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In this Post I’ll be covering 3 Questions that i get asked quite often

1)      What is Encryption and why do I need Data Encryption Software?

2)      Different Encryption Methods

3)      What are the features to look for while looking for the Best Disk Encryption Software ?

1)      What is Encryption and why do I need Data Encryption Software?

I was at a Christmas Party and was talking with a few friends of mine about a Full Disk Encryption Software, AlertBoot that my company recently launched. Hearing this, my friend’s girlfriend tells me she doesn’t need Laptop Encryption, as she has a really strong Windows Password. I asked her to bring her laptop and open my last post on Windows Password Recovery Tools and her use one of the tools. You should have seen her face when the password cracker cracked her super strong password and showed it to her. So much for strong windows passwords.

Now that you know why Encryption Software is needed, let me tell you what it is and how it helps.

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What is Encryption?

Encryption is the process of taking data and transforming it using a cipher into something that would be unreadable unless one had the key to decrypt it. Now one has to understand that there are different methods and levels of encryption. Some work better then others.

What makes one Encryption Software different form the other is the Encryption Algorithm and Encryption Key. The best Algorithms in the market today are AES and RSA.  For Encryption Key make sure its not less then 128 Bit , though 256 Bit is preferable. What you want to look for is an Encryption Software that has uses Master Boot Record Encryption ( MBR )

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2)      Different Encryption Methods

It really comes down to 2 types of Encryption :

(i) Full Disk Encryption or File Encryption . What’s the difference ? When you encrypt the whole drive, this protects all the information on the drive, thus Full Disk Encryption. While using file encryption you protect individual files leading to the risk of forgetting to encrypt sensitive information leading to a security lapse.

Another thing to consider is with file encryption there’s a lot more load on your PC to open a file than there would be in the case of full disk encryption as each individual file has to be opened, then closed. Like anything else, the more you use it the more wear and tear leading to possible breakdown.  FDE Encryption on the other hand avoids the repetitive process problems due to the fact that it works at a hardware level with a significantly lower break down probability.

(ii) Managed or Standalone Encryption : In order for any encryption deployment to go smoothly encryption as a service is recommended .. I.e. Managed Encryption. It helps you to keep track of encryption keys; track encryption statuses of systems enterprise wide, set restriction on number of failed attempts for logins and much more.

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3)      What are the features to look for while looking for the Best Disk Encryption Software ?

• Have a centrally managed encryption software that may encrypt your hard drive for your desktops and laptops.
• Have USB Port Encryption.
• Have a Powerful Audit Reporting Module for audits.
• Have  24/7 password recovery support, online and phone support.

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I hope you found this write up on Data Encryption Software  helpful and  feel free to share your thoughts and feedback  in the comments below. I do reward regular commentators with do follow links.  Don’t forget to sign up for my free newsletter and follow me on twitter ( i will follow back )

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 at 2:30 pm and is filed under Encryption, Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.