your file, you can use the import process to restore your data.
If you are unable to open the file you want to replace from within MyDataGuard delete it manually. See 'Bypass the Import Process' for more help.
The default import process looks to find a directory named MDGBackup on the drive you point to when importing. This is the same directory that the export process exports to and creates if it does not exits. This keeps the process simple and consistent, eliminating potential confusion. You may import from any directory however by selecting the Free Style button on the import dialogue box.
To import an existing file, overwriting the installed file, you must provide its password. This is by design and prevents overwriting a file unintentionally. It is also for security as no one may import a file other then their own. The currently loaded file must have the same name and password as the file you wish to import. This feature is for security. No one may import a file other than their own.
To Import an emailed file into the My Data Guard program copy (save) the file from your email to your desktop.
If this is an existing file that you are importing:
Start MyDataGuard.
Open the file of the same name and password as the imported file.
Use the File Menu | Import | Free Style to locate and import the file that you placed on your desktop. If the imported file is not as current as the existing file, you will be warned.
If this is a new file that your are importing:
Select the import button on the log in screen.
Use the "Select a file" dialogue box to locate and import a new file manually.
If you try to import a file that already exists using this second method, you
will not be able to. Instead, follow the instructions above for importing an
existing file. This is a security feature to prevent others from
overwriting your file with another file of the same name.
Choose File menu, then Save. Or... Click the Save icon on the toolbar.
Note - If you've made changes to your data and choose exit without saving, the MDG will ask you if you'd like to save your changes before exiting.
To delete your MDG data file Choose File menu, then Delete. Read the warning. Select Yes. Click OK.
Warning: This action permanently deletes the current file. After you delete a file, the data cannot be retrieved.
Once you have entered the program you may add a new file. To create a new MDG data file you enter a new file name and password.
Choose File menu, then New.
Enter your new MDG data file name. Enter a password for the file (twice).
Click OK.
Type in your personal data.
If you are going to have more then one MDG data file it is strongly recommended that you use the same password for each. This way you will not have to remember multiple passwords. The requirement to be within the program before being allowed to add a new file keeps others from easily adding their own file to your program's file storage without your permission.
While in general most will have a separate window's account on a computer for each user, so that each interacts with their own personal copy of the program, you may wish to simply share the same program instance with others. This would be the case where several people share the same computer and the same login or account, as in a general office setting or at home. When sharing one instance of the program a new user can only gain access if an existing user allows them to. To do so do the following:
Choose File menu, then New. Your personal data disappears from the screen so that the new user cannot see it.
Instruct the new user to enter their own New MDG Data File name and password. If the new user enters a MDG data file name that already exists, they will be notified and asked to enter another.
When finished, the new user clicks OK.
The new user enters some data, then saves and exits. Now both files are encrypted each with its own password known only to the user that created the file.
The next time the program is started, each user will need to choose their own MDG Data File to open and enter it's password. If the user does not know the file's password, they will not be able to view that file. In this way each user's personal data is kept secure from all other users. The whole family or office can keep their personal data information secure even while sharing the same user profile and program instance on one computer. Since you must be within the program to add a new MDG data file, new MDG data files can only be added with the express permission of an active user. This keeps strangers from adding themselves to your program. It also increases security in that the only person who can enter the program is a person with a MDG data file and a valid password. The exception to this rule is when a user selects the Import button on the Log in screen to import an existing MDG file for which they have the password. Even then, they will not be able to import their file if a file by that name already exists.
Each MDG data file has its own password. The password may be changed once you have opened the file.
Choose File menu, then Change Password.
Enter your new password two times.
Click OK.
You may want to change your password periodically for added security. Once you change your password, your old password will no longer work. See 'More on Passwords' above.
Choose File menu, then Print.
View security warning. Select Yes.
Make print selections.
Click OK.
Note: If you print your personal data, be sure to place the printed copy in a safe place. Printing your data defeats the password protection that MDG Data Guard offers.
Search looks through your MDG data file from start to end for the word or phrase that you want to find.
Choose Search menu. Enter the word or phrase to search for. Click OK.
