Why do I need encryption? My answer would be,
To protect my sensitive/confidential information. With encryption, even if intruders hack into your computers and successfully transfered your personal files to his computer, he will not be able to read or to view the files without effort of decrypting it.
Another situation why we need encryption is, when we are bringing sensitive data with us in USB thumbdrive; Traveling or maybe transferring sensitive information that will bring huge damage to a company. You will never know that the USB Thunbdrive might be lost or being stolen when you leave your house or company. We do not want these information to be exposed to anyone even though if someone steal or found the Thumbdrive that you have lost.
For home users, sometimes we have private photos or maybe videos that we want to share with our friend; and we want use Thumbdrive to transfer them. The files must protect itself before it is ready to be transfered.
Solution : AxCrypt
Now, I want to have 2 layer of security in the files, what should i do? The best way is to use Winrar to protect the files with a password (first layer) and then use AxCrypt to encrypt and protect them with passphrase and keyfile.
First Step - Winrar
To Protect WinRAR files with a password, right click on the Folder and Click "Add to archive..."
Click on the Advance tab and click Set Password
Now, click enter a password
Press OK and WinRAR will start creating the Archive
Now we have successfully created a WinRAR archive with password.
WinRAR is not strong enough to protect the files because, there is a lot of software that is free, can crack the password and view the content, that is why we need to encrypt it and have second layer of security implemented in the file.
AxCrypt
The key-file is a file storing a long key randomly generated by the software to lock and encrypt the content, AxCrypt can protect your file using the key-file or a passphrase. You can also use both of them, when decrypting, if you are unable to provide either one of them, you will not be able to decrypt the file if you have use both the key-file and the passphrase. So you must store the key-file in a safe place and make sure that you have a backup of the key-file.*Note : You that you must use the same key-file that you have use to encrypt the file earlier in order to decrypt it.
Now start protecting the file, right click on the file and there is 3 options
Encrypt = encrypt the selected file (not recommended)
Encrypt a Copy = make a copy of the selected file and encrypt it (recommemded) (the pc must install AxCrypt to decrypt the encrypted file)
Encrypt copy to .EXE = encrypt a copy and create a .exe file ( the pc that you are going to use to decrypt the file does not required to have AxCrypt installed)
Since you have installed AxCrypt, we will try 'Encrypt a copy'; Click on encrypt a copy and enter a passphrase, then browse for the key-file that AxCrypt have created.
AxCrypt will start encrypting and you will see a file successfully being created.
Now, repeat the step if you want to create an .EXE file. To decrypt the file, double click on it and enter the passphrase and browse for the key-file.
AxCrypt Starts Decrypting
and WinRAR will ask for password before you can view the content
This one method that you can use to protect your files when transferring information. You can also encrypt important data in your computer using this method.
*Note:
- Do a few times testing before you delete the original unencrypted files to make sure that there is no error when encrypting
- some users have reported that it is not compatible with windows vista yet
- if you need technical support, log on to their official website and get help in the forum, you can also report if you found any bugs in the software
- store your key-file in a safe place and make sure you make backup of it because you need the same key-file to decrypt the encrypted file
- again, do testing, testing and testing.
