Encrypted e-mail attachments

Washand

New Member
In a cyber world constantly becoming less secure, one might expect that security features for e-mailing files might also become more available, easier to use and more secure. My experience is the opposite. With Windows XP, it was possible to password protect a zipped folder of files which could then be mailed, and this was at least better than sending the original files. For some reason, Microsoft has removed that feature from Windows 7.

I have just spent a frustrating few hours trying to find a (free) substitute encryption program and tried 7-Zip. It worked, but the person receiving the e-mailed file also has to have 7-Zip installed as the file is not self-extracting. The person receiving the file does not want to install 7-Zip. I have tried the encryption program "SafeHouse" which supposedly produces self-extracting encrypted files but I could not make it do the simple job of encrypting 4 files. No doubt it will do it if I spend another few hours on the learning curve but all I want is a simple encryption method.

Does anyone have any suggestions for software that just involves selecting a few files, clicking on encrypt, putting in a password and making a self-extracting file?

Many thanks.
 

Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
Use 7z and use the option SFX archive. Be sure to chose encryption and encrypt file names. Problem solved.

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Last edited:

Geoff

VIP Member
I have just spent a frustrating few hours trying to find a (free) substitute encryption program and tried 7-Zip. It worked, but the person receiving the e-mailed file also has to have 7-Zip installed as the file is not self-extracting. The person receiving the file does not want to install 7-Zip. I have tried the encryption program "SafeHouse" which supposedly produces self-extracting encrypted files but I could not make it do the simple job of encrypting 4 files. No doubt it will do it if I spend another few hours on the learning curve but all I want is a simple encryption method.
I don't have a computer with 7-Zip in front of me, but if you look at the screenshot above, you should be able to change the format to a .zip and still add in a password, which could then be opened using the built-in zip extractor.
 

Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
That method works too, but you can only use Zipcrypto and not AES 256. There are zip crackers and you could break the zip file if the password is weak.
 
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