File encryption question.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mel
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M

Mel

I am using Windows XP professional on my laptop that contains confidential
files. I use the laptop in conjunction with a home network utilizing the
briefcase. If I encrypt the confidential files on the laptop will it work
utilizing the briefcase on the home network?

If I encrypt the parent folder I assume the all subfolders and files in the
parent folder will be encrypted?
 
I am using Windows XP professional on my laptop that contains
confidential files. I use the laptop in conjunction with a home
network utilizing the briefcase. If I encrypt the confidential files
on the laptop will it work utilizing the briefcase on the home
network?
Click to expand...

Assuming it is you who encrypted the file using your account:
Using Windows encryption, the data is only encrypted where it lives. So
if you copy it to another folder, on whatever machine, or Cd etc., it is
unencrypted for the trip. The copy or move would have to go to another
already encrypted folder/directory to maintain the encryption. But,
during the transfer, it is unencrypted.
This is good because ONLY YOU, in your own account, can see
(unencrypt) the file to use it. No one else can.

If any other account (person) should copy your already encrypted file to
another machine, etc., the file would not only remain encrypted, BUT ...
no one else would be able to open/use the file, ever! And that would
include you.

If the file was copied to another encrypted folder, which was encrypted
by another person, then only that person would be able to access the
file but you would not.

So, for a file to be usable to you between machines, your encrypted file
on one machine must be copied to a folder/directory on another machine
that YOU aslo have an account on, and set the folder to be encrypted.

It wouldn't matter whether BriefCase or explorer did the copy; it's the
destination and sources that are important. Both my have been set to
encrypt by YOU from an account on each of the two machines.

Maybe you're seeing a pattern here. If you have NOT created your
encryption CD or floppy, something as simple as a reinstall of the OS, a
new hard drive, going to a different machine with the file, will render
it forever unavailable to you!! Only if you have created the necessary
keys will you ever be able to access those files again in this case. So
if you haven't done so, either unencrypt NOW, or get that key created
ASAP!
A lot of people have permanently lost their data because they didn't
keep that exported key set.

I suggest a good reading of XP's encryption services is in order for you
based on your questions. I've been as accurate as I can, but I'm no
expert; if I've made errors I'm sure someone will come along shortly and
help straighten them out.

I am NOT wrong about how easy it is to lose access to your encrypted
files though; if that's news to you, get those keys exported quickly or
turn off the encryption. Or back it up someplace unencrypted. MS did a
lousy job of making sure people knew about these details.

HTH

Twayne
 
Thank you Twayne. You have been a great help. This is certainly something
I will not be haphazardly jumping into. I have three computers on my home
network and keep them all synced as back up for my confidential files. I
can not afford to lose access to any of the files.
 
Thank you Twayne. You have been a great help. This is certainly
something I will not be haphazardly jumping into. I have three
computers on my home network and keep them all synced as back up for
my confidential files. I can not afford to lose access to any of the
files.
Click to expand...

Your'e welcome. This is unsolicited advice, but I have to wonder about
the advisability of keeping the same on three different machines when
they are networked. And I'm not asking you to justify your actions; I
only want to point out a couple of things.
Yes, there is a certain amount of "backup protection" that way as
there are always 3 copies of the data around. OTOH though, they exist
on 3 operating systems, in three hard disks, and could all be
susceptible to being infected/hacked/corrupted/modified/whatever and
something like BriefCase would help to perpetuate a virus, worm, trojan,
whatever. One good hard lightning strike, since the computer grounds
are all connected together, or via the phone lines, could (not will) fry
all 3 machines. There is a commonality of susceptibilty there.
Would it not be better to:
Only have one copy of the files on the intranet and
Have them backed up to an external, removable hard drive
with the 3rd backup copy kept somewhere that is nowhere near the
computer?
All encrypted, if that's what's needed.
Then , no matter what happens, there is a much better chance that one
of those copies will live through a disaster (house fire, kitchen fire
but fireman's hoses, lightning, vandalism, etc.), especially if that
third copy were able to be stored off-premises.
I used to keep 3rd copies at my sister's but now I keep the 3rd copy
in a fireproof safe. She uses DVD for media, I use two external 500 Gig
hard drives; my entire machine, encrypted files and all go onto it as
images created with Norton's Ghost.

I guess that's just a lot of words to simply say that I think 3 copies
on your intranet aren't anywhere near as secure as only one copy on the
intranet, one on an external drive and one more monthly on DVD or
whatever, but kept someplace distant from the computer room.

As for BriefCase, since the machines are networked, I don't see the need
for it. You really only ever need one copy and then the chances of
anything getting out of step are severely minimized. BCase works OK for
two nodes, but I'm not sure about 3; looks like a good way to screw
things up eventually to me if you get things out of order.

Sorry to be so verbose; I'm done now.
Please be srue to read up on encryption & exporting the keys.

Twayne
 
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