With the rising incidences of data theft over the web, PC users are getting more conscious about security of their crucial and sensitive data. Owing to the serious results, they always keep trying to find an appropriate data security solution. Well, a variety of tools have been made available as a solution to such problem, but finding a suitable one could turn out to be troublesome. However, don`t waste your important time in searching such a solution, and simply try out the GiliSoft Privacy Protector. It’s an effective utility that facilitates you in locking and hiding your important files and folders, not just from the unauthorized users but also from malicious programs. The program is capable of preventing illegal operations like Trojan, Virus, Hackers, and Spyware from accessing your crucial data. It further imparts five methods of protecting your privacy that are Hide Data, Lock Data, Private Disk, Safe Delete, and Erase History.

Moving to the functional part of  GiliSoft Privacy Protector it executes with a dialog box prompting you to enter username and password for limiting access to the program and protected data. After which, it opens with a pleasing and neatly structured interface that is further integrated with self-explaining options. The program screen view begins with two options on the menu bar, below which the five protection modes are listed on the left. Now, when you select any of the provided method, its related functions are presented on right for taking the process further. Using the Hide Data and Lock Data options you can select and safeguard any of the files, folders and drives present on your PC. Moving further, with the Private Disk feature you’re provided with different Private Disks that can be mounted for storing data, and closed for applying the protection. Furthermore, you can choose files, folders, and disk for deleting the permanently from your system. Along with these, the program supports erasing the windows, internet, and application history. You can use the desired one or all the protection methods for safeguarding your data.

In addition to aforementioned protection methods, the GiliSoft Privacy Protector also allows you to modify its configurations relating secure delete, clean free space, private drive letters, and password.

Many modern computers have one, two or even more gigabytes of ram that can be put to good use by creating a Ramdisk that is a virtual drive that uses part of the computers ram. Because your computer’s memory is so much faster than the hard disk, a RAM disk greatly improves application performance. Databases, compilers, and graphic design programs process large amounts of data which tax a computer’s resources. A RAM disk drive makes data more readily available, balancing the load on a processor When you browse web pages, junk data is written to your browser’s cache memory. By running your browser cache in a RAM disk and not saving the disk image file when you end your session, unwanted cache files are deleted automatically, saving hard drive space. Finally, a RAM drive uses much less energy than a physical hard drive, and therefore extends the charge of a laptop computer’s battery.The Ramdisk can be used like every other hard drive, you can copy applications and files to it and start them from there if they allow that. It is for instance possible to move portable applications like Firefox, Thunderbird or Audacity into the Ramdisk and use the advantage that those applications are actually residing in memory which speeds up loading times a lot.

One convenient way to setup a Ramdisk is to use the software GiliSoft Ramdisk which is easy to setup and work with. Just install GiliSoft Ramdisk as usual and start configuring the settings afterwards. Assign a drive letter to the Ramdisk and choose a size for it. I would not suggest to select more than a quarter of your Ram but you can experiment with the settings if you like. Leave everything as is and restart your computer afterwards. You should see a new drive letter after the restart, now copy files or applications to the Ramdisk and start them from there.

You will see a noticeable speed increase when running applications from the Ramdisk.It is also possible to use the Ramdisk for the temp files of Windows. To do that you need to move the Temp directory from the default location to the Ramdisk. To change the default location go to Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Environment Variables and change the Windows temp dir to the Ramdisk.

It should be noted that all data that is in the Ramdisk will be lost if you restart the computer. Remember that the files reside in system Ram. This is great for temp files which means that you do not have to delete the temp files by yourself. It could also be used to set the disk cache of Firefox to the Ramdisk which would mean that it would be automatically cleared during shutdown.

The options of GiliSoft Ramdisk:

1. Auto-load the most recent image:
Keep the most recently used RAM disk image loaded in GiliSoft RAMDisk when you restart system. If you want to automatically mount the RAM disk when your system start, you can choose this option.

2. Save the image upon restart or shutdown:
Save your RAM disk image automatically when you turn off or restart your PC.

3. Save the image during hibernation:
Save your RAM disk image automatically when your computer goes into Sleep or Hibernation mode.

4. Back up the image before saving it:
Automatically makes a secondary backup of the data in your RAM disk when you save it as an image. In the event of a system crash or power loss, the image file will still be preserved. Note: If you load the image after a system crash, GiliSoft RAMDisk will ask if you want to repair the image.

5. Save the image every N minute(s) (N is a number between 1 and 60):
Data in the RAM disk will be saved as an image at pre-set intervals.

