Question: I’m scanning hundreds of personal documents. What is the best way to safeguard these files from hackers? I’ve read that one can password-protect zip files.
Answer: It is possible to put protected documents in a compressed archive such as zip file that require a password to open. Microsoft for instance, has instructions for Windows XP users at support.microsoft.com/kb/306531. But for all the guides you can find for adding passwords to zip files, you can also find many more to crack them open. eHow has an example here.
Mac OS X has a program called FileVault for encrypting your Home folder. Some high-end versions of Windows have a file encryption feature or a drive-encryption tool call BitLocker.
For personal files that are scanned primarily to make digital archive copies, you may want to consider storing them on an external hard drive that can be encrypted itself with program such as PGP or the free TrueCrypt. Make sure your computer has an active firewall and other security software and unplug the drive when you are not using those files.
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