Encrypting File System XP Pro’
Before you start using ‘Microsoft Windows EFS’, BACKUP YOUR PRIVATE KEY!
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/241201
If you Encrypt your personal files, it makes your data much more secure. This will not work for ‘XP Home’ or ‘Vista Home’ as the ‘Home’ Editions do not support ‘Microsoft Windows EFS’ (Encrypting File System). ‘Home’ users may use ‘True Crypt’ as described below, though this very basic, but effective method (Microsoft’s EFS) will work with ‘XP Pro’ and ‘Vista Ultimate’.
Please be aware that when you Copy (Do NOT ‘Move’) a File to an Encrypted Folder, you must ALWAYS make sure you ‘Shred’ the original File. Deleting it (even if you empty your Recycle Bin) will NOT get rid of your unEncrypted File. ‘Spybot – Search & Destroy’ will install a ‘File Shredder’ (Supports ‘Drag & Drop’) into your ‘Start Menu’, though there are many alternatives for Shredding Confidential Documents…
Eraser: (Will also Erase a whole Drive)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/eraser/
FileMenu Tools: (Right click a File and simpy select ‘Shred’)
http://www.lopesoft.com/en/fmtools/info.html
More info’ on EFS:
http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Understanding-EFS-Windows-2003.html
For advanced methods of Encryption (‘Serpent’, ‘AES-256′, and ‘Twofish’), I would strongly recommend Downloading ‘True Crypt’.
‘True Crypt’ will also work on ‘XP Home & Pro’, ‘Vista Home & Ultimate’, ‘Linux/Ubuntu’ and ‘Mac OS X’. Great for storing Highly Confidential Data (Such as millions of peoples personal details, and bank account details, due to be transported by a Courier/Postal Service) on a Removable Media such as a ‘Flash Drive’/'Memory Stick’, ‘CD’ or ‘DVD’, which can then be safely transported and accessed from another ‘PC’/'Operating System’ running ‘True Crypt’, simply by entering the Password to Mount the File.; Much similar to how you would Mount a *.ISO File with a ‘Virtual CD/DVD-ROM Emulator’ (like DAEMON Tools), but with a ‘Password Prompt’ before actually ‘Mounting’. When you try to Mount the File, you will be Prompted for the Password. The File will then Mount as a new Drive on the system; assign it any free/available Drive letter you wish.
Source:
http://www.truecrypt.org/
Knowledge:
Note:
Passwords more than 100 characters long, consisting of upper-case and lower-case Letters, Numbers, Spaces and $p3Cail Ch4R4cT0R5, should be sufficient protection against current civilian technology, until Quantum Computers are available to the public…
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Narrator…
“If you have files on your PC that you don’t want other people to view from another Windows account, you can Encrypt them.
Just right click the file you want to Encrypt, then click ‘Advanced’. Now select ‘Encrypt contents to secure data’ and click ‘OK’.
Now click ‘Apply’.
Select ‘Encrypt the file only’ and click ‘OK’.
Hackers, and even Administrators, will now get an ‘Access Denied’ message when they try to open the file.
To make things simpler, you can Encrypt a whole folder. Anything you put in that folder will automatically be encrypted until you take it back out. This method is particularly useful for adding extra security to lots of files such as MSN ‘History’ files or even your whole MSN ‘My Received Files’ folder.
You will know when a file is Encrypted because the text will change color.
Now it might be wise to change your Windows password, but don’t forget it. That is the only account which will allow you to open your files. The longer the password, the harder to crack.
Bye for now!”
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Duration : 0:1:7