msmith1199
Central, CA
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Joined: 10/07/2001
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What's the best (and least combersome) method to secure the data on your computer? And what I mean by that is I want to protect information on my computer in case the entire computer gets stolen. And hopefully, I don't have to use some system that requires me to use a password every single time I try and open a new file. I already have the power up password set. So whenever I turn the computer on I do have to enter the password as the computer starts up, but my understanding is this is easy to by-pass in order to get to the data on the computer. What I'm looking for is some way to protect all of my documents and pictures and scanned images so in the event the computer is stolen nobody (other than maybe the CIA) can access those files, while at the same time not having to continually enter passwords or assign passwords every time I creat a document. My bank account information (on Quicken) is protected by it's own password so it's good, but I want the same with everything else and hopefully in a manner where I only have to enter a password once for me to access everything. Any ideas?
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skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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If your computer IS stolen and they want your data there is really no way to stop them from getting it. One thing I do to slow them down is create my files in an application that is not on board the computer but running from an external drive. That won't stop them either if they really want it but kind of hard to imagine why anyone would WANT my data that badly.
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1492
No. Virginia
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Joined: 04/08/2005
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You can use whole disk, virtual disk or a partition encryption scheme which work on the fly. There are a couple of free open source utilities available. TrueCrypt is one of the more popular ones. This should secure your data from most anyone except the most adept individuals. However, there is a commercial utility geared toward law enforcement and enterprise users that claims to break TrueCrypt encryption called Passware.
Another free open source encryption utility which is apparently lighter on system resources than TrueCrypt, while also able to directly encrypt the system partition is called DiskCryptor. This is what I use for my notebook.
These types of security utilities are particularly useful for laptops, as by their very nature of being portable, are more likely to walk.
* This post was
edited 02/01/12 04:49pm by 1492 *
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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Joined: 10/07/2001
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I'll have to do some more research on the TrueCrypt. It looks pretty complex and it also looks like you have to enter a password everytime you open a document, but there may be other ways around that. Ideally what I'd like to be able to do is password protect file directories, such as My Documents, and then every time the computer is turned on a password has to be entered once that would unlock that file directory until such time as the computer is turned off again. I don't know if such a thing exists and even if it does is it any more secure than the Windows password you can already set up when you turn the computer on.
The reason I'm looking at this now is I'm starting a new business and I have some office space in an industrial area. There's always more of a risk in a place like that. I don't want to lose the computer, but if I do I want to make sure people can't get to the data on it.
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1492
No. Virginia
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You enter the password initially to access the disk or partition, similar to log in to your system OS. Then the encrypt/decrypt is done seamlessly on the fly, so you don't have to keep re-entering the password. Just use files or programs as you normally do.
Some newer notebook HDs have a similar system built in.
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Gdetrailer
PA
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Joined: 01/05/2007
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msmith1199 writes "What I'm looking for is some way to protect all of my documents and pictures and scanned images so in the event the computer is stolen nobody (other than maybe the CIA) can access those files, while at the same time not having to continually enter passwords or assign passwords every time I creat a document."
Unfortunately there is no real way to do what you are asking without a lot of hassle to you since your goal is to "protect" each and every file or documment. This would require you to set permissions on each and every new document and file. It would require YOU to enter a password just to view or modify the document or file each and everytime you wish to access each item.
In all honesty it is going to be way to much hassle and because of this you will find yourself not following your own protection after a while.
Even your hard drive is not safe even though you have the Windows passworded.
Why? Well it is due to the fact that anyone can remove your PCs hard drive, plug it into a HD to USB adapter and plug it into another PC with Windows. They can then view EVERY file on the hard drive.
Even virtual PC drives can be cracked.
With that said, I would suggest that it is possible to encrypt important files that contain personal information, bank numbers and such using a software compression program like Winzip.
Winzip can be used to "gather" your important files into a compressed file which can be passworded. The downside of this is each and everytime you want to access the files in the Winzip file you will need to decompress the file.
The only "safe" way is to NOT keep any important info on your PC, thumb (USB flash) drives are handy but also can be lost or stolen although you could use an external USB HD and keep it separate from your PC but it to can be lost or stolen.
I think it is over the top to worry about each and every file, you need to pick and choose your battles by encrypting only the most sensitive info.
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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Joined: 10/07/2001
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The problem being I will have thousands of files that will be important files that need encrypting. I don't want to get into specific details but the files will have legal privleges that could cause civil liability on my part if they get out, which is why I have to do what I can to protect them. And yes I realize Mark Zuckberg or the FBI crime lab in D.C. can probably crack my code, but I'm more worried about the doper burglar who steals the computer and gives it to some of his ID theft buddies who try and get into the files.
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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Joined: 10/07/2001
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1492 wrote:You enter the password initially to access the disk or partition, similar to log in to your system OS. Then the encrypt/decrypt is done seamlessly on the fly, so you don't have to keep re-entering the password. Just use files or programs as you normally do.
Some newer notebook HDs have a similar system built in.
I will have to study this more as I think it may do what I want. Have you tried it? The only thing that concerns me is it is free. That only concerns me because often people who give away free software like this mainly intend it to be used for illegal purposes. Not that I'm intending to use it for illegal purposes, but I don't want to associate with a company who does that. I'd rather buy software and know it's coming from Microsoft or some other reputable type company.
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msmith1199
Central, CA
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I just read a wikipedia article on TrueCrypt and I don't think I want to use this. I think it's clear that the guys who created it, who are using a lot of different methods to hide their real identity, clearly intend for it to be used to illegal reasons otherwise they wouldn't hide.
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1492
No. Virginia
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Joined: 04/08/2005
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msmith1199 wrote:I just read a wikipedia article on TrueCrypt and I don't think I want to use this. I think it's clear that the guys who created it, who are using a lot of different methods to hide their real identity, clearly intend for it to be used to illegal reasons otherwise they wouldn't hide.
I don't use TrueCrypt, but the questions you mentioned is "one" reason I use DiskCryptor.
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