![]() ![]() Any Windows 10 user, including those with the Home edition, can also use third-party apps such as 7-zip for file and folder encryption.īeyond these options, Microsoft Office apps have a basic file locking / encryption feature built in, as does Adobe Acrobat. Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise users have a built-in encryption tool called the Encrypting File System (EFS). Your options for encrypting files and folders on Windows 10 devices depend on which version of Windows 10 you have. ![]() Let’s start with… How to encrypt files and folders on Windows 10 Now that we’ve hit the basics, it is time for some specifics. See our guide on the best password managers for the top recommendations and step-by-step information for good password management. We’ve reviewed many options, including 1Password, LastPass, and many more. Well, if you lose or forget the password for accessing your encrypted files, then they’ll probably be gone for good. You need to be using a good password manager, along with good password hygiene. Password management and file encryptionīefore we dive into the details of file encryption, we need to make an important note on passwords. You can still apply folder level encryption and individual file encryption to an encrypted disk. If someone stole your laptop, or ripped the drives out of one of your servers, they would need to defeat the hard drive encryption to get any data at all. This kind of encryption is a good first line of defense in case of theft. To use a device with an encrypted hard drive you would need to enter the password or key when you logged on, or nothing on the disk would be accessible. 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.
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