Usability questions
Q: Is this a proven product?
A: Alertsec Xpress is powered by the world leader in hard disk encryption software, Pointsec, which has been around for 15 years and is renowned for its robust and secure architecture. Pointsec is used and trusted by over 4 million people worldwide. It is the market leading software in this field.
Q: What do I need to do to use the software?
A: Nothing more than log on to your PC - Alertsec Xpress will automatically take care of all encryption in the background to guarantee that all information is protected in case your PC is lost or stolen.
Q: What happens if I forget my password?
A: You will have to call our 24/7 helpdesk and get help over the phone, password reset cannot be done by email. You will need to identify yourself with your company identifier and we will then call you back on your predefined telephone number to confirm your identity.
Q: Which operating systems are supported?
A: Alertsec Xpress currently supports Windows 2000 and XP. Dual Boot PCs, Linux and Apple MAC are NOT supported at this stage.
Q: What is boot protection?
A: This means that the PC will not even start without a valid user.
Q: Can I travel with an encrypted PC without getting into trouble?
A: Yes, as you are able to open the PC when it is demanded of you, there are no general problems. Pointsec also has a general export license for the software. However, local rules may apply in certain countries and can be changed with short notice.
Q: What happens if my hard disk crashes?
A: Contact Alertsec helpdesk. When you install Alertsec Xpress, the necessary information needed to back-track the encryption is written to the Alertsec server. By contacting the Alertsec helpdesk, they will be able to give you instructions and help you to restore the information.
Q: Stand-by and hibernation, will it still work?
A: Yes, Stand-by is when the hard disk stops, but the memory is still running. (Normal CtrlAltDel to start again) This will require your Microsoft credentials to log in. Hibernation is when the memory also stops and writes the information to the hard disk. This will require you to login with your Alertsec Xpress credentials as the information will need to be decrypted before bringing the PC back.
Q: Can I change my screensaver?
A: Yes, but the screensaver of your choice will be enforced to start after 15 minutes of inactivity. This is part of our "best practice" security configuration of your Alertsec Xpress installation.
Q: Can I use smart cards and fingerprint readers?
A: If you are using any of these for logging in to your network it will most likely still work normally. However, as Alertsec has pre-boot authentication, the drivers which read these devices are not available when Alertsec is active so you will not be able to use them instead of Alertsec Xpress authentication at boot.
Q: When do I need to uninstall?
A: Unless you are planning to re-partition you hard disk, there is no reason to uninstall.
Q: What happens when I uninstall?
A: Your disk will be automatically decrypted in the same manner as it was once encrypted. This also happens transparently in the background and you can work as ususal on the PC. You can see the progress by holding the cursor over the "P" in your tray. Please note that you have to re-boot 3 times before you are able to install Alertsec Xpress again.
Q: How do I uninstall?
A: Log in to your account on the Alertsec website, click on users and find the user/ laptop that needs to be uninstalled. At the bottom of the user's page there is an "uninstall" button that will send an email with a unique link to uninstall. This will uninstall Alertsec Xpress and decrypt the PC. Please note that the user has to reboot and log in again with the correct credentials before a decryption will start.
Q: I have not local admin rights - what to do?
A: You need to contact your IT manager or someone with local admin rights. It is only necessary for him to be logged in during the installation and at the reboot directly after installation. Once the installation is started (you can see that the encryption started by looking at the 
in the tray) he can log out since the admin right is no longer necessary.
Q: Will Alertsec Xpress affect any of my current applications?
A: No, the software is running underneath the Microsoft operating system, so none of the normal applications will even know that the information is being encrypted/ decrypted in the background. You can even use other file encryption products on top of the Alertsec Xpress.
Q: Does virus scans work when the information is encrypted?
A: Yes, as the anti virus software read the information from the disk, it will automatically be decrypted before being scanned and then encrypted again when written back to disk.
Q: Will back-ups be encrypted as well?
A: No, any information being exported from the PC will be in clear text as it is automatically decrypted when read from the hard disk. We always recommend taking back-ups at regular intervals.
Q: Will Alertsec Xpress slow the machine down?
A: No, you may notice a slightly longer boot time, but once you are using the machine, you will not be able to see any difference. During the installation process, you will see the processor working hard when not using the PC, which is to be expected until the hard disk has been fully encrypted. You can monitor the encryption progress through hovering over the in the tray.
Q: What happens when I want to dispose of the PC?
A: This is another important reason to use Alertsec Xpress. When it is time to decommission the PC, you can simply reformat the disk and it will not be possible for anyone to recreate the information. Unfortunately many people do not realize that a non-encrypted disk can almost always be restored, even if it has been reformatted.
