Data encryption with Windows XP Professional

You are a business advisor and must constantly move. You bring your laptop everywhere wherever you are - on business trips, customer partners or even public holidays. Maintaining your customers' confidential data is a success of your business as well as your reputation.

You already have a firewall and anti-virus software installed on your computer, but whether they can protect you from Internet attacks. What can happen to your confidential documents if the laptop is lost or stolen? Losing a computer doesn't mean losing all the secrets if you know how to protect them. With Windows XP Professional, you can be assisted to protect customer privacy and sensitive company information using the Encrypting File System (EFS).

When encrypting files or folders, you can convert it to another format that cannot be read by others. A file encryption key is added to the files and folders you choose to encrypt. This key is used to read the file. Windows XP Professional makes it easy to encrypt and decrypt, just follow these steps if you want to encrypt your files and folders. When logging on to your computer, you can read them. Anyone who tries to use a computer without logon cannot read it.

Note : Make sure your computer has set up log on (when booting or when something needs to go out you can log out of the system). If the computer is lost when you are logged in, your encrypted files can still be read.

Encrypt a file or folder

1, Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer .

2, Right-click the file or folder you want to encrypt, select Properties .

3, On the General tab select Advanced .

4, Select Encrypt cell contents to secure data

Note : Compressed files or folders cannot be encrypted. If you encrypt those files or folders, they will no longer be decompressed.

If you want to choose to encrypt a single file, you can choose to encrypt the folder containing it. Select Encrypt the file and the parent folder in the Encrytion Warning dialog window. All files created in the encrypted folder will be automatically encrypted right away.

If you want to encrypt the folder instead of encrypting a single file, you can choose to encrypt the entire directory.

Decrypt encrypted files and folders

1, Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer .

2, Right-click the file or folder you want to encrypt, select Properties .

3, On the General tab select Advanced .

4, Delete the check box in Encrypt contents contents to secure data

When you decrypt a directory, you must choose to decrypt only the directory or decrypt the entire directory, including all the files and subdirectories contained within it. If you choose to decrypt only the directory, the files and subdirectories in it are still encrypted. However, when you add new files and subdirectories into the decrypted folder, they are not automatically encrypted.

Remember, anyone accessing your computer can access the decrypted files and folders. Windows XP Professional gives you the utility to keep your files and folders safe from unauthorized access. Use Windows XP Professional to encrypt important data on your computer, keep them safe without installing any additional software.