WHEN IT COMES to encrypting
i n d i v i d u a l fi l e s o r e n t i r e d r i v e s , t h e r e
are numerous options available. If
you’re running the Pro, Enterprise,
or Education version of Windows,
you’ll find built-in options exist in
the form of BitLocker and EFS—the
box opposite reveals how BitLocker
works and what you need to run it.
EFS—Encrypting File System—
enables you to individually encrypt
files or folders using your Windows
password as the encryption key.
If the drive is stolen, the files are
unreadable without your Windows
account password.
To encrypt one or more files or
folders, select them in File Explorer,
right-click the selection, and choose
“Properties.” Click “Advanced” and
check “Encrypt contents to secure
data.” Click “OK” then “Apply”—
you’re prompted to encrypt the
parent folder if applicable for
greater security. Make your choice,
then click “OK.”
EFS is a simple but relatively
weak way to encrypt files. If you’re
looking for something stronger, or
don’t trust Microsoft with keeping
your data secure, read on.Simple, fast file encryption
If you only need to encr ypt individual
files on a semi-regular basis—or
wish to encrypt files before sharing
them with others—the open-source
tool AES Crypt (www.aescrypt.
com) is all you need. Download and
install the program, then going
forward, simply right-click the file
you wish to protect, and choose
“AES Encrypt.” Enter a strong
password—the more characters,
the stronger the encryption—and
click “OK.” An encrypted copy of
the file with an .aes file extension is
created, unreadable to anyone who
doesn’t know the password.
If you want to share the file with
others, send them the encryptedversion, then communicate the
password separately and securely.
They need to install AES Crypt
before double-clicking the file and
entering the password required to
extract the decrypted original.
It’s also possible to encrypt
Office documents—but encryption
is only effective in Word 2007
or later when first AES 128-bit
encryption and more recently (from
Office 2016) AES 256-bit encryption
is employed. To do so in Office 2007
or later, select the “File” tab and
choose “Info > Protect Document
> Encrypt with Password.”
If you want stronger encryption
for individual files or folders,
Gpg4win (www.gpg4win.org) works
in a similar fashion to AES Crypt,
with the added bonus of allowing
you to encrypt files using public
keys protected by passphrases
for additional security. After
installation, launch the Kleopatra
tool and choose “File > New
Key Pair,” then select “Create a
personal OpenPGP key pair” to get
started. Once done, you can then
encrypt files by right-clicking them
in File Explorer and choosing “Sign
and encrypt’” to use your key (you
can also encrypt files with a simple
password, too, if you prefer).A one-stop solution
AES Crypt and Gpg4win are perfect
for occasional encryption, but you’ll
need to re-encrypt your files each
time you make changes to them. If
you want a more comprehensive,
flexible solution, VeraCrypt (www.
veracrypt.fr/en/) pretty much does
it all. It can be used in a variety
of ways to meet most people’s
needs—like BitLocker, you can
encrypt entire drives, includingyour Windows boot drive, but you
can also restrict its use to a specific
set of sensitive files using a smaller
virtual encrypted container, which
resides as a file on your hard drive.
The app is available for Windows,
Mac, and Linux, so you can use it
across all your computers. There’s
a portable version available, too,
which can do everything except
encrypt your boot drive. After
downloading and installing (or
extracting to your portable apps
folder), launch the program—
Veracrypt-x64.exe if you’re running
the portable version—and you
will find yourself at the main
VeraCr ypt window.Create a virtual drive
The VeraCrypt Volume Creation
Wizard now opens, with “Create an
encrypted file container” selected
by default. This is the safest option,
because it merely creates a single
file on an existing hard drive, inside
which all your sensitive data will be
stored for you. There’s no risk to any
other files or drives. To proceed,
click “Next.”
Two types of volume can be
created—to simply protect the
data if the drive it’s on is lost or
stolen, leave “Standard TrueCrypt
volume” selected, and click “Next”
again. Skip to the next section.
You’ll also see an option to create a
hidden volume, with an explanation
about why you might want one.
Hidden volumes are created inside
standard TrueCrypt volumes, hiding
themselves in their free space.
First-time users should select
“Hidden TrueCrypt volume” then
“Normal mode” to create a standard
TrueCrypt volume inside which your
hidden volume will be created. IfAES Crypt
won’t delete
your original
file after
creating an
encrypted copy.VeraCrypt’s
wizard makes it
easy to create
any kind of
encrypted drive.protect your data
36 MAXIMUMPC MAR 2020 maximumpc.com
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RYPTOMATOR