I also agree with Dave on this. The apps available these days, given a strong enough system, of course, are designed to recognize various forms of encryption by their inherent signatures. It's safer against script kiddies to multi-encode your files, but a dedicated cracker with enough incentive and knowledge will eventually break through just about anything you can conjure up, provided he has the right tools at his/her disposal. One approach that would help would be to keep all client records on external drives and only turn them on when required. Then, remember to unmount them as soon as you're done. While the data is not 'live', it cannot possibly be tappped into or copied from across the internet. This, of course, doesn't do anything to prevent someone from physically removing the drive and working on it directly, so continue encrypting the data however many ways you choose. I would also keep backups of everything stored on a second set of drives and locked away from all but the most professional of safe-crackers. Peace, Gman http://www.thevenusproject.com/index.php "The entire future of humankind is yet to be written" ----- Original Message ----- From: "LARRY SOUTHERLAND" <larrysoutherland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <the_bullhorn2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <thebullhornsbest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "PC TechTalk" <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <Puters_N_Such@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 11:02 PM Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Theoretical techical question >I encrypt my client files in order to protect them in case my computer >breaks or is stolen and the drive(s) end(s) up in someone else's hands, >even if temporarily. I have a technical question: > Assume that I encrypt a file (Call it "CLIDATA.WPD") using an encryption > program that uses, for example, DES encryption. The file that is produced > is called "CLIDATA.001" > > Assume that I then encrypt that file ("CLIDATA.001") using another program > (using, for example, Blowfish encryption), producing a file called, for > example, CLIDATA.002. > > Is CLIDATA.002 significantly harder for an interloper to decrypt that > CLIDATA.001 would be on its own? > > One reason that this becomes an issue is that part of my law practice > deals with tax planning, IRS returns, etc. The IRS has an "unfortunate > habit" of breaking into tax attorneys' offices in order to try to obtain > information to be used against their clients. (Just because one is > paranoid doesn't mean that the IRS isn't out to get get you. ;-) ) > > TIA, > > Larry > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > Please remember to trim your replies (including this sentence and > everything below it) and adjust the subject line as necessary. > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or modify your email settings: > //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk > OR > To subscribe to the mailing list, send an email to > pctechtalk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject. To > unsubscribe send email to pctechtalk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with > "unsubscribe" in the Subject. > > To access our Archives: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ > //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ > > To contact only the PCTT Mod Squad, write to: > pctechtalk-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > To join our separate PCTableTalk off-topic group, send a blank email to: > pctabletalk+subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > --------------------------------------------------------------- > --------------------------------------------------------------- Please remember to trim your replies (including this sentence and everything below it) and adjust the subject line as necessary. To subscribe, unsubscribe or modify your email settings: //www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk OR To subscribe to the mailing list, send an email to pctechtalk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject. To unsubscribe send email to pctechtalk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject. To access our Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/ //www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/ To contact only the PCTT Mod Squad, write to: pctechtalk-moderators@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To join our separate PCTableTalk off-topic group, send a blank email to: pctabletalk+subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------------------------------------------------------------