Please Help me with Truecrypt

chocsessential

I have been asked to use Truecrypt but I can't! I simply can't understand what I am meant to do. I have printed off the instructions and followed them to the letter but I can't make sense of them. Truecrypt is meant to encrypt files "on the fly" (eh?). I have to encrypt files I am working on because they are confidential but I'm just lost. Can someone give me any shortcuts or tips to help me understand this crazy program? Thank you so much in advance.

tronator

chocsessential wrote: »

I have been asked to use Truecrypt but I can't! I simply can't understand what I am meant to do. I have printed off the instructions and followed them to the letter but I can't make sense of them. Truecrypt is meant to encrypt files "on the fly" (eh?). I have to encrypt files I am working on because they are confidential but I'm just lost. Can someone give me any shortcuts or tips to help me understand this crazy program? Thank you so much in advance.

I assume you've been asked to encrypt your USB stick when taking work home. I thought the Truecrypt docu and FAQ are quite clear.
Truecrypt creates a file called Truecrypt container, which you need to mount (assign a drive letter, e.g. X:). When it's mounted then everything you do on drive X: will be written into the Truecrypt container and as long as the container is mounted you use X: as any other hard disk or USB stick. Once you unmount the container, nobody can access your files inside the container.

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=tutorial

Please ask specific questions if you're stuck somewhere.

chocsessential

Hi Tronator

Okay, so I've mounted it on drive M. So if I type a document and save it in drive M does that mean it will be encrypted? I am not using a USB stick. I work from home and have to email work to someone who has insisted that it is encrypted using Truecrypt. If I look at my document's properties will there will something there which tells me the document has been encrypted? Oh, I wish they'd gone for Axcrypt or something which I DO understand.

Anyway, thank you for replying Any further help will be much appreciated.

KingL

Trucrypt doesn't encrypt the files, it just encrypts (part of) the drive you have it stored on, AFAIK. Files inside the encrypted drive are safe. If you take them out and email them, they aren't.

tronator

chocsessential wrote: »

Hi Tronator

Okay, so I've mounted it on drive M. So if I type a document and save it in drive M does that mean it will be encrypted? I am not using a USB stick. I work from home and have to email work to someone who has insisted that it is encrypted using Truecrypt. If I look at my document's properties will there will something there which tells me the document has been encrypted? Oh, I wish they'd gone for Axcrypt or something which I DO understand.

Anyway, thank you for replying Any further help will be much appreciated.

It doesn't really make sense to use Truecrypt this way unless you email him the whole container. I think you (and maybe the other person too) still didn't understand how Truecrypt works. As long as the Truecrypt container is mounted, the file is not encrypted. Only when you unmount it it will be encrypted.

Let me try to explain it with a real life example. You have a drawer in your desk which is locked (encrypted) with a document in it. To work on this document you need to unlock (mount) the drawer. As long as you work on this document and the drawer is open the document is not locked away (not encrypted). If you email a copy of this document it will not be encrypted since it will not be inside you drawer (Truecrypt container).

To email confidential documents you should rather use PGP or S/MIME encryption

With PGP and S/MIME both of you need to generate/obtain a key pair (private and public). The private key you keep to yourself and the public key you give to the other person.

To set it up with your email program you should ask the IT person in your company or google for a Howto.

chocsessential

Thanks for replying again. Oh heck, I've emailed the person concerned to ask what they want me to do (and feeling sheepish now). There is no IT dept as such, I'm self employed and send my work to an agency. The agency asked me to use Truecrypt but I'm a numpty and I can't do it (wah!)

Thanks again for your answers.

chocsessential

KingL wrote: »

Trucrypt doesn't encrypt the files, it just encrypts (part of) the drive you have it stored on, AFAIK. Files inside the encrypted drive are safe. If you take them out and email them, they aren't.

Oh dear, it gets worse! I wonder why they want me to do it then?

DVardysShadow

chocsessential wrote: »

Oh dear, it gets worse! I wonder why they want me to do it then?

Because they are numptys - not you. In your position, I would email them and ask what is expected and do that.

closed

Either they are expecting you to tc your whole hard disk in case it gets lost or stolen, or just want the email protected from interception, in which case create a small tc container big enough to hold the file + slack, and email them that.

chocsessential

closed wrote: »

Either they are expecting you to tc your whole hard disk in case it gets lost or stolen, or just want the email protected from interception, in which case create a small tc container big enough to hold the file + slack, and email them that.

Hmm yes (she nods knowingly). I think you may be onto something there about stopping the emails being intercepted. Now, er...

tronator

chocsessential wrote: »

Hmm yes (she nods knowingly). I think you may be onto something there about stopping the emails being intercepted. Now, er...

But then PGP or S/MIME is the better solution and easier to handle once it's set up...