File Security & Access Control

1. Who can decrypt a TeraCryption-protected file?

Only an authenticated and authorized TeraCryption user with the applicable company, Group, and file permissions can decrypt and access a protected file. Possession of the encrypted file alone does not provide access. A user who receives, copies, or otherwise obtains a TeraCryption-protected file cannot decrypt it unless that user has been specifically authorized through the TeraCryption security environment. This allows protection to remain associated with the file wherever the protected file is stored, copied, or shared.

2. Can IT or server administrators decrypt protected files simply because they have administrative privileges?

No. Windows, server, network, or storage administrative privileges do not by themselves authorize decryption of a TeraCryption-protected file. An administrator may have extensive control over the infrastructure where an encrypted file is stored—including the ability to view, copy, move, back up, or restore the file—but those infrastructure privileges do not automatically grant permission to decrypt its protected contents. Decryption requires the administrator to be an authenticated and authorized TeraCryption user with the applicable company, Group, and file permissions, just like any other user. This allows organizations to separate responsibility for managing IT infrastructure from authorization to access confidential information.

3. How does TeraCryption control access to protected files?

TeraCryption controls access to protected files through authenticated users, company authorization, security Groups, and file-level permissions. Users are assigned to Groups according to the information they are authorized to access. Protected files associated with a Group can be decrypted only by authorized members of that Group, subject to any additional file-level permissions established by the file owner or organization. Access control therefore remains tied to the protected file itself, rather than depending solely on the folder, server, network, or cloud location where the file is stored. This allows organizations to maintain control over confidential information even when protected files are copied, moved, shared, or stored in different locations.

4. Can access to a protected file be revoked after it has been shared?

Yes. Access to a TeraCryption-protected file can be revoked even after the file has been shared or copied to another location. Because authorization is controlled by TeraCryption rather than by possession of the encrypted file, removing a user's applicable access permission prevents that user from subsequently decrypting the protected file. The organization or authorized file owner can therefore change who is permitted to access confidential information without having to retrieve every previously distributed copy of the protected file.

5. What happens to protected files when an employee leaves the organization?

When an employee leaves the organization, the employee’s TeraCryption access can be revoked, preventing that user from subsequently decrypting protected company files. This protection applies even if the former employee previously copied protected files to another folder, computer, storage device, or other location. Possession of the encrypted file does not by itself provide authorization to decrypt it. The protected files remain available to other properly authorized users, allowing the organization to maintain continuity of access to its information while removing the departing employee’s ability to access it.

6. What happens if a TeraCryption-protected file is copied or moved to another location?

The file remains encrypted and protected when it is copied or moved to another folder, computer, server, storage device, or supported cloud environment. Copying or moving the file does not remove TeraCryption protection or grant access to someone who possesses the copy. An authenticated and authorized TeraCryption user with the applicable company, Group, and file permissions is still required to decrypt and access the protected information. This allows security to travel with the protected file rather than depend solely on the location where the file is stored.

7. How does File Ownership give the file creator control over protected information?

TeraCryption’s File Ownership capability allows the creator of a protected file to maintain control over who is authorized to access and share that file. The file owner can grant access to authorized users and control whether those users are permitted to share the protected file with others. Access can also be revoked when it is no longer required. This provides organizations with an additional level of file-level control, allowing responsibility for confidential information to remain with the people who create and manage it while preserving organizational administrative oversight.