I'd like to start using encryption, for a number of reasons (you can all guess what they are), but have been told it's difficult and also acts as a "Red Flag" to the gov't...they basically think you MUST have something to hide if you're encrypting. What if you just don't want someone accessing your Great American Novel?
Any thoughts, recommendations, warnings?
2006-09-05 05:35:56 · 5 answers · asked by Gwynneth Of Olwen 6 in Computers & Internet ➔ Security
More detail...well, mostly everything! e-mail, online purchases (even tho' protected by credit cards if stolen...would like to prevent identity theft), concern about "holes" in Word and Excel, which I use a lot. Anonymous surfing (not the same as encryption?) would be nice to have at times. I'm just paranoid, okay?
2006-09-05 06:01:44 · update #1
Princess J: thanks for the link, and I'd be interested in your source for the statement that the gov't "Isn't as interested...as everyone says"! Any links for that?
2006-09-08 06:14:15 · update #2
A lot of people encrypt/sign their email. Proof of sender, not just to avoid man-in-the-middle attacks.
See: http://www.gnupg.org/
Heck, even MacOSX comes with FileVault to encrypt your filesystem and Keychain to encrypt your passwords.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/security/
2006-09-05 05:47:00 · answer #1 · answered by mrvadeboncoeur 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I personally wouldn't worry too much about encrypting your files. The government isn't really as concerned about it as some people say and the FTC actually recommends encrypting your files to prevent identity theft.
That being said, if you are going to use a file encryption program, I'd stay away from the freeware. You tend to get what you pay for and encryption isn't something you want to mess around with. I started using Stompsoft's Digital Vault for my desktop and thier Portable Vault for my flash drive. It's served me well so far and they do have a free trial so you can see if you like it before you pay for it.
2006-09-07 18:05:30 · answer #2 · answered by Princess J 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't be too paranoid about encryption - it's used all the time by big business.
Q. Can you tell us the context - email, online banking custom apps ?
Q. Why do you want to use encryption - to hide the content, or for something like non-repudiation ?
2006-09-05 05:41:12 · answer #3 · answered by dryheatdave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it fairly is effective to to envision actual Crypt. Years in the past there became PGP which the US Governemtn could not wreck and so it banned it for an prolonged time. you're transforming into the potential to discover that because it makes use of your key to encrypt messages, records.
2016-11-24 22:52:13 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.pgp.com/
http://www.google.com/search?q=free+encryption+software+&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1
2006-09-05 05:46:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