Hard drive or disk encryption protects the entire drive at once.

Note that storing a file in an encrypted folder doesn’t prevent you from also encrypting files individually. Give Sally only the password for her folder, and Jimmy only the password for his, and each can have their own private space on the same device. For example, you could create a different encrypted folder for each member of your family. Passwords or keys are assigned to the folder, not individual files.įolder encryption is a great organizational tool. This approach involves encrypting everything that is stored in a folder. You can also encrypt individual Microsoft Office files from within their apps, although this is better suited to casual person use than protection against serious adversaries. Windows 10 users can encrypt individual files using a tool like 7-zip. Individual file encryption is great for files you plan to share or store in the cloud. Now let’s talk about when to use the three types of encryption that you can use:Īs the name implies, individual file encryption refers to encrypting one file at a time. At the very least send it via a different email service than the one you will use for the file. Ideally give them the password over the telephone, a secure messaging app like Signal or Wickr Me. For example, if you plan to email them the file, it would be a big security risk to also email them the password. If you are encrypting a file to share with someone else and need to give them the password, you should not send them that password using the same method that you send them the file.

With Windows 7 officially unsupported now, and Windows 8 best forgotten as fast as possible, this guide deals only with the Windows 10 operating system.

Before we go further, here are a couple of points to keep in mind: That way, you’ll have a better sense of which type of encryption you will need for various situations. Each approach has its own benefits and drawbacks, so we’ll cover those too.

In this guide we will show you ways to encrypt individual files, file folders (and all the files within them), even entire disk drives. Happily, as a user of Windows 10, you have numerous options for encrypting information. Whether you need to send personal information to someone, or simply want to make sure that no one who gets access to your computer can see stuff you would rather keep private, encryption is the way to go. One of the best ways to protect your privacy is to encrypt important information on your computer.

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