Bong Rippington
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"Reroute the hard disk encryptions!" - How to install & configure TrueCrypt
Does your computer run Windows, Mac OS X or Linux? Would you like to have free, military grade hard disk encryption to protect all your shady files & grow pics? (Hint: You do!). Install TrueCrypt and make a true crypt volume! Here's How to get it up and running (relatively) quickly on Windows:
Step 1 - Creating the encrypted storage file ("private.txt")
1) Download & install TrueCrypt from: http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads
2) Once TrueCrypt is installed you should see a blue TrueCrypt icon on your Desktop. Go ahead and double click it!
3) Once the TrueCrypt UI has launched - Click "Create Volume"
4) Select "Create an encrypted file container" and click the "Next" button.
5) Select "Standard TrueCrypt" Volume and click "Next".
6) In the "Volume Location" screen TrueCrypt wants to know where to place the file that will hold all your encrypted data. Click "Select File" and TrueCrypt should present you with a file browser/selection window.
7) Browse your way to the Desktop folder, In the Filename box put the name of your encrypted data file - "private.txt" is what I picked for example. Finally Click "Save".
8) You should now be back at the "Volume Location" Screen with the full path to your encrypted data file filled out in the text box. Make sure the "Never save history" box is checked and click "Next".
9) Encryption Options! There are a lot of great/nerdy options here but for almost everyone the default selection "AES" will suffice. - Click "Next"
10) We're almost done! I swear! You've now reached the "Volume Size" screen. Enter in the size of the encrypted storage space you're creating. I have alot of files and random crap so I opted to make my encrypted volume a size of 2 GB (Gigabytes). Feel free to create almost any size you need/want. If you're not sure what your storage needs are right now just make something small like 128 MB (Megabytes). Once you've got your size inputed click "Next".
11) Volume Password! This is where you pick the password or passphrase that will be used to open/mount your encrypted volume. Whatever you choose here make sure its something you wont forget! Enter your password/passphrase in each box and click "Next".
12) Next in the "Volume Format" screen it will typically have the default file-system type of FAT selected. If you picked a encrypted storage size of 4 GB or less than the default selection of FAT will work for you and you can click "Format" .
NOTE: If you're trying to create a volume that is greater than 4GB in size you'll probably want to switch your filesystem type to NTFS.
13) Once you've selected your filesystem type and clicked "Format", TrueCrypt will finally get to work creating your encrypted storage file for you. This step usually takes anywhere from several seconds to several minutes depending on how big of encrypted storage file you're making. Once its finished you'll see a nice little popup claiming "The TrueCrypt volume has been successfully created.". Click OK to dismiss this message box.
14) You should now have been dumped at the "Volume Created" window. We're done creating encrypted volumes for now so click "Exit".
- Smoke Break -
Step 2 - "Mounting" the Image - How to actually use the encrypted storage space as a regular windows hard drive.
1) To make any use of this encrypted storage we'll need to attach it to a standard windows drive letter (ex: "Z:\"). This is known as "mounting the encrypted volume" in nerdspeak. To mount the volume we'll need to start up the TrueCrypt application again. Launch TrueCrypt by double clicking the blue TrueCrypt icon on your desktop.
2) Once TrueCrypt has launched, Select a drive letter from the list of drive letters in the main TrueCrypt UI window. I like to mount my encrypted drive on "Z:" so I selected the Z: drive.
3) After choosing a drive letter, Enter in the full path to the encrypted storage file we just created. (Ex: "C:\users\bong\desktop\private.txt").
4) Finally after i've inputed the path to my encrypted drive and selected the target drive letter to mount to, I click "Mount"
5) The last step is to simply enter my password or passphrase into the "Enter Password" popup window, and click OK.
6) Assuming you enter the password correctly, you should now be able to see the "Z:" drive from anywhere in your operating system. The "Z:" drive will look and act just like any other hard-drive installed on your system. Anything you move to the Z: drive will be stored in encrypted storage.
