29 July 2020Jennifer Thatcher Technology Manager of Test Dept.
Summary Zip is a very common compressed file format. We usually pack many files into a compressed package and send it out. That will be very convenient. But the important files should be under protection. In this essay, we will talk about how to encrypt zip files.
Zip is the widely used compressed file format used by many Windows users. At the same time, zip file is a good way to share documents and images by email because the original files can be compressed to the smaller size. That will be beneficial to sending and receiving. A single attachment is also easier for management, compared with a list of files.
So how do we encrypt a zip file to make it secure?
Part 2: How to Encrypt Zip File with 7-Zip/WinZip
1. Add Password to Zip File with 7-Zip
7-Zip is the archiver that can quickly compress files and encrypt zip files with the AES256 encryption technology. Here are the step:
① Open 7-Zip and select the target files. Then, add a password and click on [OK].
② Next time, you should enter the password to unzip the file.
When viewing the thumbnails in File Explorer, you cannot distinguish whether the zip is encrypted until you open this zip.
2. Encrypt Zip File with WinZip
WinZip is a powerful, easy-to-use manager for compressed files. It is easy, quick to operate. Password is also able to be added for the zip files.
① Open WinZip and select the target files. Select the [Encrypt] option from the menu.
② Set a password and wait for compression.
3. Decrypt Zip File
Actually, the encryption and compression algorithms of zip files are not unbreakable. Any people can easily use the zip crackers and services to break the encrypted zip files. Advanced ZIP Password Recovery (AZPR for short) is the common password cracker developed by Elcomsoft. AZPR provides the clear interface where users can crack the password of a zip file easily.
All in all, encrypting a zip file with archiver is not safe enough since the password cracker works easily. How do we encrypt the zip files well? Let’s read the following part.
Part 3: Encrypt Zip File with Renee File Protector
Renee File Protector is professional file encryption software that uses the AES256 encryption technology. It can powerfully encrypt different kinds of files, providing strong protection for files in Windows.
Renee File Protector - Overall Protection to Your Data
Easy to use Few clicks for whole folder encryption process.
Overall protection Users can hide, lock or get other protection to files in local disk or USB disk.
High Security Classified encryption method prevents data from leakage.
Compression transfer Support to compress and encrypt any files to secure the file transfer security.
Advanced self protection Provide self
Easy to use Few clicks for whole folder encryption process.
Overall protection Users can hide, lock or get other protection to files in local disk or USB disk.
High Security Classified encryption method prevents data from leakage.
① Open Renee File Protector . Click on [Encrypt File] under [Common]. Then, click on [Add File] or [Add Folder] to select the target files/folders. Next, select [Encrypt to gfl] or [Encrypt to exe].
• .gfl: The .gfl file should be opened with Renee File Protector. But there is no size limit when we encrypt files.
• .exe: The .exe file can be directly decrypted without Renee File Protector. But the file should be 4GB or less.
② Choose the path to save the encrypted file and click on [Save].
③ Set a password to encrypt.
④ Next time, click the encrypted file and enter the password to open.
2. Lock Zip File
① Open Renee File Protector and click on [Lock File]. Then, select the target files to lock.
② Next time, enter the password to open the file.
③ Also, click on [Unlock] to remove the password.
Note: In the settings page, you can set the file will be locked if the wrong passwords are entered for five times and you will be notified by email. That can greatly avoid the other people to crack your encrypted zip files.
Part 4: Encrypt Zip File with Renee SecureSilo
Renee SecureSilo is the software that encrypts and hides files. With the virtual disk and the advanced AES256 encryption technology, it can well protect the individual files. Therefore, we can lock and encrypt the zip files in the virtual disk created by this software.
Renee SecureSilo – Encrypt Confidential Data
Encrypt files in seconds Encrypt files with virtual encrypted disk and whole process can be finished in 1 second.
User friendly Concise interface helps users master the software in short time.
