Disk Encryption
People often need to encrypt a large amount of files. In this instance, encrypting one file at a time would be too time-consuming and cumbersome to be practical. If many files need to be encrypted, disk encryption is a more efficient option. This process allows users to encrypt an entire disk along with all of the files and information that are on it.
For disk encrypting, encryption software or hardware is probably necessary. Disk encryption is different from file encryption in that encrypting a disk does not take the place of encrypting the individual files. Nor does encrypting files mean the entire disk is secure. Disk and file encryption can work in tandem, however.
Trying both systems is a wise idea. Files that are encrypted can be secured further by encrypting the disk on which they are located. It is important to combine disk and file encryption because disks are not secure enough to be encrypted on their own. This is due to the fact that disk encrypting uses just one key for the entire disk. A person who breaks the key will have full access to the disk.
There are solutions to this issue. Some disk encrypting programs will use multiple keys for different partitions on the disk. File and folder encryption adds on even more different keys for specific files and folders. However, encrypting a disk is still important, as things such as directory structure, file names, timestamps and sizes that file encryption fails to encrypt are then protected.
File Encryption
Not everyone needs to encrypt huge amounts of data. Many personal computer users simply want to protect specific, individual files on their computers. These people only need file encryption.
Encrypting files can be very simple to do. Often, the file system itself can handle the encryption of individual files. This is different from full disk encryption in which programs are used to encrypt an entire disk of the computer.
Individual file encryption can also be done with programs. There are free programs available that will encrypt files. However, many modern operating systems already have encryption built in. In these newer operating systems, people can simply right-click on files they want to protect and encrypt them.
There are many advantages to encrypting individual files in this manner. First, it allows the user to manage the key. The key is vital to encryption. When the user has control of the key, he or she also has full control of the encryption. Users can even decide to set a different key for each file if they prefer.
Another advantage is that users can pick and choose the files that need to be encrypted. They do not need to go through the process of encrypting an entire disk.
File encrypting can be performed on a whole range of files. Anything from Word documents to videos to picture albums can be encrypted and stored safely. Plus, the programs used to encrypt these files, if the system cannot already do so itself, are often available for free on the Internet.