do any of yall encrypt?

[SharonStockwell42]

I am going to head to Disney in June and am trying to prepare. I want to be sure that the data on my laptop is safe while I park-hop, as I work online. So I have been looking at data encryption program. It seems like there are 2 main ones ZoneAlarms Datalock and TrueCrypt.

TrueCrypt is free and open source, which is good, but I have used free software before and it’s lack of support and updating is a negative for me.

ZoneAlarm Datalock has all the features of TrueCrypt, but it also comes with Zonealarm support and a 24/7 password and data recovery service and it seems like it is easier to use.

Personally, I would rather get Datalock, even though I got to pay for it, it just seems like a more complete package.

I just want to get a second opinion on this, am I correct in thinking that Datalock is worth the extra money for the support, easy of use and the password and data recovery service?

They also have the trial on the Zonealarm Datalock page.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

First, there is no WiFi in the parks, so I'm not sure how much work you will get done.

Up until Christmas, the only laptop we had in our house was one I used for work, and my company controls the security on that laptop. I don't physically encrypt any of the data on it, but it uses PGP for security purposes.

 

[tasha99]

I use TrueCrypt because it's easy and free. A downside is that (at least with my settings) unless I unmount a file, it stays accessible until a reboot.

 

[SaraJayne]

There is no wi-fi in the parks. So keep the laptop in the room.

 

[MELSMICE]

There is no wi-fi in the parks. So keep the laptop in the room.

If you have an "air card" (not sure if that's what they're called) you can get an Internet connection anywhere. It goes through a cell signal. My DH uses one for work.

 

[LuvOrlando]

When you say keep your data safe what do you mean? Do you mean against hacking, against having the password breached by someone who has the laptop in their possession, against the actual theft of the computer or against the data transmission? My DH has always said the best security comes in 3 layers, #1, Something you have, #2, Something you are, #3, Something you know. The you know part is your passwords, keep them changing and make them a series of letters numbers and symbols using caps intermittently. My DH was in IT security and he used to have a rolling authenticator around his neck whose codes were needed to get into his system, but he says that isn't publicly available. We have one for World of Warcraft on our MAC after it was hacked called "authenticator" made by Blizzard for the game but I don't know if something similar is available for other products, I'm doubtful. My DH has a "Kensington Lock" that he uses to chain his laptop to the desk in the room instead of keeping it in the safe if it doesn't fit. Also, Disney's network was secure enough for him to be willing to use it, dangerous networks are the ones that aren't locked. He used to have a device that would allow him to scan for open networks and find security breeches at his job, the thing was the size of a calculator and very easy to use for someone up to no good. Fortunately DH is a "White Hat". You'd be surprised how many networks stay at the factory default. Use care with selecting the network you will use. If you are worried about losing data then you can find a company that will store your data on their servers for a fee so even if the computer is lost, destroyed or stolen you data is always safely somewhere else.

I'm a layperson myself but I do pay attention to what DH tells me when I can wrap my head around it... which isn't always the case, he's a pretty smart guy. Mostly I just follow limited instructions , I'm fortunate he finds my techi illiteracy amusing.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I'd be very careful about taking my work data to a place where it can be stolen. Especially if this is a pleasure trip instead of a work trip. There are many privacy laws, rules and regulations regarding the security of other people's personal information that you don't want to run afoul of.

My first instinct is to say to leave your work laptop at home. However, if you must take it, then the best security is a strong password. 12 characters, non-dictionary words (NO words that can be found in any dictionary, any language), and a combination of letters, numbers and symbols is a good standard.

The next best thing you can invest in is a locking cable for when the laptop is out of the safe. Rule of thumb: if you're not using your computer right now, it should be in the safe. Even when you go to bed. You never know if you'll have to leave the room unexpectedly.

I've tried encryption programs and have found them to be more trouble than they're worth, but other people's experiences may differ. My best safeguard has always been the locking cable and strong password. That, and treating the laptop itself as if it were a strapped cash bundle of $10,000. You wouldn't leave a strapped cash bundle of $10K on your car seat or give it to a stranger for safekeeping, so don't do the same thing with your laptop.

 

[bonoriffic]

My DH was in IT security and he used to have a rolling authenticator around his neck whose codes were needed to get into his system, but he says that isn't publicly available.

By publicly available maybe he means go down to Best Buy and pick it up, because RSA SecurID key fobs with rotating encryption keys is fairly common in most businesses. The cost is prohibitive for individuals to setup such a system.

If you have a strongly secured laptop, with a password required using a strong password, encryption is only a worry if you feel your data is worth being stolen. By this I mean, someone needs to gain access to your laptop. First it must be physically stolen, and that is 100% preventable. Next they need to gain access to your files, and a well secured laptop with password is going to deter 99.999999% of the people out there. Your hard drive will be wiped as the laptop is what is valuable, not the data.

Now if your data is corporate secrets, nuclear launch codes, etc. then maybe your data is more valuable than the laptop and then you should encrypt.

 

[KristaTX]

You're going to take your laptop to the parks and do work?

 

[Carly_Roach]

You're going to take your laptop to the parks and do work?

My interpretation was that she wasn't actually going to work at the parks, but she wanted to get work done when she was in her room. I've done that before (although not at Disney) when there were deadlines that had to be met while I was on vacation. I could have misunderstood her, though.

Personally, I can't think of any work that's important enough to lug your laptop around all day at one of the parks, although you could probably store it in a locker and catch up on emails or something during a lunch or dinner break.

 

[tasha99]

If you have client information on your computer, I think you should encrypt. Lawyers, healthcare workers and lots of other people could have info that should not get out (even things as simple as social security numbers, dates of birth, confidential medical information etc.) Yes, a thief is most likely just after the laptop, but if he gets it and finds several social security numbers, he could turn to identity theft. I don't think encryption is going too far for many types of work, but my department requires it so I thought it was pretty common.

 

[FireDancer]

TrueCrypt is great software and has been vetted by some very respectable security researchers. I would recommend full disc encryption. It encrypts the entire disk and you enter the key at boot time. If you use a good random key it is pretty much unbreakable. By good random key I mean something like ktGrf$54%^t. While it seams impossible to memorize it really isn't if you have a system.