Protect Yourself Online by David Chappelle

Author:David Chappelle [Chappelle, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781412212014
Publisher: Author Solutions Inc.
Published: 2007-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

10 Encryption

Encryption is the locking of a file, data, or data storage device to prevent unauthorized access and/or use. Decryption is the unlocking of that file, data, or data storage device.

Like backup devices, off-site storage, and even condoms, everyone knows encryption is a good idea and should be used, but most don’t want to go through the bother. That may change as more people become aware of the benefits of encryption, and the risks of information falling into the wrong hands.

What Can Be Encrypted?

Almost anything can be encrypted. A file, a document, a hard drive, a CD-ROM before it is recorded, floppy disk, email; all can be protected with encryption.

Better encryption programs operate in the background, transparent to the user. As long as two parties have keys, or passwords, they can keep prying eyes out.

Keys

A key is like a password. Public key encryption uses one public key that all users have, and one private key, that only one user has.

Suppose Sharon wants to send messages to a group of people, and she only wants members of that group to be able to read her emails. Sharon composes her email, and then encrypts it using her private key. Recipients of Sharon’s emails all have the same “public” key. Anyone with that key can read any encrypted email Sharon sends.

Password Secrecy

When using encryption, give thought to your passwords and keys. Unless you do it in code and in wording that the recipient will understand, there isn’t much sense in either emailing or telephoning a password, as anyone listening can have access over both of those mediums. If your data is important enough to encrypt, keeping your keys away from others is even more important.

Level

There are different types of encryption, but for now we’re concerned with two.

The first I’ll call “Front Door” encryption, similar to what a biometric device might guard. Like a lock on your house front door, once this level is bypassed, all of your files are open for viewing.

The second we’ll refer to as “Block-Level” or “total” encryption. Here, each 64-bit block of data is separately encrypted. This is much more secure, and therefore much harder to crack.

One can often read on e-commerce websites that 128-bit encryption is the best currently available. That is not true. Higher level, like 1024-bit encryption is available, but isn’t practical for most users. The higher the level of encryption, the slower the message will transfer, and the more system resources are required to transmit the message.

For years PC Guardian (www.pcguardian.com) has made 192-bit encryption programs. Conclusive (www.conclusive.com) is another encryption company.

Perhaps the most popular encryption software is PGP, which stands for Pretty Good Privacy. (www.pgp.com)

Hardware Keys

There are many hardware keys available on which you can store your key or password. These are usually about the size of a standard house or auto key, and plug into the USB port of a computer. Your data is protected by another password. If you forget the password, the hardware key is useless. Some software programs use these keys to prevent unlicensed copying.

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