About Encryption and Making Your System Secure

What does encryption do for me?

Encryption and cryptographic software has been used in many different ways to make systems more secure. This article discusses only a few ways that such software can make your system more secure, including:

1) Encrypting your email
2) Encrypting your files

To programs are mentioned that will help encrypt information. There are many more programs out there that will help, but these programs are good and a good place to start as any. They have the added benefit of both being free with source code available.

Will encryption stop people from accessing my information?

Encryption simply makes it harder for people to gain access to important information, like passwords or sensitive information in a file. The first thing you should know about encryption is that the algorithm that is used to encrypt can be simple or more complex and that affects how securely what you have encrypted is protected. Encryption systems have been broken when the method of encryption is understood by hackers and is easy to break.

Why bother to encrypt my email?

It should be noted that email is far less secure than paper mail for two very good reasons: first, electronic data can be accessed easily over an Internet and secondly, electronic data is really simple to copy. There is a very good chance that someone has snooped around in your email despite your best intentions to stop it.

How do I go about encrypting my email?

There are many programs out there that can help you encrypt your email. A very popular one is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) or its Gnu offshoot GPG.

PGP (http://www.pgpi.org/) self-describes itself this way: This "is a program that gives your electronic mail something that it otherwise doesn't have: Privacy. It does this by encrypting your mail so that nobody but the intended person can read it. When encrypted, the message looks like a meaningless jumble of random characters. PGP has proven itself quite capable of resisting even the most sophisticated forms of analysis aimed at reading the encrypted text."

Why bother to encrypt my files?

The answer to this boils down to what you store on your computer. If you have financial data with important information like social security numbers, email addresses, account numbers and passwords, then you open yourself up to losing very valuable information. Most corporate Internet security employees will attest to the widespread theft of very valuable information. As long as you are connected to the Internet you are vulnerable.

How do I go about encrypting my files?

AxCrypt File Encryption Software (http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/) Self-described as "Free Personal Privacy and Security for Windows 98/ME/NT/2K/XP with AES-128 File Encryption, Compression and transparent Decrypt and Open in the original application."


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Social Networking Website Software Proves To Be Safe and Secure

Most of the internet users of today are members of one social networking website or the other. There are many popular social networks like MyTube, Face Book and MySpace which has maximum members in them, which is attributed to the safe and secure social networking website software it uses on the website.

With so many people becoming members of social networks, the quest to find out if the information and data provided to the social networks is actually in safe hands goes on and on. And the answer these people always receive is an affirmative one.

This is because this social networking website software is constantly updated to ensure that people on the site are safe. This does not come as much of a surprise, considering the fact that the sudden rise in people being blackmailed through such information has made it important that safety and security is a priority on the sites.


Social networking sites are a great way of teaching children to keep in touch with family members and friends. However, this can be made possible only if you teach your children all the security features and restrictions available on the site to the child. If the child is not aware of these steps that have to be taken to protect private and personal information, the child may jeopardize this information. As the social networking website software offers all these tools on site, it does not prove difficult to teach your child the basic security features of the site.

However, there is no point in having security features in the social networking website software, if you are not careful in using the computer. There are many people who leave their email addresses, home address, full name and phone number on pages that are open for public to see. Remember it is important that you restrict strangers from accessing your personal information to be successful in the internet, and especially social networks.

It is only on visiting a social networking site do you realize the amount of security the social networking website software maintains in the site. The security features of the software includes encryption, CAPCHA codes, spam filters and even passwords that are used to ensure your safety in the site.

Of course, these safety features may not prove to be something special as practically all websites have these features. However there is some additional security provided with the social networking website software which is, providing users with the ability to block and restrict access to the site by people who are not known or recognized by the site.

One of the most popular social networking sites successfully using this software to day is Facebook, which is presently one of the largest social networking sites catering to high school and college students.

Basically, access to any profile page on the site is restricted unless and up till you are added as a friend in the site. Once you are declared and added as a friend, you can view the pages of your friend, leave comments when required and even send messages. It is also possible to see other friends of your friend; and by registering yourself as their friends, you will be able to see their private pages too. With all this security, personal information remains private and personal.

In the case of another site, MySpace, security issues are handled differently. Here the access to your page can be tailored for only friends and in some situations, let everyone else have a look at your page too. You can also place limitations on who can request making friendships with you. With this feature, it is possible to not only avoid spammers, but also prevent inappropriate people visiting or gaining access to your profile page.

All this does not imply that you have to take this software for granted. Remember that hackers will always look for ways to hack into accounts and gain access to information. This is why no matter how safe a social networking website may seem you should never disclose too much personal information on your profile page.

Remember that if you cannot actually control your personal information on the web, you are the one who will suffer from its consequences. Never actually rely only on the security measures found on social networking website software. It is better to consider them to be additional tools that you can use with your common sense for your own safety.

So it can be said that these features, with the safety steps and etiquette you have to maintain when on the internet all leave you with a social networking website software that is not only safe, but will keep you secure at all times.

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