I’ll teach you how to easily encrypt files and send them securely to a recipient over various means in this article. This method works specifically on Windows computers (if you’re a Mac user, I wish you good luck). This is vital because during tax season, people send sensitive documents like T4s (used in Canada) over services like Gmail. Google and Microsoft now use AI like Gemini and Copilot to scan your attachments, index the content, and sell your data. Don’t assume that putting a simple password on a zip file is enough; AI can often bypass that easily because it isn’t encrypted.
How To Do It
To get started, you need a software called 7-Zip. Even if you doubt me, do your research and you will find it is safe and highly popular. I recommend using a privacy-based search engine like Startpage to find 7-zip.org, then download and install it. Once installed, the fastest way to use it is to highlight your files, right-click, select show more options, and choose the 7-Zip add to archive option.
In the 7-Zip settings window, ensure the archive format is set to 7z. You should check the box for create SFX archive, which makes it a self-extracting file for the recipient. Most importantly, enter a strong password and confirm it. Make sure the encryption method is set to AES-256. This ensures your files are actually encrypted and unreadable to AI scanners or anyone else trying to peek at your private data.
You have the option to encrypt file names as well, but it is not strictly necessary. Once you hit okay, the process begins. Documents like tax forms will compress almost instantly, though larger media files like audio or video will take a bit more time.
How To Open It
To prove how versatile this is, you can send these files to a recipient who doesn’t even have 7-Zip installed, or even someone running a different operating system like Linux.
On a Windows machine, the recipient simply double-clicks the file, enters the password, and extracts the contents. On Linux (I use Linux Mint), the process is nearly identical; you just right-click and select the archive manager. If an incorrect password is entered, the system will reject the access, proving the encryption is working exactly as intended. Once the correct password is provided, the files can be extracted to any folder, and they are ready for use.
Conclusion
This is the exact method I use to send sensitive documents to my accountant. The most critical rule to remember is security hygiene: never send the password through the same service you used to send the file. If you email the encrypted document via Gmail, send the password via a separate text message or a different encrypted app. This ensures that even if an email account is compromised, your data remains safe.
That is how you encrypt files to keep them away from prying eyes and AI scanners. It is a simple, effective way to reclaim your privacy.
