Email Encryption - An Easy and Cheap Method
10/26/2018 - Optimized for Firefox 63.0 (Quantum)
Feel free to link to any of my pages
You can use WinZip 9 (or above?) to encrypt anything and have any user of a (modern
version of) Windows will be able to decrypt it withOUT having a copy of WinZip 9.
ZIP files (named *.zip) are compressed files.
HOW TO ENCRYPT AND COMPRESS YOUR DATA
There are faster methods to accomplish this, but here is
one method of encrypting data to send to someone:
1] Open WinZip 9
2] NEW
Select a LOCATION and a NAME for your zip file
(let's assume that you name it: "my-data.zip".
3] ACTIONS
ADD (Add all files that you wish to encrypt)
4] ACTIONS
ENCRYPT
Enter password: pick-a-good-password
Re-enter Password: pick-a-good-password
CHECK Mask password (probably the default)
CHECK Zip 2.0 compatible encryption (portable) (the DEFAULT)
CLICK OK
5] ACTIONS
CLOSE ARCHIVE
You can now attach the "your-file-name.zip" file to an email and
send it to any user of a Windows XP / Windows 2003 OR LATER
(this may work for MAC users, but I don't know if it will).
NOTE - Some email systems remove .zip files from emails - this is
now rare, but possible.
If this happens, try renaming your your-file-name.zip
to just your-file-name (NO suffix), and attach this file.
DECRYPTING AND UNCOMPRESSING THE ZIP FILE ATTACHMENT
What to tell the person who receives your encrypted zip file
I am attaching an ENCRYPTED ZIP file, ".zip"
I CALL YOU AND GIVE YOU THE PASSWORD NEEDED to Decrypt the file
(or put it in a second email) - DO NOT send the password
in the same email to which you are attaching the encrypted file.
Please:
A] Save it in a known location ( I assume that you have a Windows OS on your computer?)
B] Double-click the "my-data.zip" file - it will ask
1] Where to put the contents
2] For the Required PASSWORD
IF YOU SENT AN ENCRYPTED GIF OF A SCANNED DOCUMENT:
C] You will end up with a .GIF file
D] Read/Open the GIF file with your web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox,...)
E] Print the GIF file - it is the Booking form
SENDING ENCRYPTED "FAXES" OVER VoIP
Most FAX machines will not work over VoIP (Vonage, Time-Warner
Digital phone, Skype, etc.).
You can, however, scan your document and save it as a .GIF file. Then
Zip and (optionally) Encrypt the GIF file and send it via email.