External Hard drive encryption

[Cozwin]

What is the best free software to do this, worried that If I got robbed, the external hard drive is completely unpassworded etc, I want it to be that someone would need to format the bugger to get any use out of it.

Thanks.

[kalniel]

TrueCrypt?

Note that all the off-the-shelf solutions are likely to have relatively well-characterised flaws known to anyone who is serious about getting to the data. But it'd discourage casual flogging on ebay.

[Cozwin]

okay, but something is better then nothing, just tried truecrypt and didn't understand it, it says encrypt system drive.. .what about external#?

[kalniel]

okay, but something is better then nothing, just tried truecrypt and didn't understand it, it says encrypt system drive.. .what about external#?

RTFM

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/

Second option down on the wizard:

[Cozwin]

is there any other tools faster to use, that just encrypt files already in place without tampering with the volume itself, i.e. encrypt certain folders.

[kalniel]

is there any other tools faster to use, that just encrypt files already in place without tampering with the volume itself, i.e. encrypt certain folders.

Decent encryption is usually tampering with the volume. You can do certain folders using option 1 in the wizard - creates a vault file that you just place the folders you want encrypted in.

[Cozwin]

Decent encryption is usually tampering with the volume. You can do certain folders using option 1 in the wizard - creates a vault file that you just place the folders you want encrypted in.

Seems to be making me pick files rather then folders?

[kalniel]

Hmm...

You can copy files (or folders) to and from the TrueCrypt volume just as you would copy them to any normal disk (for example, by simple drag-and-drop operations).

What step are you at in the tutorial?

[peterb]

You can encrypt an entire portion on a drive (or an entire drive) but the easiest way to use it to protect your data is to create an encrypted 'file'.

Although it is a file in that it can be moved to portable storage, or even cloud storage (like dropboc) it is really a container, and is created as a sparse file with a compound binary file structure (google it if you want to find out more) which means that it contains a file structure within it, so you can save ordinary files to, and more importantly, mount it as another logical drive.

So in practice, create the decrypt file (secrets) and give it a sizebof (say) 1GB. Give it a password, and that's it.

To use it, you mount the drive from within the truecryot application, with (say) drive letter z, using your password. Now in my computer you will have a new drive are, and you can copy an read files transparently. when the drive is unmounted, the contents are unreadable.

That is a very brief overview of just one mode of operation, but is a good way to get started. The tutorial is excellent, make sure you read it!

[Cozwin]

tried the other encryption program, seems fine, but you can still open the folder etc, and only thing it does, is ask for the password once you open the file, seems okay, but I would prefer something that asked at the folder level only and then once in folder everything is open.

[peterb]

That is effectively what the process I described above does, except that instead of a folder you have a logical drive, and everything in that is encrypted, until you open it (mount it)

[ed^chigliak]

A true crypt container file is like having a password protected zip file but when you double click it and enter your password it will add another drive letter to your PC. It's convenient to 'mount' a container as a new drive where you can store whatever you like. When you exit truecrypt, dismount or shut your PC down then everything you have saved on the 'mounted' drive is securely encrypted in the container file.

[The Gunslinger]

There used to be one called "stealth disc" which if i remember correctly is similar.

Problem i see is that most of these encryption systems either need you to install the software on the host pc's, or run an exe on the external drive to decrypt the data/container, however some security systems/protection on host pc's will not allow this !


You could look for more information here...

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best...on-utility.htm