Encrypting/locking folders

[Have Brush Will Travel]

Morning...

I have a second hard drive fitted that I use as a back up for pictures, docs etc...but if the computer is ever nicked anyone will have instant access to my files....not that I have anything anyone would find remotely interesting, unless they wanted help with their insomnia by reading my crap!

So...is there anything software wise I can use to create a password or make a folder lockable?

Im surprised that this has never been incorporated into windows, surely its a no brainer in this day and age... to be able to lock down data from unwanted access...obviously recovery software used by specialists etc will cut through it like a knife through butter...but I just want something that will prevent your average scum bag burglar from accessing files that not 'personal' as such but private in the same way you wouldnt want them nosing through your briefcase/handbag

Im using Windows 7

Cheers

[kellys_eye]

TBH I think that anything you don't want other people seeing shouldn't be on it in the first place. Data keys of 64Gb are available for £20 and if your porn - sorry I mean family pictures - are larger in size than 64Gb then you've got serious problems!

We keep all important documents, family photos etc on data keys now due to a recent destructive virus incident but prevention due to theft is a convenient side effect we can avoid too.

But, to answer your question, no, there are no direct ways to do it in Windows (other then the usual logon password protection and changing security settings to keep other on the network from accessing them - assuming networking access is a problem...). There are various methods via alternative after market software such as in this article:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/230946/Passwords.html

but if you have winzip installed you can zip the folder and encrypt it anyway.

[Timllfixit]

You could try Trucrypt, but I'm not sure if that is supported any more. It's more secure than WinZip, and is basically a password protected encrypted file that mounts as a drive. You can put it on sticks etc. and make one of any size you like. You then store all your stuff in it, de mount it and it looks just like a boring(but unreadable) file. The Trucrypt package comes with a creator file to create new trucrypt directories. PM me if you need more info.

[Have Brush Will Travel]

Cheers chaps...porn, indeed!!!...how very dare you! details of a few ex birds im touch with on face book etc...no porn though!

Ill check those options out...I do have a thumb drive which is encrypted but the main problem is the hard drive in the computer really..pictures, actually, so what if someone sees them...no different to nicking a photo album I spose....I had a look earlier at what might be of interest to a tea leaf, no bank details, passwords, log ins, passport numbers etc etc are kept on here (if they saw my bank details they would probably leave me twenty quid!) I just dont think anyone has the right to nose around in your files...

I have had a look at that Trucrypt before...I might check it out to see if there is a 30 day trail too

Cheers

[Someone-Else]

[Thinking out loud] if its for back up

.........I have a second hard drive fitted that I use as a back up for pictures, docs etc...

It will be of no use to you what so ever if its in / near the pc that has been stolen, also if the 2nd hard drive is encrypted what is to stop them looking at the first hard drive?

Would you not be better off with something like drop box? its free, or some other cloud based back up?

OR you could consider something like a personal cloud storage device, which you could hide else where in the house. [/Thinking out loud]














.Yes, I know there is no such button as "Thinking out loud"

[Have Brush Will Travel]

[Thinking out loud] if its for back up

.........I have a second hard drive fitted that I use as a back up for pictures, docs etc...

It will be of no use to you what so ever if its in / near the pc that has been stolen, also if the 2nd hard drive is encrypted what is to stop them looking at the first hard drive?

Would you not be better off with something like drop box? its free, or some other cloud based back up?

OR you could consider something like a personal cloud storage device, which you could hide else where in the house. [/Thinking out loud]

Cheers for that...

Obviously the second hard drive wont be any use to me at all if someone nicks it...not will the rest of the computer or my CD collection, my clothes, or my camera if they got nicked too! but I have overlooked the cloud/dropbox (I have both but Ive never used cloud) storage option...thats got to be the way forward really.

The first hard drive has windows on it...so they have a password to content with

Thanks














.Yes, I know there is no such button as "Thinking out loud"

[BillyGoat]

A password doesn't really do anything for a couple of reasons HBWT.

1. A Windows password can be reset/removed in about 3 minutes. I've got a USB key here that does that very task for any version of Windows. If you have access to the machine, you have access to the data.
2. Most people who steal them don't care about your data other than a casual look if they can turn it on - it's who they sell it to that matters, who will usually wipe them.

"Cloud" storage is good, but whatever you choose make sure you setup the security properly - if they allow two factor-authentication, you should really enable it.

Google do this
Microsoft do this
I'm sure others do, so check.

It means that when you/someone wishes to access the account, your phone will usually get a text message with a PIN, regardless of them having the password.

Thirdparty software is usually the way to go if you want to encrypt folders or files - If you want to do it just using Windows, then you need a version that has bitlocker - I'd guess that would be FAR more expensive than some thirdparty software as it's typically enterprise environments that do this.

Lastly, if you ARE going to encrypt files and folders and keep them on the same PC, you can STILL get a virus/malware that ALSO encrypts the drive (ransomware), which means while your data is safe, it's effectively gone.

BG

[kellys_eye]

Lastly, if you ARE going to encrypt files and folders and keep them on the same PC, you can STILL get a virus/malware that ALSO encrypts the drive (ransomware), which means while your data is safe, it's effectively gone.

BG

A point I was trying to make - we had exactly that happen to us on our business machine so the threat is definitely out there...

The only solution is a reformat and re-construction of ALL the data that was encrypted and for us that means retyping all our necessary documents, customised letters, design work etc etc. Nightmare......

[Timllfixit]

I think trucrypt is a little more secure than the average windows PW. AFAIK it is free, (the version I run is) but they may have started charging for it now. There is a slight problem with the release handles on W7/8 on OLD TRUCYPT versions, but there is a new version available that seems to be reilable.

Sadly we can't eliminate risk entirely, all we can do is minimise it.

[Dave54]

I've used Truecrypt, and as said it works well. I don't think it's been supported for some time though.
I use Diskcryptor to encrypt drives.
https://diskcryptor.net/wiki/Main_Page
When mounted they are seen as a normal drive.
Or Axcrypt for individual files put on the cloud etc. If you have multiple files zip 'em first.
http://www.axantum.com/axcrypt/

[Argyll]

I used to use truecrypt but it kept crashing my operating system as soon as I added any removable media.

I now use a program called securelock for my portable USB's and drives. I assume it can be used on a hard drive.

[Have Brush Will Travel]

A password doesn't really do anything for a couple of reasons HBWT.

1. A Windows password can be reset/removed in about 3 minutes. I've got a USB key here that does that very task for any version of Windows. If you have access to the machine, you have access to the data.
2. Most people who steal them don't care about your data other than a casual look if they can turn it on - it's who they sell it to that matters, who will usually wipe them.

BG

Cheers Billy...Yep, I am aware of these keys and the fact that your average scum sucking burlgar would probably just punt you computer for 20 quid for their next fix or 12 pack of Red Bull rather than pay a computer repairer to get into it etc

I back everything up onto a portable hard drive and the 2nd HD I have installed on the machine every couple of weeks or if I put a new photo album on the machine, so I am not worried about data loss as such...just unauthorised access to the second HD...installing windows on it might be an option, at least it will be protected to a degree..as mentioned earlier, there isnt really anything on it that would be of much interest to someone, unless they got of on reading quotations for jobs and jokes from my prehistoric joke collection!