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Its Time to Sing the Encryption Song - Again!
Yes, I'm wearing my encryption hat again. Why you may ask? Well I just finished reading about the newest security hole in Microsoft's latest server product. Then couple that with all the recent hacker activity, new reports from the GAO (that's the Government Accounting Office) that the government can't protect it's own computers and data much less the data WE send them, reports that computer theft is on the rise and news that the FBI is now developing a new computer "worm" (read virus) to spy on citizens, I decided to sing the encryption song again. This time I'll sing a verse about personal data encryption. So what do I mean by personal data encryption? I mean ANY data on ANY storage medium that relates to you, your family or your business. Encryption is the process of scrambling electronic data in such a way that it's unreadable to all but the owner. For the purposes of this article I'll cover two different ways to encrypt data and the pros and cons of each. The first way is file/folder encryption. This is the process by which someone identifies what data they want to protect on a file by file or folder basis and then encodes each file or folder using some kind of software encryption tool. What are the pros of this style of encryption? First, each file or folder can be assigned its own "encryption key". Then, even if one key gets "cracked" open, all the other files or folders will still be safe. Next, only those files and folders you identify and select will be encrypted. This allows for a "gnat's behind" level of detail that some folks need to feel secure. What are the cons of file or folder level encryption? Well, at this level of detail, tracking of all the different encryption keys and file locations would be an administrative nightmare! So, unless you have days to spend identifying files and folders and encrypting them or if you are really, really into details, file level encryption just isn't practical for most people. The second way to protect personal data is drive encryption. Unlike file encryption, drive level encryption allows a user to create a reserved area on the hard drive called a container. Once created, this container can be "mounted" or set to act like another fully functional hard drive on a computer. It will appear in the file manager just like any other drive. What are the pros for drive encryption? This space can be "mounted" using a single encryption key and the key only needs to be entered once. After it's mounted, this virtual drive can contain any data and / or program, just like any regular drive. But when it's dismounted, the virtual drive is no longer visible and the container looks like any other file, the contents of which are completely inaccessible without the encryption key. What's the down side to drive encryption? If you forget your key, all the data and / or program information in the container is lost. Also, all the information is only protected by a single key. So if your key is compromised, all your information is available to prying eyes. What's my recommendation? Drive encryption. Drive encryption is far more efficient than file encryption especially if you need to access your data frequently. Drive encryption also allows for the complete encryption of programs, something virtually impossible to do with file level encryption. (Well not impossible but certainly problematic and time consuming!) And by creating an encryption key of sufficient size and complexity, the single key issue becomes almost moot. One site I visited recently stated that it would take one million computers performing one million operations per second approximately 11 trillion years to crack a 128 bit encryption key! So, by using an encryption key of about 64 random characters, a hacker would need multiple life times to crack open your files. There are several programs available online for both file and drive encryption. All these programs differ in functionality, price, encryption algorithms and interfaces. The best way to proceed is to do a search from your favorite search engine on encryption tools and read about the options available. Don't wait! The day will come when your system gets compromised by some hacker or thief or FBI agent and then you'll wish you had protected your data. Privacy is your right! Exercise it! Michael Ameye has been developing web sites since 1995. He started writing about online privacy issues to answer questions from family, friends and co-workers. Visit http://www.canyourspam.com to see his latest work. He is also the chief editor of PSS Online, A Privacy, Safety and Security eZine dedicated to bringing important information to people in order to foster a safer more secure environment - online and off. Visit http://www.pssonline.info to subscribe.
MORE RESOURCES: Large Language Models Pose Growing Security Risks The Wall Street Journal Europe Vows to Step Up Baltic Sea Security After a New Cable Break The New York Times UK minister met Chinese turbine company amid security concerns POLITICO Europe Protector app provides on-demand armed security ABC7 Los Angeles Electric infrastructure security measure updated Unicameral Update HackerOne Debuts New Way to Quantify Security Value Channel Insider The Jones Act : A disastrous legacy for the U.S. economy and security Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) Elon Musk’s Private Security Are Now Special Deputies The Daily Beast Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Democratic Republic of the Congo United States Mission to the United Nations Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Steps Down HSToday US Marshals Service deputizes Musk’s private security detail: Reports Straight Arrow News ThreatLocker® launches new solutions, further advances Zero Trust security resilience and adoption Yahoo Finance DOE layoffs weaken security, economic growth: “Forget American energy dominance” Federal News Network Webinar: Learn How to Identify High-Risk Identity Gaps and Slash Security Debt in 2025 The Hacker News Whistleblower lawyer Mark Zaid on the Trump administration's move to revoke security clearances The Record from Recorded Future News UN Security Council to Call on Rwanda to Pull Troops From Congo U.S. News & World Report Pennsylvania Treasury Bans Chinese AI Platform Over Security Concerns Franklin County Free Press Citrix Releases Security Fix for NetScaler Console Privilege Escalation Vulnerability The Hacker News Rep. Woolford on border security Michigan House Republicans EU Moves to Enhance Undersea Cable Security as Sweden Looks at New Incident - The Maritime Executive EU Moves to Enhance Undersea Cable Security as Sweden Looks at New Incident The Maritime Executive Texada achieves top security certifications American Rental Association The Diplomatic Security Service is being targeted for firings. Why that matters: Analysis - ABC News Ukrainians are looking past NATO to a European security architecture Al Jazeera English How to secure Notes on iOS and macOS Help Net Security Menlo Security Acquires Votiro to Deliver Easy, AI-driven Data Security to Enterprises Business Wire Exabits partners with Phala Network to offer robust AI security with TEE-enabled infrastructure GlobeNewswire Apple pulls iCloud end-to-end encryption feature for UK users after government demanded backdoor TechCrunch AI app DeepSeek banned on Pennsylvania treasury-issued devices over privacy, security concerns CBS News OpenText unveils AI-powered threat detection and response capabilities Help Net Security Topic: Relations with Ukraine NATO HQ Regional peace depends on Iran's security Tehran Times EU seeks to strengthen underwater cable security in Baltic and Mediterranean Kathimerini English Edition Apple drops key ADP security feature in UK Mobile World Live ‘Golden ticket to job security’: Trade union partnerships hold promise for high school students Youth Today Second Take: ‘The Winter Soldier’ tackles American democracy and security The Stanford Daily Tusk proposes 3-point plan to strengthen Ukraine, European security. Kyiv Independent DOGE access to Social Security, IRS data could create privacy and security risks, experts say The Record from Recorded Future News ISC West 2025 Preview: Inside the Security Industry’s Premier Event Security Sales & Integration Unarmed, undertrained, at risk: Advocates for Hawaii’s private security guards want change Hawaii News Now Venture capital firm Insight Partners faces security breach Security Magazine ID-Pal, Facephi join influential payments, security groups Biometric Update Google Ad-Tech Users Can Target National Security ‘Decision Makers’ and People With Chronic Diseases WIRED Retired doctor and courthouse security deputy seeking Belvidere Township 'CEO' job Northern Public Radio (WNIJ) |
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