Remember that the Clue is optional: if you don't enter a clue when encrypting the content, no clue will be displayed when someone tries to decrypt it.

The Clue is not encrypted, and it isn't intended to be. When a FileShield user tries to decrypt a file, the clue is clearly displayed in the Decrypt dialog. If you're decrypting a file you encrypted yourself, the clue can help you remember what key you used. If you need to give a file to someone else by sending it via the Internet or giving it to them on a disk, you can pick a clue which only that user will understand, saving the need to tell them the key by some separate (possibly non-secure) method.

The Clue is meant to be helpful, of course, so there is a chance that you'll pick a clue from which many people could correctly guess the key. For this reason, follow these fairly obvious guidelines if you choose to use the Clue feature:

• Don’t choose a general-knowledge fact like "The square root of 1048576" or "Elton John's real name" as the clue to a key like "1024" or "Reg Dwight".

• Try to use a 2 or 3-part key with a 2 or 3-part clue so that the user has to discover more than one word or phrase to know the entire key.

• Make the key and clue as personal to you and/or the file's recipient as you can: the intention is that no-one but the intended recipient will understand it.