SECURITY - Courier CD

Where I work (IT Tech) our software engineers have to transport classified code to/from customers, and using USB drives is not authorized. A solution was agreed to by a customer, one that is simple and does not require expensive software.

When I became aware of the method used I thought that this could be used by anyone who wishes to transport any data files on a CD.

Courier CD System:

The first requirement is to have a good ZIP utility (like WinZIP) that is capable of password protection of ZIPed files.

To create a Courier CD

1. ZIP your files into a first file, and give it a filename that does not reveal what it contains

Example: container.zip


2. ZIP container.zip into a second file, with password protection

Example: wrapper.zip


3. Now write wrapper.zip to a CD

Why the double ZIP?

When you ZIP a set of files with a password, anyone with a ZIP utility can see the directory of the contents. They just cannot extract the files without the password. The double ZIP will allow only (in this example) wrapper.zip to be seen.

Now you can transport the Courier CD without the worry that the files can be compromised if you loose the CD.