Need Help Immediatley with file encryption!!!

[Jfas521]

Ok here it is. I am a tech with the USAF and I had an important customer come in with his laptop. He just got here from his old base and before he left they had him encrypt some of his files using his smart card. The files are now unable to be accessed. Is there anyway I can decrypt these files. I use an Administrator account and published my certificates into cert mgr, but it is still telling me access is denied. I cant even copy them to another drive. Please help.

[Lexluethar]

No, not within anything myself or anyone else would admit to or post on this site. You will need the original smart card (which has the encryption code on it) in order to decode the data.

You could hack the data, but you're goign to have to do your own footwork for that one.

[Jfas521]

The thing is he has his smart card and when he logs in using it the files still tell him access is denied.

[Mak213]

There is nothing we can say. You would literally need to hack it. Which we will not advise thru this forum on how to do. It violates our rules. Sorry.

[Jfas521]

I understand. Thanks anyway

[Saxon]

As Mak said we cant realy help you, especially considering the sensitive data that could be on a machine owned by the USAF I would recommend you place a call to the Unit commander an get him to send over a request to the orginal Tech who set up the password both physical and email.

Also if the Password is encrypted with Millitery grade encryption it is unlikely that commecial decrypting tools would do the job as they are normaly 3 / 4 generations above what its easy to find in the public sector. If it realy becomes a issue call EWD an get them to recover the data but expect the user to get chewed out for forgetting his password.

[Jfas521]

I think the encryption may have become corrupt because he has the same smart card he used to encrypt it. When he logs onto the machine with his card it should recognize his certificates and allow him access to the files. It may be a certificates issue too. I am just not familiar with encryption. The people that set up the encryption told him there is nothing they can do since it was encrypted using his smartcard. I downloaded a bunch of decrypting software but I am sure it wont work. Anyway, thanks everyone for your help.

[Saxon]

If the card is the issue I would contact the department responsible for issuing them an get them to send out a new one I know its a pain in the arse filling out request forms for damaged equipment but its worth a shot.

[Jfas521]

The encryption is probably about4 months old. He said it was working for a short period and then it all of a sudden started telling him access is denied. Only one folder is encrypted, but it has about 150 files within. Do you think it may be a certificates issue? At first when I went into the details of the encryption it was telling his cert was not trusted. So I imported it into the trusted root authority and it started to trust it, but it still gives me acces is denied. Would a system restore fix this problem?

Also the card has been replaced and it is still denying him access. I found out he set up the encryption by doing it through windows XP. He simply went to the folder properties and hit the advanced tab and checked the encryption box. THere are no passwords set-up for it. I worked on this darn thing all day. I have to get these files for him and I know there is nothing you guys can tell me on this forum that will help, I just need to vent I guess.

[Mak213]

Check your Yahoo Email. I think i might have found you a solution.