Double Encryption.

1. Bad guys can encrypt my personal files with their own password.
So I can't read them anymore, until I pay some amount to get their password in order to decrypt my personal files and make them readable again.

2. But my personal files, in fact my whole personal partition, will be encrypted already by me with my own password.

3. Logical question :
Can the bad guys encrypt an already encrypted file with their own password to blackmail me ?
Is that technically possible to encrypt the same file twice ?
I only want to know if a well-done encryption protects me against this form of extortion.

Thanks in advance.

 

Sure anything can be encrypted ... including already encrypted files.

 

Thanks, that's a clear answer and another problem for me.

 

This type of activity is very unlikely, the logistics of it are near impossible to pull off (ransom scenerio). Sure someone could prevent you from accessing your data, but why would anyone target you? In the case of malware, it'd be more likely the file would be modified or deleted, the target completely random. You have a better chance of being hit by lightning than falling victim to what you imagine. Backups are your solution, the addition of encryption will protect the data from prying eyes. IMO you're being way too paranoid.

Regards;

Steve

 

I'm not paranoid. In fact, I'm a minimalist and don't want 30+ security softwares on my computer. I can't explain EVERYTHING in just one post. I'm already repeating myself over and over again.

And you are right about the fact that this won't happen and image backup, snapshots, encryption are already an essential part of my security setup.
I only want to know, what is possible or not and what to do or not to do about it is another issue.
Thanks for the explanation.

 

I think you ment theorist

Actually there isn't even one yet; Is there?

Yes we know ... going from theory to practice would minimize that.

My Pleasure

 

How would someone encrypt another's files?

Would they have to have access to the computer first? What if it wasn't random and someone was targeting you. Would it be possible then?

 

Technically, ErikAlberts "problem" of double encryption applies to all of us as well. A hacker could very well if he could gain entrance to our pc re-enrypt our files and hold our files "ransome". But, it is a very very very(did I say very?) unlikely chance this will happen. Backup is the cure, and is what should be done.

Alphalutra1

 

Said hacker would probably have an easier job just downloading them and overwriting the originals; he wouldn't even have to worry about thinking up a inventive 'password' that way.

 

True (I didn't think of that ), but I was just trying to point out how ErickAlbert's fear is complete paranoia and affects everybody, not just him when he tries to be a minimalist

Alphalutra1

 

~Snip~ why are you all calling me afraid and paranoid.
I was only asking if double encryption was possible or not.
The rest is your imagination.

 

Well, there is malware out there that does this. It's not necessarily just directed attacks, but spreads the way any other trojan spreads. As such, the best way to address it is just to focus on keeping trojans off your system and do regular backups. Regardless of the specific issue, the chances are 100% that there will come a time that you will be unable to access the files on your hard drive (corruption, hardware failure, etc).

There are so many posibilities that you will never be able to plan for all of them, and likely the software won't be exactly what you think. Just start with the basics and use some trials to find what suits you if you still want something else.

 

Let us hope, that this won't happen on my external backup harddisk.

 

It absolutely will at some point (no drive lasts forever), I wouldn't (and don't) rely on something like that alone. Put the most important files on CD/DVD once in a while, and make sure to verify the burn. You can also get some S.M.A.R.T. monitoring software to help predict failure (HDD Health is freeware, but there are others as well). Just a tip with external drives: keep it up on it's side. Unless it has a built-in fan, putting it flat down will trap in heat and kill the drive faster than anything. I've seen some die in a matter of months. Also treat the warranty expiration as the time that you expect the drive to die.

A couple other options are to use an online backup service and/or use some kind of mirroring (either locally or remotely). Companies generally have a lot of redundancy to deal with such things, and mirroring software just means you're not dependant on one medium. FolderShare is great (and free) software for mirroring (and more).

 

CD/DVD's are a possibility indeed, but no guarantee either.
My most important files are printed on paper, because paper has no technical failures. It will take some time to put them back on my computer, but I didn't lose any data and that's important.
All my serial numbers and passwords are also printed on paper.
And of course paper can burn and the sun can explode, but I have to stop somewhere, otherwise I would become paranoid.

 

That's a good habit Erik. I think I just might pick that one up.

I just have to stop being absentminded and lose the papers. :T

 

I've already got a DVD burner so consider that the most convenient, and blanks are cheap. They may go bad after 10 years or so (still at least twice the lifespan of a good hard drive), but by then the data is long obsolete with the exception of photos, but I prefer to have all the new and old in one place anyway.