7) Once you've moved the files or pictures you'd like to keep private in or out of your encrypted z: drive, you'll want to "unmount" the image. This is the digital equivalent of closing and locking the vault that protects your files. As long as the drive is unmounted, no one will be able to get at the protected file inside without first mounting the image using the passphrase you created.
MiniFAQ:
Q. What happens if I forget to unmount the encrypted storage and I shutdown or reboot?
A. TrueCrypt will automatically close the encrypted volumes for you and shouldn't lose any of the data stored inside. That said I recommend all TrueCrypt users get in the habit of only mounting their encrypted storage for the minimum amount of time needed to store or retrieve private data
Q. How do I install/configure this for Mac? or Linux?
A. I recommend reading the official documentation provided by TrueCrypt for guidance on installing and configuring on those platforms. Docs can be found @ http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/
Q. How big of an encrypted storage space can I make?
A. There is probably a limit - but you wont hit it. I've personally made TrueCrypt volumes all the way up to 100 GB+ with no issues whatsoever.
Q. Should I use a windows desktop password? Should I always lock my desktop when I'm not using it?
A. YES YOU SHOULD - In the event that you forget to unmount an encrypted volume, the one trivial thing that can save your ass versus people kicking your door down is a stupid windows/screensaver password.
The reason is this - If the machine gets unplugged (as it does when they seize all your shit), the encrypted volume will automatically be unmounted thus insuring that even upon re-examination by them later they wont be able to get at your encrypted storage space.
HOWEVER - If you happen to be foolish enough to leave the encrypted storage space mounted while you're AFK, with no desktop or screensaver password than its not uncommon for a post-raid forensic investigator to sit down right where you're sitting now and pull the data off the live running operating system - Encrypted files and all - instead of moving it for offline/"dead" analysis.
Soo yeah - encrypted file storage - its free, Its not *that hard* to setup - and you want it! Used properly it can help you sleep better at night. Catch the Fever!
EDIT: Here is the official tutorial on setting up TrueCrypt for windows (with screenshots) - Its worth checking out: http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=tutorial
Does your computer run Windows, Mac OS X or Linux? Would you like to have free, military grade hard disk encryption to protect all your shady files & grow pics? (Hint: You do!). Install TrueCrypt and make a true crypt volume! Here's How to get it up and running (relatively) quickly on Windows:
Step 1 - Creating the encrypted storage file ("private.txt")
1) Download & install TrueCrypt from: http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads
2) Once TrueCrypt is installed you should see a blue TrueCrypt icon on your Desktop. Go ahead and double click it!
3) Once the TrueCrypt UI has launched - Click "Create Volume"
4) Select "Create an encrypted file container" and click the "Next" button.
5) Select "Standard TrueCrypt" Volume and click "Next".
6) In the "Volume Location" screen TrueCrypt wants to know where to place the file that will hold all your encrypted data. Click "Select File" and TrueCrypt should present you with a file browser/selection window.
7) Browse your way to the Desktop folder, In the Filename box put the name of your encrypted data file - "private.txt" is what I picked for example. Finally Click "Save".
8) You should now be back at the "Volume Location" Screen with the full path to your encrypted data file filled out in the text box. Make sure the "Never save history" box is checked and click "Next".
9) Encryption Options! There are a lot of great/nerdy options here but for almost everyone the default selection "AES" will suffice. - Click "Next"
10) We're almost done! I swear! You've now reached the "Volume Size" screen. Enter in the size of the encrypted storage space you're creating. I have alot of files and random crap so I opted to make my encrypted volume a size of 2 GB (Gigabytes). Feel free to create almost any size you need/want. If you're not sure what your storage needs are right now just make something small like 128 MB (Megabytes). Once you've got your size inputed click "Next".
11) Volume Password! This is where you pick the password or passphrase that will be used to open/mount your encrypted volume. Whatever you choose here make sure its something you wont forget! Enter your password/passphrase in each box and click "Next".
