Thread: Protect your PC from data thieves

Have you ever stopped to consider what might happen if your PC or notebook was stolen? Even on password¬protected computers, the data is still vulnerable to the determined hacker¬including online banking details and other sensitive information.Thankfully, protecting your data using encryption is straightforwardWith a free program called Compusec, which can securely scramble the contents of an entire computer,all your most personal information can be safely hidden. Do be aware, though, that encrypting a hard disk drive can result in data 1055,50 read carefully, take all recommended precautions and remember that this guide is for experienced users only.

RIGHT, A STERN WARNING from the off: if something goes wrong during the encryption process you could end up losing everything, so it is imperative that you back up the entire hard disk before beginning. You'll need a backup device, like an external hard disk, and, ideally, a drive-imaging tool (as this will allow you to make an exact copy of the hard disk in its current state).lf you don't have one, we'd suggest downloading and installing the 30-day trial of Paragon Drive Backup Personal Edition from complete, restart the pc when prompted. When Windows has restarted, launch Paragon. Click Buy Later. Start by creating a rescue CD in case the encryption process goes wrong pen the Tools menu and choose Recovery Media Builder.

FOllOW THE WIZARD TO create your disc;once it's been created, return to the main menu and c1ick'Create an image of the entire hard disk: Follow the wizard through to back up the hard disk to an external drive or multiple CD or DVDs - the latter option may require many discs, so we'd strongly advise the external hard drive option if you can. Once complete, close the program - in the unlikely event that the PC needs to be recovered later,start the computer using the emergency disc created in Step 1 and follow the instructions to restore the backed-u p data .

NOW, CHECK THE HARD disk for errors. Open My Computer or Computer, right-click the hard disk and choose Properties. Switch to the Tools tab and click the Check Now button.Tick both boxes and click Start.The disk can't be checked while Windows is running, so click Yes (XP) or Schedule Disk Check (Vista) before restarting the Pc. Once done,open a web browser and go to you should download the free Compusec tool that will perform the hard disk encryption. Save the Zip file to the Windows Desktop.

ONCE DOWNLOADED, YOU WILL need temporarily to disable any real-time protection that might be provided by your anti-virus software - consult the anti-virus tool's documentation for details.This is because the modifications Compusec needs to make can be mistaken for viral behaviour. Once the anti-virus software has been disabled, right-click the downloaded Zip file on the Windows Desktop and choose Extract All. Follow the wizard to extract the compressed installation files.When complete, browse through the extracted folders to find one called setup.exe, then double click it to begin.



ATTHE MAIN SCREEN, c1ick'lnstallation and removal ofCompusec components: Read the licence agreement and click Accept to continue. A list of what the program will do during installation will be displayed - click Continue to begin.A basic check is quickly performed before the program installs itself. Once complete,a more extensive check is carried out before you're asked if the installation of Compusec SW is managed by the Global Admin station. It's not, so click No .

YOU'LL BE ASKED WHICH functions to install- by default, most choices are selected. Drive Crypt, Identity Management and Closed Ta I k aren't essentia I, so unless you wa ntto create secure d rives with i n Windows itself, store saved passwords,ortake part in secure voice communication, untick them to save on disk space.To find out more about individual components, click the small question mark icon and once happy, click Continue .

NEXT, CREATE A USER ID by typing a name into the box - it can be anything you like. Each time the PC is restarted, Compusec will prompt for this username and a password.The password is initially set to'start123':we'd advise changing this when first logging on. Each password lasts for a maximum of 60 days or 100 logons before the program asks for it to be changed for security reasons.These figures can be changed or even disabled by unticking the relevant box or boxes. Once done, click Continue .

THE APPLICATION WILL NOW ask for a password-reset code, which you should type into both boxes before clicking Continue. If you ever forget your password, it can be reset by pressing the Fl key on the keyboard and then entering the password-reset code. When this happens, the password is reset to the default'startl23:This would then serve as the password until replaced with new one. A reminder ofthis default password will be displayed after clicking Continue .

ENCRYPTION REQUIRES THE EXISTENCE of'keys: which take the form of strings of letters and numbers.These can be imported from
a disk, entered manually or generated randomly.The latter option is the most convenient and is performed automatically.On the first screen, notice that Compusec has generated codes for your hard disk, memory key and floppy drive. Click Continue.The second screen generates keys for the Safe LAN (networking) component, which work in a similar way.Again,click Continue .

A LIST OF ALL hard disks attached to the computer will be shown. By default, none of them is set to be encrypted, so click the dropdown menu next to each and choose either'Encryption before booting' or 'Encryption while working:The former is quicker, but the PC won't be usable until the encryption is complete, which may take many hours if there's a lot of data on the PC.The latter allows you to use the PC, but you'll notice it running slowly,as the drive is encrypted in the backgrou nd. Make you r choice and cI ick Conti n ue .

COMPUSEC WILL NOW SAVE what it terms 'important and sensitive'data to a file that should be stored on a removable drive such as a floppy or USB memorykey.This file will be required should you need to uninstall the program, or forget both the password and password-reset code. Click Continue and then choose where to store the file - copy it to a removable drive now that is kept away from the PC before clicking Continue again.The encryption driver will install to complete the installation.

THE PCWILL NOW restart and you'll see the Compusec login screen appear. Type your username and press Enter, then type'start123' (without the quotes) when prompted for the password. After a short delay you'll be asked to enter and confirm a new password - it's best to mix letters and numbers.You'li be prompted to back up your data and make sure the PC is connected to the mains before being asked if you're ready to begin encrypting. Remember, this is a potentially risky process, so do not proceed until you have taken a full backup. If you're happy to continue, press Y,or press N to postpone the process .

IF YOU OPTED TO encrypt before booting, leave the PC to its own devices - be prepared to wait several hours for the process to complete. But if you opted to work while encryption takes place, Windows will launch and you'll be prompted to log in using Compusec's own logon screen, which is similar but not identical to Windows' own.Type your Windows username and - if applicable¬password before clicking the logon button to continue. If you left'Rememberthis credential'ticked, the logon process will be automatic in future .

ONCE WINDOWS HAS STARTED, a small hourglass icon will appear in the Notification Area of the Taskbar. Click this to view a progress update on how much of the disk has been encrypted, complete with an estimate of how long it will take.ln the meantime, continue to use the PC normally, shutting down, hibernating and restarting when necessary. Each time the PC is restarted, the progress update will be displayed. Once the drive has finished encrypting, the data and settings on your PC will be secure should it get stolen. Finally, don't forget to fully re-enable your anti-virus software.