Lock and key: Securing important files with encryption

Encryption is often used in business settings to protect confidential data… so why not apply the same security for personal use?

Cybersecurity works in layers to protect devices from the ground up – dealing with specific threats, attacks, and paths in different ways.

Among these layers is encryption, which in business settings is used for compliance and legal purposes, but also for obvious reasons – because it denies hackers easy access to data. Without a decryption key, no one should gain access to secure files.

However, the same obvious security demands present in business settings can also be true for one’s home photos, important files, or backup drives. So why not apply the same security at home?

Encryption: a basic element of cybersecurity

When businesses fail to apply encryption, they can suffer devastating incidents. Such was the case with the mega data breach of Equifax, which, due to failing to encrypt data at rest, led to hackers compromising information on 147 million regular Americans.

While the Equifax breach will probably not be the last big one to rock the world of business, it highlights a serious issue – knowledge and negligence gaps in cybersecurity.

As much as a third (33%) of the respondents in a 2023 security study indicated that they had experienced data loss due to missing encryption. The same study also showed how a lack of skilled staff can hinder security efforts, which should not come as a surprise, with the world experiencing a cybersecurity talent shortage.

How does this relate to regular users? For one, even regular users have needs and should not shun high-grade security.

Safeguarding treasured memories

Regular users as well can also enjoy the benefits of having a securely encrypted hard drive, flash drive, or folder – or even their network activity.

How and what for?

Suppose that you receive an email that includes an innocent-looking PDF, urging you to download it to see its contents. However, this PDF could hide malware, which might have the capability to exfiltrate data contained on your device. Unless your security software proactively detects and blocks said malicious activity, your files such as photos, CVs, tax receipts, and more could end up in the hands of a bad actor.

However, by storing such files in an encrypted folder, or encrypting the files themselves, threat actors would find it hard to abuse said data as long as they lack permission to decrypt. Without the keys to the castle, they can’t steal the treasure within.

How does encryption work?

The thing that makes all this possible is the way encryption works. Essentially, encryption transforms readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable format (ciphertext) using an algorithm and a key. Without the key, one cannot decipher the protected file.

Commonly, the most used types of encryption are called symmetric and asymmetric. While the former uses a singular key to encrypt and decrypt ciphertext, the latter uses two keys: a public and a private one. One encrypts, while the other decrypts the file or message. This is commonly used by messaging apps, though some employ both types of encryption at once to further enable secure communication.

As for symmetric encryption, it’s the one most used by drive or storage encryption mechanisms.

There’s also hashing, which transforms plaintext through a hashing algorithm into a hash value. Imagine it as creating a unique fingerprint for data – such as scrambling saved passwords into an unreadable format so that they wouldn’t be abused by someone accessing them, which is exactly what password managers do.

To lock the door

Tighter security is more prevalent than ever these days, seeing as even device manufacturers or OS developers include encryption among their basic product functions.

In the mobile space, Samsung, for example, has a feature called Secure Folder, enabled by its Knox security platform, which provides data encryption by segmenting and isolating apps and other added data on their phones, adding protection on top by requiring additional verification – a PIN, pattern, passcode, or a fingerprint.

On PCs, Windows 11 also offers file, folder, or drive encryption. Individual files or folders can be encrypted through the properties functionality. It is relatively simple: Just right-click on the desired file, then properties, find the advanced button in the first window, and pick the encrypt contents to secure data option. For a whole drive, search for Data Encryption in the settings and follow the provided instructions.

Outside the basic options provided by OS or device manufacturers, third-party providers of security solutions such as ESET also offer encryption, as it is an essential component of digital protection.

For regular users, ESET Home Security Premium and up include encryption options for sensitive data and photos, as well as elevated file and folder security. ESET Folder Guard technology helps protect important data from malicious threats such as ransomware or wiperware by letting users create a list of protected folders and files, which cannot be modified or deleted by untrustworthy processes. In addition, the Secure Data function lets the users encrypt data on a computer (by creating an encrypted virtual drive) or a flash drive.

This way, in case of loss or a cyberattack, sensitive data can stay protected, limiting the chance of abuse.

How to enable ESET Folder Guard

To enable Folder Guard in ESET Home, do the following:

1. Open the main program window of your ESET Windows product and click on Setup, followed by Computer protection.

2. Click the toggle next to ESET Folder Guard to enable it, and then click the arrow next to ESET Folder Guard.

3. Click Add new folder, select the folder you want to protect, and click Select Folder.

4. The folder should appear under Folder name. In case you want to remove said protected folder, select the folder’s name and click Remove folder.

With this done, you can sleep more soundly knowing that your files contained within won’t be manipulated by malware or untrusted apps.

Encryption, closer than ever

By learning about and implementing encryption at home, people can stay one step ahead of malicious activity that would, otherwise, try to misappropriate precious information.

However, encryption should neither be one’s first nor last line of defense. It’s all about making the right decisions regarding prevention, of which encryption represents only a single layer. For all the other layers, please continue reading the ESET Blog.