Advice on approach to encryption...

Synonym · 22 May 2020

Hi
Would really appreciate experienced view on protecting personal data (banking, etc) on a laptop.

Intel I7-9750H@2.60GHz with 16Gb Ram running Win 10 Home v.1909. Very old versions of Word and Excel. 2 SSD's

Unfortunately started using it before really thinking about security. Have moved My Docs off C: onto D:

Wondering whether to
1: Encrypt both drives (using veracrypt). Question is will this slow my PC noticably?

2. Encrypt only the D:. With 2 options
2a. Put only My Docs on the D: and regularly (especially when travelling) clear all Temp Folders on the C drive to ensure no copies of documents are stored there. I presume 2 things here - i) that deleting the Windows and Broswer Temp folders i woudl remove any traces of personal word/excel, etc files i have had open and ii) this would this cause no issue at all to the running of the PC? Seems a little labour intensive but a safe option.

2b. Put My Docs AND Windows Temp folders onto the D: and then encrypt. Would this cause an issue in booting Windows when the Temp folders are on the encrypted D:? I have no idea...i'm not that computer savvy.

Can someone please enlighten me as to the best approach, there is very likely other better ways i have not considered.

Thanks very much in advance
Syn

dalchina · 22 May 2020

Rather than encrypting whole drives, if you wish to protect only a certain amount of data consider creating a 'container'. When this is mounted and decrypted it appears as a new drive letter with files and folders as normal.

VeraCrypt - Free Open source disk encryption with strong security for the Paranoid

Don't play around trying to move arbitrary folders on C: e.g. temporary files. You'll break things.

You might wish to use a secure browser e.g. Avast provides one. This makes sure nothing is left when closed.
7 Secure Browsers to Protect Your Privacy and Stay Safe

Programs like Ccleaner (now no longer highly regarded given Piriform's tweaks) can be used to clear Windows of debris routinely.

Synonym · 22 May 2020

Hi Dalchina
That was my consideration with opton 2a. But i thought of 2 potential issues.
1. How to move My Docs folder into that new "container" folder without confusing my software as to where the "My Docs" folder now sits. I suppose I'd had to follow the process i used to move My Docs to the D: in the first place.
and
2. Is there not a risk of leaving copies of my documents in the Temp folders on the C: drive?
Thanks
Syn

dalchina · 22 May 2020

1. How to move My Docs folder into that new "container" folder without confusing my software as to where the "My Docs" folder now sits. I suppose I'd had to follow the process i used to move My Docs to the D: in the first place.

You could end up with a real nightmare if you placed that into an encrypted container.
A good many users have made significant and difficult or impossible to recover mistakes simply in using the Location tab wrongly.

As I've posted on a number of occasions, I leave the default library folders on C: but as much as possible personal data off C: . I create my own folders on (say) D: and use those. The default ones get full of folders created when installing a wide range of programs anyway, so to me they become 'their' folders!

2. Is there not a risk of leaving copies of my documents in the Temp folders on the C: drive?

Entirely depends how you are processing them.

You could set up a scheduled task to clear them, but if the action of the task were simple deletion, the data would still reside on the disk.

If truly concerned, the only option would be to encrypt C:

Synonym · 22 May 2020

Right so,
* Do not place My Docs into an encrypted folder.

Sorry (i'm really a novice). By "default library folders" do you mean "My Docs" or "Temp Folders" or both?

I currently have My Docs on my D: Do you not recommend this? This is why i wondered about encrypting the whole of the D: as a method of avoiding the nightmare you mentioned about moving it into an encrypted folder on the D: instead.

Thanks for the other links. I currently use FFox with good privacy settings.
Re CCleaner, i thought it doesn't work for a SSD as (and i quote here as i don't really understand) "the disk doesn't really know where the data is"

dalchina · 22 May 2020

default library folders
Documents, Videos, Photos, Downloads, Music

My Docs

- if that's a folder you have created, that's fine. If you really mean 'Documents' moved there using hte Location tab, that's another matter.

Re CCleaner, i thought it doesn't work for a SSD as (and i quote here as i don't really understand) "the disk doesn't really know where the data is"

??? really?

Synonym · 22 May 2020

Sorry for delay dalchina. the page doesn't seem to flag to me when you've updated a post.

To clarify, when i say "My Docs" i mean i have moved to the D: the actual default "My Docs" folder using the hhte Location tab.

I'm getting a little confused by the info you're giving me - entirely my fault due to my limited understanding of the subject. If i can ask a couple of questions to clarify a few things then that should help if you don't mind.

1. As moving My Docs (on the D:) into an encrypted folder can cause serious issues, this leaves me with the option of encrypting the whole D: Will this just function as it does now (on D: but unencrypted) or will it likely cause issues?

2. When you say, the risk of leaving temp files on the C: depends entirely on how i process them, what do you mean? I don't know what processing options i have. My thoughts were to clear the Temp folders manually - but as you rightly highlight - this won't remove the data will it until (it is overwritten)!

Re Ccleaner: Apparently (or so many posts and articles i easily find everytime i type in clean free space on an SSD) that any traditional disk cleaner doesn't work properly on an SSD due to the structure of the memory and the way things are saved - the conclusion all these seem to come to, is that you use Trim and let that do the work overtime. They may well be wrong...

margrave55 · 22 May 2020

Lots of talk about "how to", buy nothing said about "who from".

That is ... against whom are you protecting your data?

Synonym · 22 May 2020

Hi Margrave,
simply protecting personal data (finances, banking/account data, ID, photos, etc) from anyone who has physical access to my laptop without my permission.

dalchina · 22 May 2020

Re Ccleaner: Apparently (or so many posts and articles i easily find everytime i type in clean free space on an SSD) that any traditional disk cleaner doesn't work properly on an SSD due to the structure of the memory and the way things are saved - the conclusion all these seem to come to, is that you use Trim and let that do the work overtime. They may well be wrong...

You need something to specify and delete specific files and folders. Trim is not that.

1. As moving My Docs (on the D:) into an encrypted folder can cause serious issues, this leaves me with the option of encrypting the whole D: Will this just function as it does now (on D: but unencrypted) or will it likely cause issues?

There is nothing by default in Windows called 'My Docs'. There used to be 'My Documents' it's now just 'Documents'. The loose terminology is confusing.

No, you can create a container on D: if you wish- I posted that much much earlier- and put ONLY the files in it you want encrypted. Or, you can encrypt all D: The choise is yours- two options.