12) Next in the "Volume Format" screen it will typically have the default file-system type of FAT selected. If you picked a encrypted storage size of 4 GB or less than the default selection of FAT will work for you and you can click "Format" .
NOTE: If you're trying to create a volume that is greater than 4GB in size you'll probably want to switch your filesystem type to NTFS.
13) Once you've selected your filesystem type and clicked "Format", TrueCrypt will finally get to work creating your encrypted storage file for you. This step usually takes anywhere from several seconds to several minutes depending on how big of encrypted storage file you're making. Once its finished you'll see a nice little popup claiming "The TrueCrypt volume has been successfully created.". Click OK to dismiss this message box.
14) You should now have been dumped at the "Volume Created" window. We're done creating encrypted volumes for now so click "Exit".
- Smoke Break -
Step 2 - "Mounting" the Image - How to actually use the encrypted storage space as a regular windows hard drive.
1) To make any use of this encrypted storage we'll need to attach it to a standard windows drive letter (ex: "Z:\"). This is known as "mounting the encrypted volume" in nerdspeak. To mount the volume we'll need to start up the TrueCrypt application again. Launch TrueCrypt by double clicking the blue TrueCrypt icon on your desktop.
2) Once TrueCrypt has launched, Select a drive letter from the list of drive letters in the main TrueCrypt UI window. I like to mount my encrypted drive on "Z:" so I selected the Z: drive.
3) After choosing a drive letter, Enter in the full path to the encrypted storage file we just created. (Ex: "C:\users\bong\desktop\private.txt").
4) Finally after i've inputed the path to my encrypted drive and selected the target drive letter to mount to, I click "Mount"
5) The last step is to simply enter my password or passphrase into the "Enter Password" popup window, and click OK.
6) Assuming you enter the password correctly, you should now be able to see the "Z:" drive from anywhere in your operating system. The "Z:" drive will look and act just like any other hard-drive installed on your system. Anything you move to the Z: drive will be stored in encrypted storage.
7) Once you've moved the files or pictures you'd like to keep private in or out of your encrypted z: drive, you'll want to "unmount" the image. This is the digital equivalent of closing and locking the vault that protects your files. As long as the drive is unmounted, no one will be able to get at the protected file inside without first mounting the image using the passphrase you created.
MiniFAQ:
Q. What happens if I forget to unmount the encrypted storage and I shutdown or reboot?
A. TrueCrypt will automatically close the encrypted volumes for you and shouldn't lose any of the data stored inside. That said I recommend all TrueCrypt users get in the habit of only mounting their encrypted storage for the minimum amount of time needed to store or retrieve private data
Q. How do I install/configure this for Mac? or Linux?
A. I recommend reading the official documentation provided by TrueCrypt for guidance on installing and configuring on those platforms. Docs can be found @ http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/
Q. How big of an encrypted storage space can I make?
A. There is probably a limit - but you wont hit it. I've personally made TrueCrypt volumes all the way up to 100 GB+ with no issues whatsoever.
Q. Should I use a windows desktop password? Should I always lock my desktop when I'm not using it?
A. YES YOU SHOULD - In the event that you forget to unmount an encrypted volume, the one trivial thing that can save your ass versus people kicking your door down is a stupid windows/screensaver password.
The reason is this - If the machine gets unplugged (as it does when they seize all your shit), the encrypted volume will automatically be unmounted thus insuring that even upon re-examination by them later they wont be able to get at your encrypted storage space.
HOWEVER - If you happen to be foolish enough to leave the encrypted storage space mounted while you're AFK, with no desktop or screensaver password than its not uncommon for a post-raid forensic investigator to sit down right where you're sitting now and pull the data off the live running operating system - Encrypted files and all - instead of moving it for offline/"dead" analysis.
Soo yeah - encrypted file storage - its free, Its not *that hard* to setup - and you want it! Used properly it can help you sleep better at night. Catch the Fever!
EDIT: Here is the official tutorial on setting up TrueCrypt for windows (with screenshots) - Its worth checking out: http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=tutorial
