The Disadvantages of Encrypted Files

Encryption requires a password to encrypt and decrypt the file. People who use common words such as “love” or their spouse’s name for a password at their ATM or for signing in to an email account may do so because they are afraid of forgetting the password. A disadvantage of encrypting files is if you forget the password that you used, you may never be able to recover the data. If you use a password that is easy to guess, your encrypted data is less secure.

If you use encryption to protect your information on your computer at work or at home, it could raise suspicions. Your boss may wonder why you are keeping certain files inaccessible. Could they be the latest version of your resume or company secrets that you are trying to remove from the building? At home, a significant other may want to know what terrible secrets you are keeping that require you to encrypt files on your computer.

Today’s encryption scheme may be difficult for people to crack, but advances in computer technology and software development could eventually make it child’s play to unlock your encrypted files in the future. A disadvantage of encrypted files is that relying on them to keep things secret could lull you into a false sense of security. A determined person may marshal overwhelming computer resources to decrypt your secret files.

Using encrypted files that are designed to be opened and shared by two or more people can be disadvantageous when one or more participants finds it a burden to use encryption. For example, if you and a distant colleague are collaborating on a project that you need to keep secret, you might encrypt files each time you send them over, but your colleague may think it is tedious to take the time to encrypt and decrypt files. You will either have to cite company policy about secrecy or appeal to his sense of cooperation.