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Having installed the program and accomplished the steps of Configuration Wizard you can communicate securely via instant messengers.

The easiest and most convenient way to do this is to use "Quick Start" function.

What you need to do is:

1. Launch IMCrypto.
2. Launch your instant messenger.
3. Choose the person in your contact list that you want to communicate securely with and double-click to start conversation.
   
   Note: IMCrypto must be installed on both sides to provide secure conversation.
    
4. On the left side of the chat window you will see IMCrypto Toolbar.
5. Click on "Quick Start" button.
6. Your interlocutor will receive a message with such text: "This contact wants to establish IMCrypto secure conversation with you. Accept?" He should click "Yes".
7. Automatic public key exchange occurs and the contact is stored into IMCrypto contacts database (can be accessed from the IMCrypto Control Center).
8. After it all the messages are encrypted and the conversation is secured.

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FAQ

1. General information
1.1 What is IMCrypto?
1.2 How does it work?
1.3 What is "cryptographic algorithm"?
1.4 What is "keypair" ("public" and "private" keys)?

2. General technical questions
2.1 What are the system requirements?
2.2 What instant messengers are supported?
2.3 Which cryptographic algorithms are supported?

3. How to ...
3.1 activate the program
3.2 add contact
3.3 change language
3.4 change operating mode
3.5 change visual appearance
3.6 create new keypair
3.7 enable/disable support of instant messenger
3.8 export my public key/keypair
3.9 launch IMCrypto Toolbar
3.10 start using the program
3.11 submit my public key to KeyServer
3.12 view the details of my account on IMCrypto KeyServer

1. General information

1.1 What is IMCrypto?

IMCrypto is a software application designed to establish secure instant messenger conversations.
Note: To establish secure conversation both interlocutors must have IMCrypto installed.

1.2 How does it work?

Having installed the program you need to generate or import a keypair (public and private keys) that will be used for message encryption and decryption. This operation is performed on the second stage of IMCrypto Configuration Wizard.

When you launch an instant messenger and start conversation with one of your contacts by clicking "Quick Start" button, IMCrypto sends the following text message to your interlocutor: "This contact wants to establish secure conversation with you. Accept?" After your interlocutor clicks "Yes" an automatic exchange of public keys occurs. The contact’s information and his public key are stored into IMCrypto database (can be accessed via IMCrypto Control Center) so that in future this procedure of public keys exchange is not required.

Now you can communicate securely with this contact. All the outgoing and incoming messages are encrypted and only the recipient can decrypt them.

1.3 What is "cryptographic algorithm"?

Algorithm, in general, is a sequence of instructions often used for calculation and data processing. A cipher (or cryptographic algorithm) is a pair of algorithms used for encryption and decryption of text messages. Ciphers can be symmetrical and asymmetrical. In symmetrical ciphers one key is used both for text encryption and decryption. In asymmetrical ciphers a pair of keys is used. Public key is used for message encryption and private (or secret) key is used for message decryption.

You can read more about ciphers here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cipher.

1.4 What is "keypair" ("public" and "private" keys)?

IMCrypto in its work uses one of the most widely spread asymmetric encryption algorithms - RSA. Asymmetric cryptography (public-key cryptography) is based on the use of 2 keys: public key is used for message encryption and private (or secret) key is used for message decryption. Text message that was encrypted with a certain public key can be decrypted only with a help of a corresponding private key. Public and private keys are cohered by mathematical expression in such a way that conducting private key from a public one is very time-consuming operation that is impossible to be done in a reasonable period of time when speaking of key lengths used nowadays (1024-bit is a standard).

You can read more about public-key cryptography here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-key_cryptography.

2. General technical questions

2.1 What are the system requirements?

Operating system: Windows 2000, Windows XP Home/Professional, Windows Vista.

Note: IMCrypto does not support 64-bit platforms.

2.2 What instant messengers are supported?

The following instant messengers are supported:

• ICQ 6.0
• YahooIM 8.x
• YahooIM 9.x

2.3 Which cryptographic algorithms are supported?

At the present moment only RSA asymmetric cryptography algorithm is supported.

