Tiggs

My lap top has a single folder that i keep all my client data in - I also back up to my other lappy so that has the same single folder that has confidential data in - the rest of both lap tops is just my own pics/music and not private.

when i do remote backups to USB drives i use back up software that encryts but no such thing for my actual laptop - whats some good value (but industry standard) software i can use to keep the relevant folder encrypted unless i "open" it up?

MJW

Truecrypt is what you need, and its free

Tiggs

really? I dont mind paying a bit for something better......i'm always dubious of free stuff (esp when it comes to stuff for work.....if my client files are stolen and it turns out i used a free download to safeguard them, will i not look an idiot? I know if First Direct lost my bank details and they encrypted for free i'd be pissed! Is truecrypt really ok to use????)

hodgy0_2

you can do it in XP and Vista, using standard tools

How to encrypt a file in Windows XP

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

Yes truecrypt is highly recommended - frankly the encrypting hard drives you get nowadays are bloody awful unless you are willing to pay. The algorithms used are very basic - truecrypt uses a minimum of 256 bit encryption.

The only issue really is that it is based around a single user, so no central maintenance of passwords and the like. Lose the password and you will not get your data back

For work we use PointSec, which allows for central recovery of disks if someone loses the username / password combo

Tiggs

truecrypt it is! and i'll write down the password

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

on a post it, stuck to the screen.


We actually had one daft woman use a fridge magnet on the side of her desktop p.c. to hold her password on.

Where shall we start with the list of things that went wrong.....?

Removed.

Agreed, Truecrypt is very good, although EFS built in to XP/Vista also does the job. Make sure whichever system you pick you read the info on protecting you data from loss, key backups etc. It's scarily easy to loose access to data using encryption. Have a play with some dummy data first.

Tiggs

Got truecrypt running.... I use a third party backup software...will it be able to see and back up files as normal (that are in the truecrypt folder). As long as the encryption password has been entered and the files are accessable, or are files encrypted till opened and therefore not backupable?

Removed.

Once you've entered the password, that's it, the encryption/decryption happens on the fly, if you can see the files in windows explorer then you should be able to back them up.

Tiggs

all sounds great - last question, my first thought was to create am encrypted folder and keep the relevant stuff in there (leaving my pics, videos, music, etc unaffected - however, is there a down side to just having it encrypt the entire C drive rather than a single folder?

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

You lose EVERYTHING if you forget the password, and there is always a performance hit

James Neill

iTrader: (1)

Encrypting the whole of drive c: is best in my view (ie, System Drive encryption). That way if your laptop gets stolen you know the whole PC is useless. Encrypting anything less is asking for trouble (and doubt in your mind) if some files are left unencrypted.

However, you can easily create a small encryption area. Just select "create new volume". Basically, you'll get a new drive appear, but in fact it's a file stored somewhere on drive c:

Tiggs

Is there a big performance drop in doing the c drive? I suppose I could do the whole thing then just revert to a single file if it's too slow?

Also I suppose a full c drive encrypt will mean I don't have to tell my various back up software that any files have moved as it leaves every thing where it is?

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

It's not huge tbh - my work lappy is a 3.2GHz single core with an old 5400rpm drive in and I don't notice a huge performance hit, you MIGHT want to consider setting up a separate non encrypted volume for the page file and temp folders (then set options in Windows to delete them on shutdown) so they aren't being encrypted/decrypted on the fly

Tiggs

if i wanted the seperate non encrypted volume for temp files would i still select a full drive encrytion in truecrypt then add the no encrypted file? or, once i do the c drive is that it...100% encryption of everything?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

If the laptop hard ware supports bitlocker then thats the way forwards imo (included in vista)

Latop needs a BIOS that supports it though. Although I belive there is a way round that by using a USB key.

Need Vista Ultimate though

Tiggs

i'm on a cheap vista!

Removed.

All our laptops at work have full system drive encryption, and although I know there's a performance hit, it's imperceptible without a stopwatch. Tiggs, read the blurb on the Truecrpyt site, the destructions are very clear, well, to me anyway, just make sure you have backups of EVERYTHING before you start, just in case. What you really need is a mission impossible style self destruct gadget that turns your laptop to a smoking ruin if someone fiddles with it

James Neill

iTrader: (1)

In the real world you'd be lucky for a hard drive to pull off more than 70MB per second (max). If you run the Benchmark option (under Truecrypt) you'll see that Truecrypt (especially when using AES encryption) can decrypt much faster than this. My Q6600 can do over 400MB per second. Therefore the only delay is the latency - which is tiny and as the chap above says ... imperceptible.