One recurring theme that crops up in a number of fairy tales is \u201cfairy gold\u201d: A human is paid for his services in gold, or perhaps thinks he has stolen a life-changing fortune in gold from the land of the fairies, only to find that in the morning \u2014 or when it\u2019s handled by humans \u2014 it disappears, or changes to something worthless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For identity thieves, your personal identification is the pot of gold at the end of the proverbial rainbow. Encrypting your files makes them the \u201cfairy gold\u201d of identity theft by changing them into unreadable gibberish. Learning how to encrypt files is relatively straightforward, and it provides a valuable measure of protection against scammers and fraud artists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you were a kid, did you play around with secret codes? They were popular enough at one point that \u201csecret decoder rings\u201d \u2014 a common promotional gimmick \u2014 became a catchphrase. The idea is pretty simple: You take the original plain-text message, rearrange the letters according to a system that only you and the recipient of the message know, and send it. Casual snoops won\u2019t (in theory) be able to read it, though that depends on how well you\u2019ve set up your code. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those plain ol\u2019 paper coding systems, or ciphers<\/em>, can be surprisingly secure. The best version uses what\u2019s called a \u201cone-time pad<\/a>,\u201d a list of random numbers that\u2019s given to both the sender and receiver. Each character of the original message is converted to a number, then each character in turn has a number from the one-time pad added to it (they\u2019re in sequence; if your message has 25 characters you\u2019ll only use the first 25 numbers). Only someone with the same page of the same pad can decrypt the message, and they\u2019re destroyed after a single use. These were, and still occasionally are, used by for-real spies for secure messaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Encryption on your modern devices uses the same basic principle: Your files are translated through an encryption key<\/em> (the digital equivalent of a one-time pad) and only authorized users who have the key can decrypt the messages. There are lots of current and former encryption standards<\/a> for computers, if you really want to geek out on them, but it\u2019s not necessary. All you really<\/em> need to know is that current devices and OSs use current encryption standards, and that they\u2019re very good indeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you regularly travel away from home for business or pleasure, you likely have a list of valuables you attend to before you leave: things that get hidden, things that get locked up or put in storage for safekeeping. You need to think of the contents of your computer or phone in the same way. What are the most valuable or sensitive pieces of information on your devices, the ones that could cause you the most harm if they fall into the wrong hands? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything relating to your finances should be at the top of the list, and so should any legal documents. Those are rich in the kind of information identity thieves thrive on. You might not think of photos, but they\u2019re important as well: Identity thieves can use those to create fake identification in your name, or set up fake social media or dating app accounts for phishing purposes. If any of your photos are somewhat risque, scammers might blackmail you with the threat of releasing them. Your passwords, usernames and other login credentials are especially sensitive, because with those attackers can gain access to your accounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything work-related is important as well, especially if your devices contain your clients\u2019 (or your suppliers\u2019) information. Your company may already have measures in place, so you\u2019ll need to speak with your company\u2019s security or IT people about that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a couple of ways to encrypt files. One is to simply identify any files that are especially sensitive, and encrypt them individually. That\u2019s often done directly through the app or program itself. In MS Word<\/a>, for example, you\u2019d open the File menu, choose Info and then Protect Document, and then \u201cEncrypt with Password.\u201d Enter a password of up to 15 characters, and you\u2019re done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A second option encrypts your actual drive, in whole or in part, creating the digital equivalent of a safe with a combination lock. Files you choose to encrypt are saved to that \u201cvault\u201d by your OS (OSX\u2019s FileVault<\/a> or Windows\u2019 BitLocker<\/a>, for example) or by third-party apps<\/a>. If you opt to encrypt the whole device or drive, everything<\/em> is encrypted. Alternatively (in some apps or OSs), you can create a separate folder, which looks and acts like a USB thumb drive or a small second hard drive, and save chosen files to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In each case, you choose a password or some other form of \u201ckey\u201d in order to decrypt the files. If you forget or lose that key, you\u2019ll lose access to all of the files and data you\u2019ve encrypted. On the other hand, if someone learns or guesses your password, they\u2019ll have gained<\/em> access to all of your files. The bottom line? Your password is really, really important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping your encrypted files secure requires two things: a password that\u2019s really strong (and therefore difficult to break), and one you can absolutely, positively, for-sure remember. Unfortunately, as a rule, the better your password the harder it is to remember. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are plenty of guides to creating strong but memorable passwords<\/a>, so find a method that works for you and create one. Of course, if you use multiple devices you\u2019ll need multiple passwords, so the best option might be to invest in a cross-platform password management app<\/a> (there are lots of good ones). Then you\u2019ll only need to remember the password that locks your password manager, and from there you can just look up the rest. As a bonus, it\u2019ll also remember everything from the combination on your gym locker to your online passwords, so you can finally develop that good habit of using a different password for every site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also strengthen your security by using a second method to verify that it\u2019s really you. You\u2019ll be familiar with this method, thanks to sites and apps that require you to enter a texted code in order to gain access. That\u2019s called multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA). Text messages aren\u2019t necessarily the best way to go, mind you. Most devices offer some form of biometric authorization, in the form of a fingerprint reader or facial recognition, and that\u2019s more secure. You can also use a hardware key, which must be tapped or inserted in order to gain access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Scammers can gain access to your devices and data in a truly staggering number of ways, from eavesdropping on the public wi-fi at your local coffee shop, to phishing attacks<\/a> that trick you into installing malicious software, to physically stealing your phone in the few seconds when you have your back turned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Any attack is only successful when criminals have your data. By encrypting the files containing your data, you\u2019ve made sure that simply gaining access<\/em> to your data doesn\u2019t give<\/em> them your data. It\u2019s like giving them canned goods, but no can opener. It\u2019s not that encryption can\u2019t sometimes be defeated (just as you can open a can with a rock if you need to), but it takes a lot of time and some sophisticated tools and skills, which most scammers don\u2019t have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Encryption on its own isn\u2019t a magic bullet. Scammers can still find your data through a variety of other means, so you\u2019ll still need to understand the signs of identity theft<\/a> and know what to do about it. Spokeo Protect<\/a>, the new identity protection solution offered by Spokeo, can act as your first line of defense. It helps users safeguard their credit, financial accounts, social security number, medical insurance and much more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One recurring theme that crops up in a number of fairy tales is \u201cfairy gold\u201d: A human is paid for his services in gold, or perhaps thinks he has stolen…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":25068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[612,810],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","category-identity"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat You Should Be Encrypting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Encrypt Files<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Securing Your Encrypted Files<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Does Encrypting Files Protect You? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fight Identity Theft with Spokeo Protect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n