6. Save changes to the image file in real-time:
The image file is automatically saved if any changes are made to the RAM disk. Note: This setting will not take effect until you reload an image or re-create a RAM Disk.

Why encrypt your USB flash drive?

Pendrives (USB sticks or USB drive) are really handy tools, allowing you to roam far and wide while bringing all your important documents with you. They are easy to carry and easy to use, which is great for you, but bad, bad news if your pendrive happens to fall into the wrong hands.

I just had an unpleasant episode that really reminded me of the need to have some kind of encryption on your thumb drives.I was leaving a friend’s house, got in my truck and drove home. I unloaded my pockets as usual and discovered–no thumb drive.I did find the flash drive a few minutes later, by the curb outside my friend’s house. But the whole time I was looking, I was trying to do a mental inventory of what information was on that thumb drive.Fortunately, I don’t store sensitive client information on my thumb drives. Yet, the idea of someone else finding the drive and being able to freely access the other info on the drive was not a pleasant one.

Lesson: Don’t put personal or client/work passwords or other sensitive data on a thumb drive. If for some reason you do have to have some of that information with you, make sure that information is encrypted.

You need to pre-empt any nasty accidents, so why not protect the most important documents by storing them in an encrypted partition?

How to encrypt your USB flash drive?

That’s what GiliSoft USB Stick Encryption will allow you to do – create a password-protected secure area that you can only access if you have the pendrive and know the magic words. GiliSoft USB Stick Encryption provides an extra layer of reliable security for your pendrive.
The small utility is very easy to use, and the lack of offline help shouldn’t prove too problematic. You connect your pendrive, back-up all your data – because the program erases everything – choose the size of the secure area and press install. When you’ve finished, GiliSoft USB Stick Encryption will prompt you to choose a password which you will have to enter to open the secure area in the future.

Once the area is open, you’ll be able to save to it and browse as you would in any normal pendrive. Don’t forget to close it when you’re done! Uninstalling the area or changing the password isn’t a problem either, but you can only perform these actions if the area is already closed.

What is Data Security?

In simple terms, data security is the practice of keeping data protected from corruption and unauthorized access. The focus behind data security is to ensure privacy while protecting personal or corporate data.

Data Security Technologies

• 1. Encryption
• 2. Protection
• 3. Backups
• 4. Data Erasure

1. Encryption

File Encryption
Folder Encryption
Encrypt files or folders to keep data protected from unauthorized access.
HD Disk Encryption
Encrypt full disk to keep data protected from unauthorized access.
USB Drive Encryption
Encrypt portable usb drive to keep data protected from unauthorized access.
CD DVD Encryption
Encrypt CD or DVD to keep data protected from unauthorized access.
Email Encryption
Encrypt the content and attachment of email  to keep data protected from unauthorized access.

2.Protection

File Protection
Folder Protection
Lock or hide files or folders to keep data protected from corruption and unauthorized access.
Disk Protection
Lock or hide disk to keep data protected from corruption and unauthorized access.
Program Protection
Lock program to keep data protected from unauthorized access.

3.Backups

File Backup
Folder Backup
Backup files or folders to keep data protected from corruption.
Disk Backup
Backup disk to keep data protected from corruption.
System Backup
Backup system to keep system protected from corruption.

4.Data Erasure

Data erasure is a method of software-based overwriting that completely destroys all electronic data residing on a hard drive or other digital media to ensure that no sensitive data is leaked when an asset is retired or reused.

More Information,please visit http://www.gilisoft.com

What is Data Encryption?

Encryption is the process of converting a plaintext message into ciphertext which can be decoded back into the original message. An encryption algorithm along with a key is used in the encryption and decryption of data. There are several types of data encryptions which form the basis of network security. Encryption schemes are based on block or stream ciphers.

The type and length of the keys utilized depend upon the encryption algorithm and the amount of security needed. In conventional symmetric encryption a single key is used. With this key, the sender can encrypt a message and a recipient can decrypt the message but the security of the key becomes problematic. In asymmetric encryption, the encryption key and the decryption key are different. One is a public key by which the sender can encrypt the message and the other is a private key by which a recipient can decrypt the message.

Data encryption refers to mathematical calculations and algorithmic schemes that transform plaintext into cyphertext, a form that is non-readable to unauthorized parties. The recipient of an encrypted message uses a key which triggers the algorithm mechanism to decrypt the data, transforming it to the original plaintext version.

Types of Data Encryption
There are many different types of data encryption, but not all are reliable. In the beginning, 64-bit encryption was thought to be strong, but was proven wrong with the introduction of 128-bit solutions. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is the new standard and permits a maximum of 256-bits. In general, the stronger the computer, the better chance it has at breaking a data encryption scheme.

