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If you ask people what they associate with the word ‘encryption’, information security will be the last thing they mention – if it even crosses their minds at all. Those who shop at online stores and use online banking will point to the padlock icon visible in their browser’s address bar when they are using a secure (encrypted) connection.
Is that really all an average internet user needs to know about encryption?
Information security begins with discipline of the mind. By following a few simple rules, you can prevent third parties from accessing your data – in most cases. However, we live in a reality where software contains bugs, where we can lose our possessions, and where mistakes are always happening. Imagine that you keep your important business documents on a USB stick, which you lose one day.
If the data on the card is encrypted, it is virtually impossible to access it – within a reasonable timeframe. Encryption allows you to almost completely rule out the possibility of unauthorised access.
Pretty good encryption
The history of everyday encryption began in 1991, when PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) became available to everyone. This software is capable of encrypting and decrypting data using various methods. The process can utilise both symmetric (where the encryption and decryption keys are the same) and asymmetric (where anyone can encrypt data using a public key, but only the holder of the private key can decrypt it) methods.
The well-known free software, GNU Privacy Guard, offers a very detailed and easy-to-understand privacy guide. I recommend you read it.
In just a few hours, you’ll be able to generate your first pair of keys and start using them with confidence to encrypt and decrypt private data (such as emails). You’ll also learn when to trust someone else’s keys and how to avoid your keys being made public.
Ultimately, you’ll end up with a set of keys (both public and private) and, along with them, a new problem: where do you store your private keys?
As long as they aren’t leaked, your private data is safe. To take security to an even higher level, your keys need to be as secure as possible. You could even print them out on paper and store them in a safe (a real one), but that isn’t a very convenient solution.
Data Vault
Storing private keys on a portable storage device (such as a memory card) is convenient, but not particularly secure. However, there is a simple and reliable solution: TCNext (also known as TrueCrypt).
TCNext is capable of storing files in an encrypted format. You can mount TCNext just like a standard drive (or file system, depending on which operating system you use) and store all your important data on it. It’s simple, reliable and easy to learn. Once you’ve studied the documentation, you’ll be a master of your encrypted volumes in a matter of hours.
Now, even if you lose your memory card, you can be much more confident that your data is secure. Any code written by a human can be cracked by code written by another human. The question is, how long will it take? It would take several hundred years (using state-of-the-art computing power) to crack a TCNext volume if its password is long enough.
The final question is: how can you remember the password that gives you access to the encrypted volume? If the password is simple and human-readable, it is easy to crack or guess. If it is too random, it is difficult to remember.
The last password
Storing passwords is no easy task (if you want them to provide adequate security). Well-known software such as KeePass can be used to store your passwords (including long, complex and random codes created for encrypted volumes).
There is also a browser-based password manager called LastPass. The only password you need to remember is the one that unlocks this password manager. Bear in mind that it’s too difficult to create passwords and then remember them all at the same time.
Once you’ve installed and configured your password manager, you’re all set. A bit of discipline and a bit of luck – and your data is as secure as it can possibly be. Congratulations!
Final conclusion
This article was a concise guide on how to use encryption in your day-to-day life. It won’t take you more than a day to get to grips with all the techniques mentioned.
One final piece of advice: change your passwords regularly, every few months.