Can anybody recommend encryption software, compatible with Vista. that can

be used by persons without a PhD in cryptography? I have tried Advanced

Encryption Package (AEP) 2007 Professional and the latest version of PGP.

Both come with insufficient documentation (what there is written is either

erroneous or itself encrypted with gobbledygook) and little or no technical

support. .

 

I just need sufficient documentation to protect my financial and personal

files from hackers and thieves.

"Don Bouchard" <dbouchard@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

news:FjAii.37422$Um6.2831@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...

> Can anybody recommend encryption software, compatible with Vista. that can

> be used by persons without a PhD in cryptography? I have tried Advanced

> Encryption Package (AEP) 2007 Professional and the latest version of PGP.

> Both come with insufficient documentation (what there is written is either

> erroneous or itself encrypted with gobbledygook) and little or no

> technical support. .

>

> I just need sufficient documentation to protect my financial and personal

> files from hackers and thieves.

>

 

I don't know which software is best but if you want to keep those files

secure then it is best to have two computers, one for the internet and one

that is not connected to the internet. You can transfer any files you

download from the internet one to the non-internet one via a thumb drive.

On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 03:22:40 GMT, "THX" <no@email.invalid> wrote:

>

>"Don Bouchard" <dbouchard@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

>news:FjAii.37422$Um6.2831@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...

>> Can anybody recommend encryption software, compatible with Vista. that can

>> be used by persons without a PhD in cryptography? I have tried Advanced

>> Encryption Package (AEP) 2007 Professional and the latest version of PGP.

>> Both come with insufficient documentation (what there is written is either

>> erroneous or itself encrypted with gobbledygook) and little or no

>> technical support. .

>>

>> I just need sufficient documentation to protect my financial and personal

>> files from hackers and thieves.

>>

>

>I don't know which software is best but if you want to keep those files

>secure then it is best to have two computers, one for the internet and one

>that is not connected to the internet. You can transfer any files you

>download from the internet one to the non-internet one via a thumb drive.

 

You can use Windows' own Encrypting File System (EFS) which is a

build-in feature of Vista. If you want simple you can't be it since it

is totally transparent once you set it up. The system automatically

encrypts and decrypts files as you access them making them secure from

hackers or thieves if your computer fell into the wrong hands. Learn

more in Vista's help.

 

There is a downside and a big one. If you lose the key you're screwed

with there being virtually no way to recover your data. People learn

the hard way if they ever have to reinstall Windows. Even data not on

your root drive is locked and lost forever if encrypted. So if you

EVER have to reinstall Vista or you move files off the system in their

encrypted state the system will treat you as a potential hacker and

you won't get access either. Your key will no longer work because the

encryption key when created is unique to each install and includes

hidden bits only Windows knows and creates randomly that can't be

duplicated even if you use the same exact key. So you need to be

careful and because of that not something for casual users.

 

Like the other poster said, if you have really personal stuff, that

shouldn't be on any computer that has access to the Internet. If you

must invest in a small external drive keep your personal stuff on that

drive and only have that drive on when you access it. Otherwise that

drive is off and safe from the outside world from Internet attack.

"THX" <no@email.invalid> wrote in message

news:4oEii.84969$1i1.24125@pd7urf3no...

>

> "Don Bouchard" <dbouchard@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

> news:FjAii.37422$Um6.2831@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...

>> Can anybody recommend encryption software, compatible with Vista. that

>> can be used by persons without a PhD in cryptography? I have tried

>> Advanced Encryption Package (AEP) 2007 Professional and the latest

>> version of PGP. Both come with insufficient documentation (what there is

>> written is either erroneous or itself encrypted with gobbledygook) and

>> little or no technical support. .

>>

>> I just need sufficient documentation to protect my financial and personal

>> files from hackers and thieves.

>>

>

> I don't know which software is best but if you want to keep those files

> secure then it is best to have two computers, one for the internet and one

> that is not connected to the internet. You can transfer any files you

> download from the internet one to the non-internet one via a thumb drive.