Data encryption schemes generally fall in two categories: symmetric and asymmetric. AES, DES and Blowfish use symmetric key algorithms. Each system uses a key which is shared among the sender and the recipient. This key has the ability to encrypt and decrypt the data. With asymmetric encryption such as Diffie-Hellman and RSA, a pair of keys is created and assigned: a private key and a public key. The public key can be known by anyone and used to encrypt data that will be sent to the owner. Once the message is encrypted, it can only be decrypted by the owner of the private key. Asymmetric encryption is said to be somewhat more secure than symmetric encryption as the private key is not to be shared.

Strong encryption like SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) will keep data private, but cannot always ensure security. Websites using this type of data encryption can be verified by checking the digital signature on their certificate, which should be validated by an approved CA (Certificate Authority).

Medium Type of Data Encryption
There are many different mediun types of data encryption:such as CD DVD,File,USB Drive,Hard Disk.

CD DVD encryption -Encypt the data save on the CD/DVDs,for example: GiliSoft Secure Disc Creator or GiliSoft CD DVD Encryption.

File encryption -Encypt the content of in the file,for example: GiliSoft File Lock Pro.

USB Drive encryption-Encypt the data save on the usb drive,for example: GiliSoft USB Stick Encryption.

Hard Disk encryption-Encypt the data save on the hd disk,for example: GiliSoft Full Disk Encryption.

Conclusion
As more users come to understand the internet’s open nature and the dangers of web surfing, applying data encryption to common communications such as emailing and instant messaging is likely to become more popular. Without this security mechanism, information transferred over the internet can be easily captured and viewed by anyone listening. This critical data can be compromised in a number of ways, especially when stored in servers that might change hands over the years. When considering how detrimental crimes like are identity theft are on the rise, data encryption is well worth pursuing.

Protecting personal files on a computer is not a big deal anymore. If you are a windows user, you have some default settings on your system to hide your files or folders. But they are not secure at all. Anyone can open those hidden files and can access your private data. So, we have to find out any secure way to hide our personal images or videos from others.

As I said earlier, you can hide your files in your computer by visiting Tools >> Folder Options >> View >> Hidden Files and Folders >> Do not show hidden files and folders. But anyone can bypass your settings by disabling this feature and can access your private photos and videos. They are not secure anymore.

To hide your videos and pics securely, you need to use third party tools. These tools will keep your files password protected and without entering the password no one can access your hidden files. No one can even edit, delete, move, copy, cut, read, write your documents. Below I’m mentioning few tools to hide your files.

GiliSoft File Lock
1,Hide files,hide folders,hide drives.
2,Lock files,lock folders,lock drives.

GiliSoft File Lock Pro
1,Hide files,hide folders,hide drives.
2,Lock files,lock folders,lock drives.
3,Encrypt files,encrypt folders.
4,Safe delete files or folders.

GiliSoft Private Disk
1,Encrypt files or folders.
2,Hide the image of Private Disk.

GiliSoft Privacy Protector
1,Hide files,hide folders,hide drives.
2,Lock files,lock folders,lock drives.
3,Clear history.
4 Safe delete.

The use of USB flash drives has now become prevalent because of the great usefulness it can give any computer user.  A USB, also called thumb or pen drive, is now a necessity in this modern world.  It enables you to carry a wealth of information in such as small package.  It can have the capacity of carrying up to 32 gigabytes of contents.  That is a huge space for just about any data that you do not want to lose, e.g., games, operating system, photos, videos, movies, a digital library and a whole lot more.

While the very reason you wanted to have a USB is the convenience of placing information you do not want to lose in such a small gadget, it is also the reason why the USB is very easy to lose.  And if you are unfortunate enough to lose your USB, there is a big possibility that the information contained therein can be exposed to others.  To prevent this from happening, you need a USB encryption software.  A USB encryption software is designed precisely to password-protect and encrypt the files in your USB so that any unauthorized person may not be able to download what is in it.

To be able to get hold of such a software, you need only to browse online and look for them. They abound in the internet and you will find that many come for free.  One good software that is free to download is TrueCrypt.  It is simple enough to use and will not require you to pay anything for its use.  Instructions on how to make use of it can also be found most likely in the same website where you downloaded the software.

A more better tool is USB Stick Encryption. Because the TrueCrypt will leave the image file on the disk but the USB Drive encrypted by USB Stick Encryption does not show it.  More information of  USB Stick Encryption, please visit http://gilisoft.com/product-usb-stick-encryption.htm