Several years ago, while listening to a Security Now podcast with Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte, I heard about an encryption software called Truecrypt.   I decided to check it out and have been using it ever since.

There are several ways to use Truecrypt, you can simply create an encrypted volume, which when mounted, will show up in “My Computer” or “Finder” as an extra drive. There you can store all of your confidential files with the peace of mind that they will be completely secure when the encrypted volume is dismounted. One thing that I like to do is encrypt 2GB on a USB flash drive and leave the rest open for regular use, that way if it is lost, you can at least know that nothing sensitive can be recovered. Note: If you decide to encrypt a partition on a USB flash drive, make sure you install an executable copy of Truecrypt in the non-encrypted partition so that you will be able to RUN Truecrypt and mount the encrypted partition.

You may also choose to “Fully Encrypt” a drive. I have done this on my Dell Mini to see how it worked and how long it takes. I have a 160GB drive and to took about 2 hours. Once fully encrypted, you will be prompted for a password, similar to a BIOS password screen when you boot the machine. Even if the drive is removed from the machine nobody, not even the FBI can recover the files. (Proof)

Truecrypt also offers a “Hidden Volume” feature that allows you to create a hidden volume within an encrypted volume that must be mounted with a separate password. This was created so that in the event you were forced to reveal your encrypted password due to extortion or some other reason, you could still have a place to store your most sensitive files and keep dummy files in the non-hidden volume.

There are tons of other features and settings, such as creating a “Hidden Operating System” and changing encryption mounting options, so check it out at www.truecrypt.org

Have a question or comment? Contact me at dennis@thecommongeek.com