Showing posts with label storage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label storage. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

How to encrypt your cloud storage for free

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
BoxCryptor One thing that stops a lot of people from using cloud storage companies is the perceived lack of security. BoxCryptor's encryption helps fill that need.

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If you want something done right, do it yourself. That may sound trite, but it rings true as advice for securing files that you've stored online. Several recent incidents—including breaches of Dropbox and iCloud—underscore the fact that, even with built-in encryption and SSL transfers, cloud storage providers can't perfectly ensure the safety of your data.

Luckily, you can take cloud security into your own hands.

A few different tools can help safeguard the privacy of your data when you store it on a remote server. One of our favorites is BoxCryptor, an easy-to-use encryption program that works with all of the most popular cloud services, is free to use (though you can pay for upgrades), and helps keep your data safe.

BoxCryptor is basically a virtual hard disk that encrypts files on the fly using 256-bit AES encryption. Unlike TrueCrypt, another popular on-the-fly encryption tool, BoxCryptor encrypts individual files, not an entire volume or container. Consequently, your BoxCryptor-encrypted files sync with your cloud storage service immediately after you save them, whereas TrueCrypt syncing occurs only after you finish encrypting an entire volume.

BoxCryptor encrypts and decrypts your files locally, and it doesn't transmit your password to third parties. As a result, your files remain unreadable to outsiders even if hackers manage to steal your password or otherwise breach your cloud storage provider's defenses.

Setting up BoxCryptor is fairly painless, but the service has a few subtleties that could throw you for a loop. I'll get into those after discussing the differences between the various BoxCryptor offerings and outlining how to get the encryption software up and running.

BoxCryptor is available in three editions: a free version, a $40 Unlimited Personal version, and a $100 Unlimited Business version. Free Android and iPhone apps are also available.

It's hard to argue with free.

The free version, which should suffice for many people, permits you to operate a single virtual hard disk for encrypting and decrypting files. Upgrading to the Unlimited Personal version introduces multiple virtual drives, so you can access several encrypted folders simultaneously; it also lets you encrypt file names, not just file contents. The Business license is the same as the Unlimited Personal license, but it includes a legal clause that allows you to use it in the workplace.

The first step in setting up BoxCryptor is to figure out how to download the right program from the BoxCryptor website. The row of gray icons at the top of the download page looks like a simple informative image, but you must click the icon of your operating system to snag the installation file.

Passwords: You just can't live without 'em. 

Once you have it, double-click the file to start the installation wizard, and then choose Create a new BoxCryptor folder. The next screen will ask you to choose a location for the encrypted folder. You can choose an offline local folder as the destination if you like; but BoxCryptor's big draw is that it works with any cloud storage service that creates a local directory on your PC, including the desktop clients for Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, and Sugar Sync. Most cloud storage services create a local directory in C:/Users/*UserName by default. After you choose the destination folder, enter a name for the BoxCryptor folder that you're creating.

Next, you'll need to choose a drive letter designation for the virtual disk. Be sure to pick one that you aren't already using. (I chose S: for SkyDrive.) Finally, create a password, and you're good to go. I strongly recommend creating a backup of your BoxCryptor configuration file when prompted to do so, since you'll lose the ability to descramble your data if you accidentally delete the config file and don't have a spare copy handy.

To complete the installation process, reboot your PC after closing the wizard. The virtual drive will appear alongside your physical drives when the computer restarts.

If you simply drag files into the BoxCryptor.bc folder that the software creates in your cloud storage directory, the files won't be encrypted. Instead, deposit your files in BoxCryptor's virtual drive (S:, in my case). Doing so will also make them appear in your cloud storage folder in encrypted form.

BoxCryptor creates a virtual drive that resides alongside your physical drives. 

Similarly, the only way to unencrypt your files is to withdraw them via the same virtual drive. If you try to snag your files directly through the BoxCryptor.bc folder they'll remain encrypted, and you won't be able to read them.

This arrangement makes accessing your files on the road a bit of a hassle, but even the free version of BoxCryptor allows you to reach cloud-stored encrypted folders, assuming that you have both BoxCryptor and your cloud service's desktop client installed on your PC. BoxCryptor also offers an Android app for accessing encrypted SkyDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox files after you enter your BoxCryptor password. An iOS app is available as well, but it works only with Dropbox.

Since both the encrypting and the decrypting occur on BoxCryptor's virtual drive, you'll likely have no reason to wander into the BoxCryptor.bc folder stored in your cloud drive. If you do, however, be careful not to move or delete the encfs6.xml file. That file holds the configuration key for decrypting your files. If you move or delete it, you won't be able to decrypt your files.

Anyone who purchases BoxCryptor Unlimited can run multiple BoxCryptor virtual drives simultaneously, whereas users of the free version are limited to a single virtual drive. Does that mean you can encrypt or decrypt files at only one cloud storage service or offline location? Not at all. It just means that you can have only one virtual drive operating at a given time. Though you can create several encrypted folders, you can encrypt or decrypt files for only one of them at a time.

