How do I encrypt a file?
By Leo Notenboom
In a recent answer, I confirmed that sending an encrypted document as an attachment is a pretty reasonable approach to sending information securely in what is otherwise an unsecure medium – email. Even though there are approaches to encrypting email, they’re either obscure or complex and not as ubiquitous as we’d like.
I’ll look at two approaches to encrypting a single file that can then be sent securely in email that can typically be decrypted by just about anyone.
I’ll also take special care to call out what is the weakest link and the thing that is most likely to allow your encryption to be cracked. It may not be what you think.
AxCrypt
Encryption is the process of mathematically processing data using an encryption “key,” such as a password or passphrase, in such a way that … continue reading.
After installing AxCrypt, a new context menu is added to Windows Explorer. Right-click on any file in Windows Explorer:
The most relevant actions include:
Encrypt: Encrypt the selected document, removing the original.
Encrypt a copy: Encrypt the selected document, leaving the original.
Encrypt copy to .EXE: Encrypt the selected document, creating a self-contained .EXE file that decrypts itself when run, leaving the original.
Of note also is that AxCrypt includes a secure delete function – Shred and Delete – should you simply want to delete a file and remove all traces so that its data cannot be recovered.
Read the rest of the story here..
This post is excerpted with permission from Leo Notenboom.
