Tag: 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.

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Cybercriminals are getting craftier by the week, managing to sneak dangerous malware into different places. Last week a QR code app was caught hiding the banking trojan TeaBot.

In a worrying trend, cybercriminals are becoming more effective in sneaking malware into official apps stores. Even though Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store have strict guidelines, now and then, a malicious app slips through the cracks.

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