To create another encrypted folder in a second location, right-click the BoxCryptor icon in your system tray and select Preferences. Next, enter Advanced Mode—ignoring the warning that the program displays—and click the icon for your encrypted virtual disk. The Remove option will turn red and become active; click it. Poof! Your drive will disappear from the list. Don't worry, the actual files (and their encryption key) won't be deleted.

You can use the Advanced mode to add and remove BoxCryptor virtual drives, allowing you to juggle encrypted folders on multiple cloud services at once.

Now, click the New icon. The installation wizard will pop back up. This time, create another encrypted folder for a different cloud service or offline folder than you did originally. For example, I created an encrypted folder in my Dropbox account to complement the BoxCryptor folder I'd already created in my SkyDrive account. Complete the creation process as you did before, by creating a password and selecting a virtual drive designation. Advanced options will pop up during the process, but you needn't worry about those unless you're curious about the software's niche uses. Bonus: You don't have to reboot the second (or later) time you create a BoxCryptor folder.

When you're done, a BoxCryptor.bc folder will appear in the new location, and a BoxCryptor virtual drive will appear on your computer, just as before. Use this second encrypted folder just as you did your first one, adding and removing files via the virtual drive, not via the BoxCryptor.bc folder itself.

What if you need to access or add a file in the encrypted folder you created the first time around? That virtual drive—though not the folder itself—disappeared when you removed it from the BoxCryptor list to create your second encrypted folder. But reconnecting to your previously created BoxCryptor folders is easy.

First, remove your current virtual drive in the Advanced Mode, as you did before—only this time click Add instead of 'New' when you're done. When the program asks you to choose the location of a BoxCryptor folder, select your originally created BoxCryptor.bc destination. (That's the one in SkyDrive, in my case.) Next, choose a letter for the virtual drive you're creating, ignore the advanced options, and enter your password for the encrypted folder when prompted. Immediately, a virtual drive connected to your original BoxCryptor folder appears on your computer, allowing you to encrypt and decrypt your files to your heart's content.

Deselecting and reactivating virtual drives in order to jump between multiple encrypted folders will get the job done, but repeatedly running through the reactivation process gets very tedious if you bounce between different services frequently. If you want to maintain several encrypted folders and you plan to use them often, I highly recommend upgrading to the $40 Unlimited Personal license—both to reduce activation headaches and to support the developers of this excellent piece of software.


View the original article here

Friday, May 10, 2013

Tips and tricks for the OneNote Windows Storage app

This post was written by Daniel Chandra, program manager in the OneNote team.

If you are new to Windows 8, you probably noticed, that the OneNote application looks and feels very different from other versions of OneNote. How are you looking for? What happened to the menus? The new Windows should avoid distracting you with commands that you do not need, but all that may change a little intimidating at first. Do not be afraid! In this blog post we will learn how to use the OneNote application from the Windows store. These tips and tricks can be used other Windows store apps on most. If you OneNote yet, download it now and the consequences- not it's free!

Instead of the traditional menus and toolbars, the OneNote Windows memory app uses so-called app bar, which appears when you right-click mouse button or swipe your finger in from the top or bottom of the screen. You can see the example in OneNote:

The app bar is contextual, meaning that you see different commands, depending on how you open it. For example, if you see with the right mouse button or cross blow (more on that later) to a page in the navigation pane of OneNotes you specific commands for the page, as you delete it or fixing it to your Start menu. Various commands shown when you drag your finger from the top or bottom edge of the screen.

OneNote added the app bar with a unique selling point, the radial menu, you find not called in most other Windows store apps. Try this: type text in OneNote, highlight it and press the round button with an A in the middle. See a menu that looks like:

In this context, the radial menu offers options, on the text, which you selected have applied, such as changing the font or copy and paste. Press the purple buttons on the outer edges of the menu, and see even more choices. Just like the app bar the radial menu is contextual and displays different commands, depending on how you it--try for example to open, to open the radial menu, notice without text to select, and the difference.

In the past, the various applications had their own way of doing things; only, because you knew you in Microsoft Word look like didn't knew you like in Firefox to search. The new Windows solves this problem the stimuli bar, with a single, consistent access to common functions such as search, sharing, and settings in each Windows Storage app. To open the stimuli bar, move your mouse to the bottom right corner of the screen, or you have a touch screen, swipe just your finger in the right side of the screen.

 

Play with charm bar and look at everything that you can do! For example, searches the search button within the app that you just opened. Meanwhile, the share button share information on another app; for example, in OneNote to share your notes to a friend email. In applications that support printing, you will find this feature under the button devices. (Sorry, the OneNote Windows store app doesn't support printing yet, but rest assured that we have heard there are requesting your feedback.)

As already mentioned, the app bar with contextual commands brings you with the right mouse button on an object with the mouse. But how we bring up the contextual app bar with touch? It's simple: Use the cross-swipe gesture. In OneNote, stroke from left to right on the name of a notebook, section, or page appear in navigation. This opens the app bar and displays features in connection with the item, which you cross stolen. Lay using many other Windows Storage apps, so this is a really useful gesture!

