What is the CIP file format?
.cip is a proprietary encrypted file format produced by CryptoBuddy, a password-based file encryption utility developed by Research Triangle Software, Inc. of Cary, North Carolina. Files with this extension contain source data that has been compressed and then encrypted using the Blowfish 64-bit block cipher.
CryptoBuddy 2.0, released in July 2003, was the last documented version. The same .cip extension is also associated with CryptoLock, a successor product from the same developer that replaces Blowfish with AES encryption for stronger security. Both applications are Windows-only and are considered legacy software with no active development visible as of 2026.
Decrypting a .cip file requires the exact password used at encryption time. No public recovery method exists. The file format is proprietary and undocumented; no magic bytes are published, as the file header is itself encrypted.
Modern alternatives such as VeraCrypt, 7-Zip AES encryption or Windows BitLocker provide more actively maintained file encryption with stronger guarantees than the legacy Blowfish-based CryptoBuddy format.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMCryptoBuddy/CryptoLock files are encrypted archives; they cannot be opened without the password. The risk is primarily that old Blowfish-encrypted files (CryptoBuddy) use a 64-bit block cipher now considered weak - data may be vulnerable to brute-force if the password is short. CryptoLock successor uses AES. Receiving unsolicited .cip files is unusual; if unexpected, treat with caution.
Format details
in a nutshell- Cisco IP Phone Image - 133x64 LCD display image format used by Cisco IP Phone devices, encoded in XML-wrapped binary.
- ChessBase Index File - Index file (.cip/.cit) used by ChessBase chess database for fast player/tournament lookup; auto-generated.
- InPrint 2 Document - Document format created by Widgit Software's InPrint 2 symbol-supported writing tool.
Programs that open CIP files
Windows1 app
CryptoBuddy
Paid Legacy software - use only if the file was made with CryptoBuddy specifically. Enter the password to decrypt. Technical details
deep spec| Encryption algorithm | Blowfish 64-bit block cipher (CryptoBuddy); AES (CryptoLock successor from same developer) |
| Compression | Proprietary compression applied before encryption |
| Encoding | Binary, proprietary (format undocumented) |
| Password requirement | Correct encryption password required to decrypt; no public recovery method exists |
| Magic bytes | None publicly documented; file begins with an encrypted header |
| Typical size | Proportional to source file size after compression and encryption |
| Platform | Windows only |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Developer | Research Triangle Software, Inc. (Cary, NC, USA) |
| Successor | CryptoLock by Research Triangle Software (AES-based; same .cip extension possible) |
| Status | Legacy/obsolete; no active development as of 2026 |
| Key derivation | Password-based; no separate key file required |
| Released | ~2000 (CryptoBuddy 1.x); CryptoBuddy 2.0 released July 8, 2003 |
| Latest version | CryptoBuddy 2.0 (2003); superseded by CryptoLock (AES-based) |
CIP conversions
Community Q&A
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