TrueCrypt - Free Download
Something that I haven't given a huge amount of thought to in the past is the subject of encryption. This was until the subject was bought up today by a customer of mine who was considering the purchase of a USB Flash Drive but explained it was to replace one that he had mislaid which unfortunately contained a number of confidential files.
USB Flash Drives aren't really like floppy discs of days gone by; with a floppy disc you were limited to the amount of data you could possibly lose if you misplaced it. A modern day 32GB drive would equate to the equivalent of almost 23,000 floppy discs worth of information precariously stored on a keyring sized device; this represents a huge amount of data which could easily end up in the wrong hands.
The necessity for encryption doesn't just stop with pen drives; users that house predominantly sensitive information on their PC/laptop may be interested in encrypting a specific file or device, so that if the computer is stolen the information enclosed will be made fundamentally worthless.
With these ever present concerns in mind I have been trying various encryption software. The aim being to find an easily recommendable download for my readers, so they can guard their sensitive data. I finally settled on TrueCrypt, an open source program that can be obtained by a free minuscule 2.5MB download from www.truecrypt.org.
Whilst TrueCrypt is incredibly easy to install, I found that things quickly start to get a little trickier once you actually start using the application and as such I would recommend skimming over the rather thick user guide before getting started. The application has been designed by people passionate about security and this is evident in the fact that you are actually given options as to the way you would like things encrypted and the strength of the cipher.
Other programs I experimented with didn't get you quite as involved but didn't give you such a high level of control. A favourite of mine is the 'Plausible Deniability' feature which lets you designate a dummy password which unlocks the drive/file but give a false reading that there was in fact nothing kept on it. The idea being that if you were to be held at gunpoint or perhaps more hazardously, forced by the wife, to reveal your secrets then you could easily get yourself off the hook.
You have several choices as to how you encrypt your data. You can of course completely encrypt the drive so that you have to supply a password to access any of your files but additionally you are able to create a smaller encrypted virtual partition. Setting up an encrypted partition means you can use the drive normally for files that you don't need protecting but then store any confidential information in the smaller, encrypted partition.
When using USB Flash Drives you have the choice of installing a little decrypting application so that you can then access files on any other PC/laptop; you simply plug the flash drive in to the computer, type your password and the files are then accessible and all set to be worked on.
As a word of warning, there is no workaround should you happen to lose your password; once your files are encrypted they are going to stay that way until the correct password is used to unlock them. You could attempt to circumvent the password by setting an application in motion to brute force crack the encryption but this could take hundreds, thousands or even millions of years depending on the level of protection employed. Don't say you haven't been warned!
About the Author
Chris Holgate writes a weekly article of all things tech related. He is a copyrighter of the online Ink and Toner website Refresh Cartridges http://www.refreshcartridges.co.uk . These articles can be found in an archive at http://www.computerarticles.co.uk
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