password-protecting a JPEG file?

T_T_2

Another vote for zipping into a password protected archive. Seems like the most sensible way of doing this. Although the OP should bare in mind that none of the methods mentioned so far are fool proof (excepting of course axantum which I know nothing about). How good does this security need to be?

Spank

Pass wording it pointless, all the other person need to do is press prt scr, paste into paint, crop & save. Your better watermarking your image.

Mr_Toad

You could install TrueCrypt, it's free and can create a password protected virtual disk drive that encrypts files saved to it on the fly.

JimmyTheWig

Spank wrote: »

Pass wording it pointless, all the other person need to do is press prt scr, paste into paint, crop & save. Your better watermarking your image.

I think they want to password it so that someone else using their PC can't open it, not so that it can't be copied.

(I would imagine that it's a rather, um, personal photo...)

mr_fishbulb

T_T wrote: »

Another vote for zipping into a password protected archive. Seems like the most sensible way of doing this. Although the OP should bare in mind that none of the methods mentioned so far are fool proof (excepting of course axantum which I know nothing about). How good does this security need to be?

AxCrypt is 128 bit AES, as is Word 2007 and upwards.

Word 2003 and below used a dodgy implementation of 128 bit RC4 and could be cracked with little effort.

I wouldn't recommend AxCrypt in this case as it encrypts each file individually.

A password protected archive is a better option as you can group all the files together and archive them. WinRAR does 128 bit AES, WinZip and 7zip do 256 bit AES.

However the best option would be truecrypt. Although it's a little harder to get to grips with at first. It creates an encrypted folder which you "mount" into windows as a drive. That means you can browse the files with windows explorer, see thumbnails, open the pictures directly from other applications etc.

Truecrypt supports 256 bit encryption in a number of algorithms, which you can also double encrypt for extra security - http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=encryption-algorithms

With regards to AES, anything 128 bit or above is going to be fine for a home user. Only governments, military, and paranoid companies need anything higher.

manzo180

another vote for truecrypt or DIY by zip or rar'ing the file/s up and password that

Toxteth_OGrady

mr_fishbulb wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend AxCrypt in this case as it encrypts each file individually.

A password protected archive is a better option as you can group all the files together and archive them. WinRAR does 128 bit AES, WinZip and 7zip do 256 bit AES.

However the best option would be truecrypt. Although it's a little harder to get to grips with at first. It creates an encrypted folder which you "mount" into windows as a drive. That means you can browse the files with windows explorer, see thumbnails, open the pictures directly from other applications etc.

Truecrypt supports 256 bit encryption in a number of algorithms, which you can also double encrypt for extra security - http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=encryption-algorithms

With regards to AES, anything 128 bit or above is going to be fine for a home user. Only governments, military, and paranoid companies need anything higher.

Axcrypt will also encrypt a folder not just individual files but I agree Truecrypt will also do what OP wants.

Lolita520

paddyrg wrote: »

How does that work then?

Click "Advance"

mr_fishbulb

Toxteth_OGrady wrote: »

Axcrypt will also encrypt a folder not just individual files but I agree Truecrypt will also do what OP wants.

Cheers TOG - I didn't know that.

Does it let you add files to the folder once encrypted, or do you had to decrypt everything, add more files, then re encrypt everything?