Better Computer Encryption Technologies Sought By PC Manufacturers

High-tech encryption technology companies are becoming increasingly important in the multi-billion dollar worldwide computer security industry. These software and hardware companies are constantly seeking ways to stay ahead of hackers and software that can circumvent privacy protection programmes.

Increasingly, PC manufacturers, especially laptop makers, are looking for innovative ways to give customers built-in encryption protection beyond simply including anti-spyware and anti-virus software.

Computer Hardware and Software Makers Focus on Encryption

Computer maker Dell recently announced a partnership with Seagate to ship laptop computers to consumers with a 160 GB self-encrypting hard drive. McAfee has also announced a partnership with Seagate Secure to provide enterprise-level software to manage and secure corporate-owned notebook computers.

Some of the encryption algorithms supporting these products are known by unusual names and acronyms like: RSA, AES-256, Blowfish (448-bit key), CAST5, Serpent, Triple DES, and Twofish. All of these processes own unique strengths and weaknesses, and all are theoretically breakable in our lifetimes. A holy grail in the computer data security world is a fast and easy-to-use unbreakable encryption programme that requires little system resources from the computer’s CPU.

Unbreakable Encryption?

One company that claims to have created such a programme is Praetorian Key. Their programme, they claim, is better than an ‘old style’ alphanumeric encryption programme, and that it prevents any chance of access to encrypted data via keyboard, mouse, or remote attacker using a network or the Internet or a network.

The only way to decrypt locked files is to use a separate ‘key’ on a CD, DVD, or USB drive. According to the company, it would take nine trillion years to break the code without a key.

CEO Howard Budwin issued an open challenge to hackers to see if anyone could decrypt the files encrypted by Praetorian Key, but no one has succeeded yet, not even the author of the programme.