The default search setting does does look to match case (Capitalization) but you may choose to do so. The search process makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for in your data. It is for this reason that we recommend that you keep all your private data in just one file where feasible. If you have more than one MDG data file, and cannot remember which file contains the data you want, you will need to open and search each file in turn.
You may choose to hide or display the Toolbar, Font Bar, and Status Bar, according to your preference.
Choose View menu. Select or de-select each item to hide or view.
This is a licensed product. Copyright 2005 - 2014 by CRS. All rights apply.
Understanding the Inactive versus the Active License:
The author grants a inactive license free, to any user who wishes to use this Software.
The author grants an active license to any user who purchases an active license from the author.
This product may be freely distributed with the complimentary active license included in the installation. At the end of the original installation month, the complimentary license will become inactive.
An inactive license does not interfere with your rights to operate this program. However, when using the program with an inactive license you will be able to VIEW your data, but you will not be able to edit your data or create new files. With the purchase of an active license you can not only view your data, but also edit your data, and create new MDG data files.
To purchase an ACTIVE license
Start MyDataGuard. Choose License [from Login form or Menu Bar], then the PURCHASE option. A license can only be purchased from within the MyDataGuard Program.
Software updates are free. Check our website periodically for update announcements.
As an additional low level security tactic, before saving your MDG file, select all your data and format it with a Wingding or other unreadable character font. For the average user, even if they know your password, they will not be able to read your personal data unless they also know to select and change the font back to a readable font like Arial or Sans Serif. Then next time you open your file, select your data and format it back to a readable font.
If you are comfortable with the following instructions and warnings you may find it at times convenient to bypass the MDG program's Import process. For instance, On the receiving machine, you can copy and paste and email MDG file attachment directly to the your 'My Documemts\MyDataGuard\MyData' directory.
Warning: Bypassing the Import process means that normal program protections are not available. You will not be warned if you are replacing a newer file with an older one. You will not be warned if you are replacing a file with the same name but a different password, as may occur if bringing in MDG files that belong to different users from different machines.
Each time you start the MDG program or open an existing MDG data file, the program needs to know which file you want to open.
If the program has only one MDG data file then that file is used as the default file. You are only asked to enter a password.
If you have created more then one MDG data file then you must select which file you want to open. The default file listed is the last file that was opened. Pull down the list box to view the remaining files listed in alphabetical order.
If you've made changes to your data and choose exit without saving, MDG will ask you if you'd like to save your changes before exiting.
If you've made changes to your data and exit the program, MDG will ask you if you'd like to Backup your data. See Export File.
All MDG files are encrypted using 256 bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption. Without your password and a copy of this program, no one will be able to access your data.
AES is a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS).
Each MDG data file is encrypted using a password that you provide and which is used to build the AES encryption key. The program adds an additional series of characters, in addition to your password, for an even greater level of security.
My Data Guard uses 256-bit AES encryption A virus or other Trojan programs will not be able to access your data, since all your data is kept in its encrypted state until you choose to access it by using this program AND providing the proper password.
For a good overview of AES encryption see "AES" on Wikipedia.
DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSWORD - Without the proper password you data will be irretrievably lost. The manufacturer of this program has no way to decrypt or otherwise restore your data should you lose your password.
To view your data, as it would appear to someone trying to access you data without knowing your password AND using MyDataGuard , open your MDG data file using notepad or any word processor. Your Personal Data File has the extension '.MDG' and may be found in the directory named My Documents\MyDataGuard\MyData. ** Warning **: Make a backup before examining your file in this manner. Any change made to the file in its encrypted state and the data will be lost since your password will not longer work. This is an added security feature.
The most probable reason that someone else would be able to view your data is that they guess or steal your password. Use a password that is not obvious but easy for you to remember. If you write your password down keep it in a place well away from your computer and do not identify it as a password for your Personal Data.
One MDG file
The simplest way of using the MDG program is to keep all your personal data in one file. This means that each time you run the program, all you will need to do is enter your password, and use the default SEARCH dialogue box to locate your data
Many MDG files
There are two reasons why your program may have more then one MDG data file:
You create more then one MDG file for your own use. See 'Add File'. You allow others to use the program and create their own MDG files. See 'Sharing your Program'.
You may want to create more than one MDG data file for your own use so that you can store different categories of personal data in different files. For instance, you might create two files, one named 'MyDiary' and the other named 'MyPassWords'.
