How to encrypt data on your laptop for holiday travel
by Ryan Naraine | July 3, 2008 6:36am PDT | Image 1 of 6
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How to encrypt data on your laptop for holiday travel
As we head into a summer full of airports, car rentals and other assorted travel, the reality of lost laptops with confidential/private data has begun to set in.
With Windows XP Pro and Windows Vista, Microsoft offers a nifty feature to encrypt files or folders using Encrypting File System (EFS).
Here's how to encrypt your files or folders. When you are logged on to your computer, you'll be able to read them. Anyone who tries to use your computer without your logon will not be able to read them.
To begin, click Start, then All Programs, then Accessories, then click Windows Explorer.
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RE: Encrypt File or Parent Folder (How to encrypt data on your laptop for holiday travel)
so hard to used, how about a printable form, all pages...this might have been useful.
OR you could just right-click on the folder/file, click "properties" and then hit "advanced"...
If the file/folder can be decrypted merely by clicking on various instructions, why can this decryption be performed by any casual thief?
Alan Sobel
Alan Sobel
Windows largely relies on a logon password to prevent access to data by a malicious user who has direct access to the machine.
This encryption method would ideally prevent someone booting from a Ubuntu LiveCD (for example) and accessing specific files stored on the laptop's HD.
I don't know how stong the encryption could be if there's no secret key...but it's probably sufficient for most home users/casual thieves.
This encryption method would ideally prevent someone booting from a Ubuntu LiveCD (for example) and accessing specific files stored on the laptop's HD.
I don't know how stong the encryption could be if there's no secret key...but it's probably sufficient for most home users/casual thieves.
This seems too simple otherwise encryption could be a default action. Do files have to be decrypted before an offline backup? If not, how can the backup be decrypted if the originating machine is gone?
When I get to the Advanced Atributes screen the Encrypt Contents to secure data line is grayed out. Do i need to change some other setting?
Are you logged in as an "Administrator"?
Apparently this created more questions than answers.
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