Ask a tech expert: What is the best way to keep private photos hidden?
I’m a fashion photographer and I’ve taken tasteful intimate photos of my gorgeous wife that we don’t want anyone else to see. I know I can’t just save them on my Windows computer or iCloud. What should I do?
— Listener in Miami, FL
You’re on the right track! I don’t recommend relying on Google Drive or iCloud alone. For one, they’re obvious targets for hackers. If someone gets their hands on your Google login or Apple ID, they get access to all your photos, including those meant for your eyes only.
The most secure option is a trustworthy cloud storage company that lets you set up a private encryption key. That means only you can unlock the photos, videos and documents you store there. My pick is IDrive.
Another option is to compress and encrypt sensitive images. On a PC, try a free service like 7-Zip. You’ll add files to a folder and then compress them into a ZIP file. You don’t need to create an account or download anything to use this open-source software.
Here’s how it works: Open 7-Zip, select the file or folder you want to compress and click Add.
After you save the folder to your computer, you can encrypt it. To do this on a Windows PC:
- Right-click on the file or folder.
- Click Properties > Advanced.
- Select the box that says Encrypt contents to secure data.
- Select OK > Apply > OK.
You can use Disk Utility to password-protect a folder to get the job done on a Mac. This works like a ZIP file, using Mac’s encryption method. Here’s how it works:
- Click the magnifying glass in the upper right corner and type Disk Utility. Hit enter.
- In the top menu, click File > New Image. Find the folder you want to encrypt and click Choose.
- Give the folder a name and choose where you want to save it.
- Under Encryption, choose 256-bit for the strongest encryption. Click Save, then set a password.
Give the folder time to process. This could take a bit, depending on how large the files are.
There are ways to password-protect photos on your phone, too.
The safe way to save your tax files from years past (do this now!)
We’re down to the eleventh hour: Tax Day is coming up on April 18. If you’re one of the millions of Americans filing electronically, watch out! A popular e-file tax site was caught spreading malware for weeks. Here’s what you need to know.
Listener question: ‘Where’s the safest place to store my wife’s naked pictures?’
Fibbing on the internet is as easy as stealing candy from a baby. So, when a Kim Komando Show listener wrote to me and said he was a world-renowned fashion photographer, I raised an eyebrow. Then he asked me for advice on storing nudes safely, and both eyebrows shot up.
3 free ways to encrypt private files, from medical papers to tax records
You should always encrypt private desktop files. Otherwise, hackers could steal your personal information and do as they please, such as putting it up for sale on the Dark Web. Here’s what to do if that happens.
The encryption is not crystal clear since different computer programs don’t always play well together.
Privacy hack: How to password-protect files on Windows 10
How important is digital security to you? Most people take, at minimum, the basic steps to ensure their privacy on the devices they use.
Not everyone takes the extra steps they should to protect messaging privacy, though — and that’s a pretty significant mistake to make. It’s important to take time to encrypt your communication, like emails and texts. Without encryption, any computer-savvy criminal can intercept messages to steal your personal information. Making them unreadable takes care of that issue.