Do You Use Encryption to Protect Your Data? What Type of Encryption?

By Thomas on May 11, 2010 (15 Comments)

Not too long ago, encrypting your computer, files or folders were something that only geeks or people in extreme high security jobs would do. Well people have since the dawn of wars, kingdoms and enemies, world leaders and their adversaries tried to hide information from unauthorized eyes, but nowadays – everyone seems to concerned with it.

Windows 7 supports many different solutions to encrypt (and thereby protect) your data (like: EFS and BitLocker).

But what do you use, if any ?
And are you truly concerned about the loss of important data at all ?
Or, do you still think that encryption is for geeks and government employees ?

Let’s hear your opinion ?

Tell us whether and how you use encryption on your Windows 7 computer. Do you routinely encrypt whole volumes and/or individual files? What types of information do you encrypt? Do you use BitLocker on portable computers only, or on your desktop system, too? Have you tried BitLocker to go for encrypting USB thumb drives and the like? Do you prefer a third-party solution? Have you had any encryption-related problems (such as not being able to access your own encrypted files)?

There’s no prize involved for this one (or who knows)

About Thomas

Computer geek from the age of 7, which amounts to 30 years of computer experience. From the early days (when every computer company had their own OS) of DOS, Windows 1.0 through Seven...

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Comments

DataHaunt

On Windows 7 systems, I use boot drive encryption with TrueCrpyt. TC has proven very reliable over the years while the MS solutions are new an lack that same history.

Encryption should be mandatory in the mind of anyone with a portable system. With ID theft so prevelant even private system would benefit from full drive encryption.
me

i wanna meet the guy that uses windows encryption only… sucker
Anonymous

I don’t use encryption because I have no need to use it. But I like Truecrypt very much.

Btw – Whoa! what happened to js-kit?
RSVR85

What's the point… for the average user it's just paranoid to go through encrypting your data. It's almost as pointless as putting a password on a limited user account. Seriously, if someone wants access to your holiday snaps that bad, they'll get into it, encrypted or not. Big multi-national corporations with extreme encryption and very sensitive data, yes, understandable, but for average joe….. pointless.
RSVR85

What do you use then?
DataHaunt

Pointless if you don't care about someone gaining access to private data if you use your portable system for such matters like say the majority of portable system users.

The claim about “gaining access to your photos is no big deal” is out of date and simply out of touch unless of course all you use your portable PC for is storing pictures.

Even home system could benefit from file encryption if not full drive encryption.

Full drive encryption using a package like TrueCrypt is not beyond most users these days.
mintywhite

JS-Kit was too much of a barrier for many so I thought I'd give Disqus a try (again) and it seems a lot more useful than the last time I tried it–nine months ago.
SRChiP

For one thing, this do load faster than JS-Kit.

I'm also searching for a free commenting system for a website. The only thing I found is Instacomment before this. Disqus is really great.
mintywhite

This system is working well so far. JS-Kit is good and only $12 USD a year for their Echo service but Disqus seems to work better for anonymous comments — I.e not tied to a social networking account. It's too early for me to give a solid recommendation (like I can for JS-Kit) for Disqus at this point.
rsvr85

I never said gaining access to the pictures was not a big deal, of course any unauthorized access to your machine is a serious issue. I was using the pictures as an example of how average joe uses his/her computer. Even if it was sensitive documents, the majority of users simply don't need/want to encrypt thir data, especially a whole drive. To me that's just nuts.
When you're not using your PC, turn it off. Put a BIOS password on it, and use good password practices on the UA.
If the guy can get past those 2, you know he can get through the encryption which has been proved not to be flawless (even BitLocker).
http://www.mintywhite.com RSVR85

I definitely prefer Disqus over JS-Kit, JS-Kit is too slow and seemed a pain for people to use.
DataHaunt

“I never said gaining access to the pictures was not a big deal, of course any unauthorized access to your machine is a serious issue. “

No, you use the outdated, myopic and the defeatist mantra regarding encryption. The typical dismissal of drive encryption belittles what the average user might have by going for the picture mention overlooking the reality of computing today.

“I was using the pictures as an example of how average joe uses his/her computer.”

Yes and again, overlooking the reality of the matter.

“Even if it was sensitive documents, the majority of users simply don't need/want to encrypt thir data, especially a whole drive.”

And you speak for the majority under what self-accessed authority?

“To me that's just nuts.”

And that gets to the heart of the matter. To you it is nuts. Previously, you claimed it to be “just paranoid” and “pointless.” You opinion is not a fact.

“When you're not using your PC, turn it off. Put a BIOS password on it, and use good password practices on the UA.”

All of which does not address what drive encryption is meant to address.

The point of encrypting your drive is to protect the data. A BIOS password has never been a good security method since it is too easily bypassed. Likewise, passwords on the majority of systems are to easily hacked considering their OS.

“If the guy can get past those 2, you know he can get through the encryption which has been proved not to be flawless (even BitLocker).”

And that is absolutely false. Resetting a BIOS is something any novice can do and resetting a Windows password is almost as easy.

Most people are purchasing portable system, not desktops. Netbooks which are great for the majority of 90% users are also great for theft.

So, let us say a user have a portable system, uses it for the typical 90% use and it gets stolen.

Again, I can bypass the BIOS password and reset the majority of Windows passwords out there. Now I have access to everything on your portable system. That leads to ID theft or worse.

You wanted a BIOS password. For the same step, the user can have the entire boot drive encrypted.

If you think that TrueCrypt can be hacked as easily as a BIOS or a Windows password bypass, then by all mean, post your source.

Your personal opinion is one thing, but the reality of portable system theft and the cost and hassles of the related problems like ID theft and credit fraud illustrates how your opinion simply is not based upon the real threats that full drive encryption answers.

And I doubt anyone would claim that any solution is flawless nor did I claim it was. It is just a much better solution than outdated or ineffective measures such as a BIOS password or hackable Windows users account.

Even creating one encrypted file to contain your sensitive information is vastly superior to a BIOS password or strong password on the majority of existing Window system.
dougie

bitlocker
mintywhite

For my work PC we use in-house encryption, although we will probably move to BitLocker as an organization as we move to Windows 7 (current test builds use BitLocker.)

I use TrueCrypt for sensitive files (read: I have a 100GB container with absolutely nothing in it!) — I make every effort to not store sensitive information on my PC.
Kelly Marshal

I use TrueCrypt to secure my USB drive which holds all of my data. I use TrulyMail to secure my email.

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