Encryption, one step toward securing of information

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Show #25:

• Date: 2005-07-11
• Subject: Encryption, one step toward securing of information
• Duration: 31:21
• Format: MP3
• Size: 12,900 kb

Topics Discussed:

• My Comments
• Listener Comments:
• From: George - Show comments
• From: efkregister - Show comments
• From: Warren - How to support the show
• From: Charlie - Open ports
• From: Jo - Connect two PCs
• From: Matt - Gmail invites
• From: Mario - Burning on Mac mini
• From: Frances - Mac and Windows sharing
• What is encryption?
• Rules to encrypt files, etc.
• How to encrypt a file or folder
• How to protect your encryption
• Other encryption options?

Additional Information:

What is encryption?

Encryption can be thought of as locking something valuable into a strong box with a key. Conversely, decryption can be compared to opening the box and retrieving the valuable item. On computers, sensitive data in the form of e-mail messages, files on a disk, and files being transmitted across the network can be encrypted using a key. Encrypted data and the key used to encrypt data are both unintelligible.

Typically, public key encryption is not used to encrypt large amounts of data. However, public key cryptography does offer an efficient method to send someone the secret key that is used when a symmetric encryption operation is performed on a large amount of data.

Encrypting File System (EFS) provides the core file encryption technology used to store encrypted files on NTFS file system volumes. Once you encrypt a file or folder, you work with the encrypted file or folder just as you do with any other files and folders.

Encryption is transparent to the user that encrypted the file. This means that you do not have to manually decrypt the encrypted file before you can use it. You can open and change the file as you normally do.

Using EFS is similar to using permissions on files and folders. Both methods can be used to restrict access to data. However, an intruder who gains unauthorized physical access to your encrypted files or folders will be prevented from reading them. If the intruder tries to open or copy your encrypted file or folder he receives an access denied message. Permissions on files and folders do not protect against unauthorized physical attacks.

You encrypt or decrypt a folder or file by setting the encryption property for folders and files just as you set any other attribute such as read-only, compressed, or hidden. If you encrypt a folder, all files and subfolders created in the encrypted folder are automatically encrypted. It is recommended that you encrypt at the folder level.

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