Environment

INFOConnect version 9.1 or higher
EXTRA! X-treme version 9.2 or higher
 

Situation

To enhance security, the Auto Complete dictionary (a productivity feature) can be encrypted or set to clear on exit. This technical note describes these options. 
 

About the Auto Complete Dictionary

The Auto Complete settings enable you to insert entire items such as dates and entries when you type a few identifying characters. The Auto Complete feature remembers what you type and makes suggestions as it recognizes commands that are used repeatedly. When the check box for Enable Auto Complete is selected, that feature is activated and ready to use in the host application.

The Auto Complete dictionary maintains a listing of the most recently typed words.

The Auto Complete Dictionary file is user data (not application data) and is stored in the user data location specified when the program is installed. The default user data location is in the user’s personal (My Documents) folder. 

By default, the data in the Auto Complete dictionary is maintained even after the session is closed. The file that stores this data can be opened in a text editor and the information can be seen in plain text.
 

Resolution

Micro Focus has added two features that make the Auto Complete dictionary file more secure:

• Auto Complete dictionary encryption

This feature can be used to encrypt the data in this file. The data in the file will be encrypted and will be accessible only when typing in a terminal session.

• Option to erase the Auto Complete dictionary on exit

This feature can be used to clear the entire contents of the Auto Complete dictionary file upon exiting the application. The data in the file will be cleared each time the user closes the Attachmate application.
 

Modifying the Settings

You can secure the Auto Complete Dictionary file by modifying Windows registry keys to either encrypt the file or clear the file on exit.

For information about modifying the registry settings, contact Micro Focus Technical Support.

Warning:  These instructions should be carried out by a user with Administrative rights to the PC and who is familiar with registry manipulation tools.  Proceed with extreme caution when editing the Windows Registry and use the Registry Editor at your own risk.  It is critical to back up the Registry before you proceed. For full details and warnings regarding editing the Windows Registry, see Microsoft Article 256986:  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-US/troubleshoot/windows-server/performance/windows-registry-advanced-users
 

Legacy KB ID

This article was originally published as Attachmate Technical Note 2538.

Full article: https://portal.microfocus.com/s/article/KM000002645