PKWare this week announced a free, Windows-based reader that allows anyone to open any ZIP file and decrypt those secured with the company's PKZIP 5.0 Professional Edition. The reader is intended to promote more widespread use of PKZIP 5.0, which enables users to compress as well as encrypt files with varying levels of security.

Announced in July, PKZIP 5.0 can be used on its own, with a simple password to decrypt messages, or with X.509 v3 digital certificates for stronger authentication. Steve Crawford, chief marketing officer of PKWare, says potential customers often asked whether recipients of encrypted ZIP files would also need to buy PKZIP 5.0 Professional in order to open the files.

"The second shoe to drop as part of the 5.0 launch was to have a free reader that would be available to recipients," just as readers are available at no charge to read compressed ZIP files, Crawford says.

PKZIP 5.0 Professional users can append a tagline to an outgoing message pointing to a Web site where users can download the free reader: www.pkzipreader.com.

PKZIP 5.0 still has some useability issues, however. When used with a password, for example, the sender has to ship the recipient the password in a separate email message, or provide it over the phone.

Additionally, the product addresses security only while the document is in transit. Once the recipient decrypts the ZIP file, he can do whatever he wants with the enclosed documents. Other products provide more lifecycle management features that prevent unauthorized copying and distribution of documents. In January, PKWare plans to announce a product roadmap that may address such features.