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Example of use (Cryptomator x next.hessenbox)

If you work with particularly sensitive data, it may be advisable to protect it further by encrypting it. We will guide you step by step through the encryption process with Cryptomator in combination with next.hessenbox. On the encryption topic page, you will find all the information you need about which data needs to be protected and what you need to bear in mind. 

Note: Cryptomator can also be used separately from next.hessenbox; in general, data with high and very high protection requirements should be encrypted.

Procedure

Step 1: Start menu

First, launch Cryptomator. Your existing vaults are displayed on the left, and the information for the selected vault is displayed on the right. At the bottom left, you can create new vaults using the ‘(+)’ button, view notifications using the bell icon, and configure additional settings using the gear icon.

Step 2: Add new vault

To create a new vault, click on ‘(+)’. First, specify a name for the vault. This will then be displayed in the list, as shown in the screenshot in step 1 (e.g., “test_max”). 

Step 2.1: Set storage location

This step is important for integration into next.hessenbox. When setting up Hessenbox, a synchronization folder is created on your computer. To synchronize the data encrypted in the vault, you must select the storage location of the Nextcloud synchronization folder.

Step 2.2: Verification

Check the name of your vault and the storage path. You can ignore the expert settings. Then click ‘Next’.

Step 2.3: Set password

Now choose a secure password. Please note the password guidelines, which provide a good basis for secure passwords. You can also create a recovery key. This allows you to set a new password even if you forget your password. Store your recovery key in a secure location, such as a separate database in KeePassXC, and keep it separate from your password.

Step 3: Unlock vault

The vault has now been added and you can unlock it with your password. When a vault is locked, no data can be read or changed. You cannot move encrypted data in a locked vault to another folder. To do this, you must first unlock the vault.

Note: Remember to lock your vault after use! You can also set an automatic lock via the vault options.

  • Excursus: Changing the file path of the vault afterwards

    To change the file path of the vault afterwards, the vault folder must be moved to the desired location in the file browser (e.g., Windows Explorer). The Cryptomator user interface will then display a message indicating that the vault can no longer be found. Select the option “Change vault location...”.  Clicking on this will take you to Windows Explorer. There, you will need to search for the “vault.cryptomator” file within the vault folder. Selecting this file will change the file path of the vault.

If you have any serious problems or questions regarding encryption in next.hessenbox, please contact us at:

This text was translated with the help of machine translation software.