 

If you have Vista Ultimate you can use Bitlocker to encrypt your entire hard

drive. Bitlocker works with either a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) which is

a built-in hardware solution for storing your encryption keys available on

some laptops or you can use a USB thumb drive for storing your encryption

keys. Bitlocker is fairly simple to turn on. Let us know if you have Vista

Ultimate and we can explain how.

 

Another option is Truecrypt which is a free open source encryption program.

Truecrypt and instructions for it are available here: <www.truecrypt.com>

Truecrypt creates and encrypted volume on your hard drive or other drive

where you can store your files in an encrypted form. There is a beginners

tutorial for truecrypt here:

<http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/>

"Don Bouchard" <dbouchard@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

news:FjAii.37422$Um6.2831@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...

> Can anybody recommend encryption software, compatible with Vista. that

> can be used by persons without a PhD in cryptography? I have tried

> Advanced Encryption Package (AEP) 2007 Professional and the latest

> version of PGP. Both come with insufficient documentation (what there

> is written is either erroneous or itself encrypted with gobbledygook)

> and little or no technical support. .

>

> I just need sufficient documentation to protect my financial and

> personal files from hackers and thieves.

>

Full version WinZip AES encrypted archives are simple and flexible to

use and you won't lose the data as long as you have a copy of the

archive file, your remembered passphrase and of course WinZip. You do

need to take care of originals and extracted files/folders in clear

yourself of course.

 

Any further opinion on how secure these really are, assuming a good

passphrase ?

 

Tom

On Tue, 3 Jul 2007 21:49:42 -0600, "Kevin Young" <ky_nntp@msn.com>

wrote:

>"THX" <no@email.invalid> wrote in message

>news:4oEii.84969$1i1.24125@pd7urf3no...

>>

>> "Don Bouchard" <dbouchard@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

>> news:FjAii.37422$Um6.2831@newssvr12.news.prodigy.net...

>>> Can anybody recommend encryption software, compatible with Vista. that

>>> can be used by persons without a PhD in cryptography? I have tried

>>> Advanced Encryption Package (AEP) 2007 Professional and the latest

>>> version of PGP. Both come with insufficient documentation (what there is

>>> written is either erroneous or itself encrypted with gobbledygook) and

>>> little or no technical support. .

>>>

>>> I just need sufficient documentation to protect my financial and personal

>>> files from hackers and thieves.

>>>

>>

>> I don't know which software is best but if you want to keep those files

>> secure then it is best to have two computers, one for the internet and one

>> that is not connected to the internet. You can transfer any files you

>> download from the internet one to the non-internet one via a thumb drive.

>

>If you have Vista Ultimate you can use Bitlocker to encrypt your entire hard

>drive. Bitlocker works with either a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) which is

>a built-in hardware solution for storing your encryption keys available on

>some laptops or you can use a USB thumb drive for storing your encryption

>keys. Bitlocker is fairly simple to turn on. Let us know if you have Vista

>Ultimate and we can explain how.

>

>Another option is Truecrypt which is a free open source encryption program.

>Truecrypt and instructions for it are available here: <www.truecrypt.com>

>Truecrypt creates and encrypted volume on your hard drive or other drive

>where you can store your files in an encrypted form. There is a beginners

>tutorial for truecrypt here:

><http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/>

 

One thing I like about PGP is that it lets you encrypt a file(s) into

a encrypted self extracting file. As long as you have the password it

will extract all the files. Unfortunately, they have no plans for a

Vista 64 version at this time...

 

Avatar

I have several suggestions

 

First of all, Adam Albrigt's notes about Windows EFS must be paid

attention to - EFS is a problem waiting to happen, so if you use it, you

should be extremely careful.

 

I suggest you to take a look at 'Private Disk'

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Disk), one of its strengths is

simplicity, so it definitely meets the "-can be used by persons without

a PhD in cryptography-" criterion.

> One thing I like about PGP is that it lets you encrypt a file(s) into a

> encrypted self extracting file. As long as you have the password it will

> extract all the files.

Try 'Secrets Keeper'

(http://www.dekart.com/products/encryption/secrets_keeper/), it sort of

does the same thing, adding features like biometric devices support, and

it can use a USB key to decrypt files.

 

 

--

gr8dude