There are a few things to consider when deciding to create more then one file to hold your data:
We recommend that you use the same password for each of the MDG files that you create. If you use a different password for each, you will need to remember each password. This defeats the intended design of the program... to protect all your personal data with one simple password.
When doing a search for a particular word or phrase, you will not be able to search all your data files at one time. Each search command searches only the currently loaded file.
When exporting and backing up your data you will need to keep track of more then one file.
With more then one MDG data file, each time you run the program, you will need to select which file to open and then enter the proper password for that file. With just one file all you need to do is enter the correct password.
When creating new MDG file names, the program will not allow you to enter duplicate names.
If I import another user's MDG data file that has the same name as one of my own files will it overwrite my file?
The only time this action would overwrite your file is if both files of the same name also had the same password. MDG will only import a file with the same name AND password as the current file. This keeps users from importing any files other then their own.
This protection is given only when using the MDG program's import process to bring in your files from another source. If you manually copy the files into the directory (using the window's Copy | Paste method) then you will overwrite any existing file with the new file without warning.
You can set your document's font settings from the Toolbar or the Font Menu. Use Font size and color to break up your MDG data file into sections. For example: using a large bold font with a blue color as the title of each section will make the sections easier to distinguish. To set the font for existing data, highlight the data then change the font settings. If you change your font setting when no data is highlighted, the font is set for the current cursor location.
You can use MyDataGuard to send secure messages by email or on disk to another person. Each person will need a copy of MyDataGuard (which is available free on the Web). You would agree on a password to use between you and then create a file with the agreed upon password. The receiving party imports the file into their copy of MyDataGuard. You can use this file to send encrypted data between you, either as an email attachment or transported in a portable drive.
If you forget your password you will not be able to retrieve your data. For security reasons there is no "back door" or other way to access your data. The correct password must be provided.
Since each MDG data file is listed at the start of the program, you may want to remove a file from the list if you've lost it's password.
Locate the file in your 'My Documents\MyDataGuard\MyData' directory and change change the extension from 'MDG' to 'UNK' (for unknown). This will keep the file available but remove it from your drop down list. If you later find or remember the password you may rename the file extension back to 'MDG' and then open it again by running the program and providing the password.
If you are not able to enter the program because you've forgotten your MDG data file's password you will need to manually rename or delete the file. We purposefully did not include a delete or rename option at the start of the program since it would give unauthorized persons the ability to delete your file without your knowledge. MDG files may be found in the directory 'My Documents\MyDataGuard\MyData'.
Each time you make changes to your MDG data file and exit the program you are asked if you'd like to make a backup copy. We suggest that you always do so.
If you lose a file due to a hard drive failure or accidental deletion, and you have made a backup copy, then you can restore your file from your backup.
When I open the program it only asks me for a password, it does not ask me which MDG data file to open...
This is because there is only one MDG file. This logic is by design. If you only have one file there is no need to ask you to select one. If you add another file you will be asked which of the two files you want to open the next time you start the program.
After uninstalling the My Data Guard program, all the program files will be removed except for your your MDG data files and your settings files, which were created to store your preferences. This is by design to prevent their accidental deletion.
To remove your MDG data files after uninstalling the program, manually delete the 'My Documents\MyDataGuard\MyData' directory.
Although the makers of this software believe the software to be error free, have tested this software thoroughly and use the software for company and personal business on an ongoing and regular basis, we must include the following warning in order to protect ourselves from legal liability.
Please read and understand. By using this software you agree that:
This Software is provided "as is". Author makes no warranty, expressed or implied, with regard to the Software. All implied warranties, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular use, are hereby excluded. Licensor does not warrant that the Software is error free or that it will operate without interruption. AUTHOR'S LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE PURCHASE PRICE. Under no circumstances shall author of this product be liable for any incidental or consequential damages, nor for any damages in excess of the original purchase price.
Licensor shall not be liable to you or any other party for any damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use, this Software including but not limited to inability to access data, loss of business, loss of profits, or any other perceived or actual loss or damages. The foregoing limitations on liability are intended to apply to the warranties and disclaimers contained within this document and all other aspects of this software.