The new OneNote Windows store app brave reinvented for modern computer technology and contains many important improvements. However, it is undeniable, that is quite different from previous versions, and we know that the change can be a little scary. We hope this blog post your transition a little easier and helps you the most out of OneNote and make all the other Windows store apps!


View the original article here

Monday, April 8, 2013

Winzip 17 adds integration with Box cloud storage

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Winzip has been a household name in file compression for two decades. WinZip 17 takes file compression and management to the cloud with Google Drive, SkyDrive, and Dropbox integration—and now a new update is available that adds Box to the mix.

WinZip was a pioneer of the freemium software business model—basically providing the software for free, and relying on the moral compass of customers to pay for the product if it proved to be useful to them. I used to download a wide variety of shareware applications following a similar strategy, but WinZip was the first one I ever felt compelled to actually pay for.

WinZip is a leader in file compression and file management.

Over the years, hard drive and flash drives have grown exponentially in size, and the cost of storage has gone down, so the need for a file compression utility has declined. However, the rise of photos and videos—which can be massive files—and the desire to upload information to social networks or cloud storage services has brought it back in vogue. It’s much easier and faster to upload a 100Mb file instead of a 1GB file.

WinZip has evolved to be a much more comprehensive file management tool than it once was. It still provides file compression, but now it also includes the ability to convert documents to PDF, add custom watermarks to PDF files, and post files directly to popular social networks.

Another advantage of WinZip 17 is that it ties disparate services together. Rather than dealing with your PC, Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Box as separate entities, WinZip 17 gives you a single tool from which to manage all of your data no matter where it’s stored.

There are two flavors of WinZip 17, Standard and Pro. The Pro version includes features that strengthen and speed up file encryption, as well as the ability to view photos within a ZIP file without extracting them first, and features that make it easier to transfer and manage photos from supported cameras and mobile devices, among other things.

New WinZip 17 integrates with cloud storage services like Box.

You can get WinZip 17 directly from the WinZip site starting at $30. WinZip 17 Pro is $50. WinZip offers volume licensing discounts for businesses that purchase the software in bulk. WinZip 17 is only available for Windows (XP or later), but there are versions available for Mac OS X, iOS, and Android as well.

Customers who already have WinZip 17 can download an update to add integration with Box cloud storage.

Tony Bradley

Tony is principal analyst with the Bradley Strategy Group, providing analysis and insight on tech trends. He is a prolific writer on a range of technology topics, has authored a number of books, and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
More by Tony Bradley


View the original article here

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Winzip 17 adds integration with Box cloud storage

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Winzip has been a household name in file compression for two decades. WinZip 17 takes file compression and management to the cloud with Google Drive, SkyDrive, and Dropbox integration—and now a new update is available that adds Box to the mix.

WinZip was a pioneer of the freemium software business model—basically providing the software for free, and relying on the moral compass of customers to pay for the product if it proved to be useful to them. I used to download a wide variety of shareware applications following a similar strategy, but WinZip was the first one I ever felt compelled to actually pay for.

WinZip is a leader in file compression and file management.

Over the years, hard drive and flash drives have grown exponentially in size, and the cost of storage has gone down, so the need for a file compression utility has declined. However, the rise of photos and videos—which can be massive files—and the desire to upload information to social networks or cloud storage services has brought it back in vogue. It’s much easier and faster to upload a 100Mb file instead of a 1GB file.

WinZip has evolved to be a much more comprehensive file management tool than it once was. It still provides file compression, but now it also includes the ability to convert documents to PDF, add custom watermarks to PDF files, and post files directly to popular social networks.

Another advantage of WinZip 17 is that it ties disparate services together. Rather than dealing with your PC, Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Box as separate entities, WinZip 17 gives you a single tool from which to manage all of your data no matter where it’s stored.

There are two flavors of WinZip 17, Standard and Pro. The Pro version includes features that strengthen and speed up file encryption, as well as the ability to view photos within a ZIP file without extracting them first, and features that make it easier to transfer and manage photos from supported cameras and mobile devices, among other things.

New WinZip 17 integrates with cloud storage services like Box.

You can get WinZip 17 directly from the WinZip site starting at $30. WinZip 17 Pro is $50. WinZip offers volume licensing discounts for businesses that purchase the software in bulk. WinZip 17 is only available for Windows (XP or later), but there are versions available for Mac OS X, iOS, and Android as well.

Customers who already have WinZip 17 can download an update to add integration with Box cloud storage.

Tony Bradley

Tony is principal analyst with the Bradley Strategy Group, providing analysis and insight on tech trends. He is a prolific writer on a range of technology topics, has authored a number of books, and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
More by Tony Bradley


View the original article here

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Five computers, additional 20GB of storage, and more: Your Office 365 Home Premium subscription

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Your Office on up to 5 computers. Additional 20GB of storage in SkyDrive. 60 anywhere minutes with Skype. Use Office anywhere. These are just some of the perks of an Office 365 Home Premium subscription. Click on the brief video below to learn how to get the most out of your Office subscription.

You can get a free 30-day trial or buy Office 365 Home Premium today or learn more at Get Started with the new Office.


View the original article here