System and method for manipulating and managing computer archive files
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an archive management application that operates within a host application to provide access to an archive and/or allow access to and/or modification of files in an archive using the host application's interface, instead of operating as a separate standalone archive management application. In an embodiment of the present invention, a file archiving system may include a user interface component, a file management component and a compression/extraction engine component. The user interface component may include an enhanced user interface of a host application that provides an interface for a user. The file management component may include a central directory that provides a representation of the contents of an archive. The compression/extraction engine component may include a file size module and/or a security module. The security module may be used to encrypt, decrypt, digitally sign and/or authenticate a file in an archive.
1. A method for providing security for a compressed archive file on a computer, said method including:
forming on the computer, an archive file including at least one file,
wherein said archive file includes a header, wherein said header includes information with regard to said at least one file, wherein said header information includes the name of said at least one file;
encrypting said header of said archive file; and
compressing said archive file to form the compressed archive file.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said archive includes a plurality of files.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said header includes information for said plurality of files.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said encrypting uses a public key.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said encrypting uses a password.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said encrypting uses a plurality of public keys.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said encrypting uses a plurality of passwords.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said file is compressed before placement in said archive.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said archive is a .ZIP archive.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said header is separate from said file.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said information includes at least one file-identifying characteristic.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein said information includes at least one characteristic of said file.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one characteristic of said file is a file name.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said file name is encrypted.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein said archive is a compressed archive.
16. A nontransitory computer readable medium for an electronic compressed archive security system, said nontransitory computer readable medium including:
said electronic compressed archive file, wherein said electronic compressed archive file includes:
a file; and
a header, wherein said header includes information with regard to said file, wherein said header information includes the name of said file,
wherein said header is encrypted.
17. A method for accessing information in a compressed electronic archive file on a computer, said method including:
receiving said compressed electronic archive file at said computer, wherein said compressed electronic archive file includes at least one file and an encrypted header, wherein said encrypted header includes information regarding said at least one file, wherein said encrypted header information includes the name of said at least one file;
decompressing said compressed electronic archive file; and
decrypting said encrypted header to provide access to said information on said computer.