Hi,
I'm (un)reasonably paranoid about security. ANyway, I've just found out that you can set a folder or file to be encrypted bt changing the properties -- providing the drive is NTFS
.
I doubt that this encryotion is 'world class', but I'm wondering just how good it is. I'd like to use it to keep a few 'somewhat sensitive ' files available to me. I was using a seagate feature on an old drive -- it had a specific encryoted folder. Unfortunately it was getting flaky. so I'm looking for a new solution. I have a few passwords for things like my local paper, etc, and the status of my bills that I access frequently. Thus the security question.

Comments appreciated -- and if there is a free/low cost alternative, I'd like to hear about that as well.

Thanks,

hj

 

Typically ANY file that's on your computer's hard drive can be easily hacked these days----the only real secure way to keep things out of reach from that bunch is keeping it OFF your hard drive.

Put your sensitive info on a flash drive that's used only if and when you need it. If it's not there they can'ft find it right?

 

Study security and encryption on computer forums. It's interesting stuff and worth an evening or several. Encryption will make your files effectively uncrackable (Five Eyes nations excepted but you don't matter to them) and is standard in industry. Modern computers have no problem running full disk encryption.

Free and open source example: https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Home.html

Not if basic security is practiced.

If you want your internet browsing isolated from your host operating system you can run another OS in a virtual machine. It's like having multiple computers in one. You can run the same OS in a VM to test software, for example a Windows 10 VM on a Windows 10 host. You can take a "snapshot" of a clean install then do whatever and revert to that clean snapshot afterwards. It's like having a clean install whenever you want and as fast as a reboot. For browsing I wouldn't use Windows since modern Linux distros are VERY easy to deal with. Example: https://itsfoss.com/install-linux-in-virtualbox/

All my computers get VMs. I install them during ordinary computer use and after doing a few you'll get fast at it since it's easier than bare metal installs. My Windows hosts get Linux guests and (most of my PCs) Linux hosts get Windows and other OS guests. You can try any live OS that way too by booting the .iso file in a VM.

https://www.virtualbox.org/

Not really. Even the government get pwned when they get sloppy. Learning is fun and knowledge is power. I suggest using your interest in security to learn more about computers, operating systems, VMs and other useful things. It doesn't cost a dime.

Want secure browsing with Tor? https://tails.boum.org/ https://www.torproject.org/
Another use for Tor is paywalled news sites which cut you off after a few views. Switch identities and your new connection has a different IP while any cookies left by the last session are destroyed.

You can use Tails in a VM, burned to a live DVD or loaded to a USB fob. The last two are portable so if you use an untrusted computer you don't have to expose yourself to its OS. Live OS will boot with no hard drive at all.

It's far easier to learn than it looks. Now have at it. You'll thank me later.

Flash isn't highly reliable and can fail without warning so have a backup somewhere else. Encrypt the flash if you take it with you, but it's not really reliable backup.. Don't lose the encryption key. Plan so if all your devices are destroyed you can restore all your files from backup. Any drive connected to a PC is vulnerable to lightning strike, surges etc. If your stuff is periodically updated (for example a photographer who adds pics to a folder) learn about versioned backups. Assume nothing, study what the professionals do and copy what works.

 

Thanks for that Mr wrench -- will take me a while to digest it.

hj