encryption question

Anyone including Average Joe can use data encryption....

Encryption is used for a multitude of reasons....

In the corporate world its uses are mainly storing sensitive personal data, corporate information, financial data and the list goes on,

For the average Joe main reasons for wanting to use encryption is possibly to store some private data ( passwords, credit card/banking info ) plus also if you are in a unviersity and share a room your course work ( saves anyone maliciously deleting or altering it )



Data encryption takes many formsor uses... you can encrypt whole HDs, Files, Folders, Email etc etc



there are a few ways of encrypting data that can either be using w2k,XP ( xp pro only ) EFS ( Encryption File System ) or you can use commercial packages... which can use many different encryption methods from DES, Blowfish, DSA, AES etc etc

W2K and XP ( Pro only )
You would however need to be using a multi user system and not just logging in via one account.. otherwise anyone logging in via the only account on the PC can read the encrypted data anyway. The pitfall is on a re-install of the OS ... no matter whether the encrypted files were on a 2HD or a backup CD, UNLESS you backup your private key or have a DRA ( Data Recovery Agents ) key setup and backed up you WILL NOT get your data back, it is always a wise thing to keep a CD/DVD with what you have encrypted in a none.. encrypted form locked away safe!

Retail packages and there are many of them offer a GUI enviroment to encrypt whatever data you wish to hide from prying eyes..

Lockfolder
http://www.lockfolder.net/ A Free option to lock upto 4 folders only... but thats enough for most people who just want to keep some info from others. This app is good for users who dont have W2K/XP Pro and cannot use EFS... its a simple but effective way to protect some data.


AXCrypt
http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/
another free encryption app which utilizes windows menus to encrypt files folders.



PGP
http://www.pgp.com/products/desktop/personal/index.html
is a well known package that encrypts emails , data etc etc



one major think to remember using encryption is to either backup your private key and remember the password if what your using uses one, IF NOT your not getting your data back!




alot of info to be had here from Peter Gutmanns site
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/links.html

Microsoft EFS
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/cryptfs.mspx

 

myk .. thank you,

to answer your question > Yes it is possible for someone to hack your machine and take data off... it is more likely tho that a trojan/virus will be the main culprit in stealing not only your data ( they install keyloggers to get personal data eg. bank account login codes/passwords etc ) but your bandwidth to do thinks like DNS attacks.

Yes Zone Alarm or any of the big few firewalls are a must today when connecting to the internet, not only do they help prevent someone port scanning your machine they also stop rogue applications trying to connect to the net from your machine ( its scary when you first use a firewall and notice what apps want to connect out! some of them you wouldnt think needed to ). Its worthwile as you have ZA to have a look at what apps are in the Program Control > Programs list and keep yourself aware of what should or shouldnt be accessing the net.

A good AntiVirus and Spyware scanner is also a must as its becoming a bit of a nightmare of late the amount of spyware thats trying to attack your PC... I would if you havnt already read the great guides in the FAQ section at the top of the main forum page as there are easy to follow steps in securing yourself when online, a few of the main apps I personally use are..... Mcafee Pro 7, Spywareblaster, Ad-Aware, plus its essential to keep your OS updated and a must to get the security updates for your OS ( http://www.microsoft.com/security/ )

if you wish to keep some personal files just that bit safer I think the Lockfolder app is a goodun.

 

myk.... I think you are getting a good grasp of whats needed in this the age of highspeed internet access and how to protect yourself as much as possible, keeping upto date is a major part of keeping your data safe and thats something I know you'd doing from reading your posts!

I know I'm going a little off the encryption question here but its still about keeping yourself protected, another program you may like to have a look at is........


a² ( complimentry program to run along side your AntiVirus )
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4281.html
Its free but does need you to register...I have liek a few others on here been using this for a while now and they dont spam your email box with junk but if you sign up to the news letter it does give you a heads up on what potential risks that are doing the rounds of the net.

SpywareBlaster
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2859
This app doesnt remove spyware risks BUT it attempts to stop them being installed in the first place and does IMO a good job, all you need to do is download it run update to get latest data files and click protect all... it doesnt run in the background so uses NO system resources.


dont think I've asked this question yet but which OS version are you using, just may give a few more ideas when your new questions arrive

You are right tho.. out of all the PCs in the world its highly unlikely that someone will pick on yours to steal designs or customer data... Unless someone was actively after your data, most if not all of the so called hacks are trojan programs wanting to get your bank details, card numbers etc and most of all using your PC to wage a DNS attack against a company's website.. Microsoft, SCO and RIAA are a few favorites to bring down!