Confidential Files: Handle With Care

Lets start by looking at the commonly used methods to protect confidential files and their associated issues.

Most people save confidential files in an external media (e.g. CD) and then hide the media in a 'safe' place. If the files are not properly encrypted, this method is akin to hiding money in a container and then bury the container in the backyard. Another security risk is that the traces of the original files in the local computer must be manually removed.

Some use document's editing softwares to save the files with password protection. In such cases, the reliability of the security mechanisms need to be ensured. Dealing with large number of such files can be very unproductive.

Internet savvy users also upload their files to external servers for safekeeping. This method is very useful for off-site backup but it has other weak security links. Weakly encrypted files can be intercepted by hackers during the transfers. Furthermore, the reliability of the servers are not often known. To edit the files is cumbersome as the files need to be downloaded and local files need to be properly disposed off after using.

However, the most tricky issue to overcome is still a non-technological one. In the event of strongly encrypted files fallen into the wrong hand and the user is threatened to reveal the password, what then?

Are there easy-to-use and secure solutions available that address the above issues?
Yes, there are!

One highly recommended such solution is TrueCrypt which is an open source solution. That means, it's free!

To find out more, continue here.

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