Don’t Be Sorry For Your Loss

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...impossible to access without the right key. Data encryption turns the contents of your laptop’s hard drive into a puzzle that only you can unlock with your password.

However, it’s worth noting that not all encryption solutions work in the same way. Some solutions will encrypt only individual files, or folders. Which is fine, providing you remember to place the data you want to protect in the right folder. Some others only apply encryption if you remember to do so — which again, is fine providing you remember every time you leave your...

...laptop.

More advanced solutions — such as the encryption built into the ZoneAlarm Extreme Security suite — use a technique called hard disk encryption (HDE).

Hard disk encryption — no half measures

As the name implies, hard disk encryption ensures that all data stored on or retrieved from your laptop’s hard disk is encrypted or decrypted on-the-fly and automatically as it is accessed. You don’t have to remember to apply encryption, the software does it for you. Once you are set up with your personal encryption login, no-one else can access any of your data.

What’s more, the encryption process is transparent to you and will not slow you down, as it can handle up to 500MB of data per minute. It’s also unaffected by power losses or computer crashes, so it keeps your data secure even during unforeseen circumstances.

In conclusion, if you’re a laptop user, you need to extend security a little further than what’s offered by conventional PC security suites. With a little planning, and the use of hard disk encryption, your data will be safe if your laptop is lost.

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