3. How to ...

3.1 activate the program

To activate IMCrypto you need to do the following:

1. Save the registration key-file that is sent in attachment to a separate email after we receive your payment confirmation to the folder IMCrypto was installed to (C:\Program Files\IMCrypto by default).
   Please note that *.key file is not a Windows registry file, it has its own encrypted format. So, please do not try to open or view it.
2. Launch IMCrypto Control Center.
3. Choose "Help" -> "Activate...".
4. You will see "Browse..." window. If the file was copied correctly you will see your registration key-file on the left. Choose this file and click OK.
5. After it IMCrypto will connect to our server and check your registration key-file if it is valid.
6. In case the key is valid you will see a corresponding message.

3.2 add contact

At the present moment you can add a contact only by clicking either on "Quick Start" or on "Add this contact" buttons on IMCrypto Toolbar.
When you press "Add New Contact" button in IMCrypto Control Center you will see detailed instructions on how to add the contact.

3.3 change language

In order to change the language you need to start IMCrypto Control Center (can be launched either from "Start" -> "Programs" -> "IMCrypto" -> "Control Center" or by pressing the "Control Center" button on IMCrypto Toolbar). Click "Settings" and choose "Language". Select the desired language and click "Apply".

3.4 change operating mode

IMCrypto supports 4 operating modes:

1. "Show all" - both encrypted and decrypted messages are displayed in "History" window.
2. "Transparent" - only decrypted messages are displayed in "History" window. Encrypted messages are displayed as pop-ups.
3. "Normal" - only decrypted messages are displayed in "History" window.
4. "Manual" mode.

To change the operating mode click on "Operating mode" button in IMCrypto Toolbar and choose the desired mode.

3.5 change visual appearance

In order to change the visual appearance you need to start IMCrypto Control Center (can be launched either from "Start" -> "Programs" -> "IMCrypto" -> "Control Center" or by pressing the "Control Center" button on IMCrypto Toolbar). Click "Settings" and choose "Theme". Select the desired visual appearance theme and click "Apply".

3.6 create new keypair

In order to create a new keypair you need to start IMCrypto Control Center (can be launched either from "Start" -> "Programs" -> "IMCrypto" -> "Control Center" or by pressing the "Control Center" button on IMCrypto Toolbar). Click "Add New Keypair" button and Keypair Generation assistant will open. This assistant will help you to generate/import new keypair.

3.7 enable/disable support of instant messenger

In order to enable/disable support of instant messenger by IMCrypto you need to start IMCrypto Control Center (can be launched either from "Start" -> "Programs" -> "IMCrypto" -> "Control Center" or by pressing the "Control Center" button on IMCrypto Toolbar) and click "Supported Messengers".
This window represents all the modules that are already installed on your PC. IMCrypto will automatically integrate into all instant messengers that are checked. If you want to disable integration into some instant messenger simply uncheck the corresponding box and click "Apply".

3.8 export my public key/keypair

In order to export a public key or the whole keypair you need to start IMCrypto Control Center (can be launched either from "Start" -> "Programs" -> "IMCrypto" -> "Control Center" or by pressing the "Control Center" button on IMCrypto Toolbar). Choose the appropriate key on the left and click "Export" button.

Choose what you would like to export: a public key or the whole keypair. Please note that if you wish to export a keypair you will be prompted to enter the passphrase.

3.9 launch IMCrypto Toolbar

In order to launch IMCrypto Toolbar you need to start conversation with some person from the contact list of your messenger. On the left side of the conversation window you will see IMCrypto Toolbar.

3.10 start using the program

See detailed instructions here: How to use

3.11 submit my public key to KeyServer

To submit your public key to KeyServer you should launch IMCrypto Control Center (can be launched either from "Start" -> "Programs" -> "IMCrypto" -> "Control Center" or by pressing the "Control Center" button on IMCrypto Toolbar), choose the desired key on the left (marked with "key" icon) and click "Send to..." -> "KeyServer" button. IMCrypto KeyServer Wizard will open. You only need to follow the instructions and after all the steps are completed your public key will be submitted to IMCrypto KeyServer.

3.12 view the details of my account on IMCrypto KeyServer

To view your account details (login and password) you should launch IMCrypto Control Center (can be launched either from "Start" -> "Programs" -> "IMCrypto" -> "Control Center" or by pressing the "Control Center" button on IMCrypto Toolbar), click "Settings" and choose "KeyServer".