Password protecting your 7-Zip, Zip, compress folders in 7-zip Video

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It is a great idea to password encrypt your Zip, 7z, and Tar files when sending them over the internet, or if you do not want people to easily view them.  It is also more convenient using Zip encryption instead of using disk encryption like TrueCrypt since if you send a TrueCrypt file to a friend, co-worker, or family member. You need to teach them how to use TrueCrypt while opening a Zip file is common knowledge for most people.

In this video, I will teach you how to use 7-Zip file compression and file management utility to password protect your compress files like Zip, 7z, and Tar Files. 7-Zip is free, and it works very well as a file compression application for Windows.  To password encrypt your compress folders, you just have to  pick a folder or file to compress and assign a password in 7-zip.

What I like about 7-Zip is? It does not show what is in the zip folder including file names until you entered in the right password.

My favorite features about 7-zip file compression is it is fast, reliable, and easy to use. Plus, it can open most common types of achieve zip folder files like Zip, ISO, rar, rpm,gz, gzip and 7z ! I been using it for a few years and it been great.

I recommend saving your compress files as ZIP files since almost any computer can open a Zip file with other popular Zip software like Winzip, Windows Explorer for XP, WinRAR, IZARCH, etc.

What I mainly use password protected zip folders for is to store my sensitive passwords which are very hard to remember like “DEWCDYHBD#%@^&ajhjdhkfjha1234565” and give the zip folder a simpler less password like Cr@nAry.451956~~ and save the zip folder on a secure location like a Password encrypted thumb drive which is locked in my room. It is sure safer then using a post-it note stuck to the side of my monitor, or in a plain non-password protected TEXT or DOC file.

Using password encrypted Zip folders to send files over the internet, e-mail attachment, local area network, or wireless network is a better idea then sending non-password encrypted files since even if a hacker steals your files, they can’t do anything with it until they can crack your password or encryption. It is also a good idea to send the password via cell phone text message or telephone call since having the password in the same e-mail as the encrypted e-mail is insecure. The intruder can just look at your e-mail and use it to open your password encrypted zip file. But, odds are he did not also hack your cell phone account. If you need more security, you can subscribe to a Virtual Private Network account at 1and1 or someother webhosting company to hide your internet activity from the rest of the internet.

Also, it is a good idea to change your zip folder and files names to something unappealing like “singing clips.zip” and add some Mp3s in the zip folder, so your zip folder looks like a legitimate  “singing clips zip folder”. If the Zip file is only a few bytes in size, a tech savvy person will probably know inside the zip folder might be a  text file for a password for one of your important accounts like a web hosting account.    Camouflage is a great defense.   

If I lose the thumb drive, I can always go phone my web host and ask them to reset my online FTP account. But, if I got my website hacked, the web host probably can’t reset my website before it got hacked.

Downlaod 7-Zip at http://www.7-zip.org/

Tips for making strong passwords make a password which has at least 2 of each type of character: UPPERCASE, lowercase, numb3rs, $pec!al Character like %$@. A very strong password would be 20 characters in length a great password would be “F@!14Sure@%$&*CGEwdw~~“.

If you have problems remembering long passwords you can try http://keepass.info free password manager to help you manage and store all your passwords for your many accounts and zip folders.