Encryption

Iconic

It appears most people here recommend Truecrypt but how much data do you encrypt?

I have looked at a couple of tutorials and some people encrypt the whole drive and others just a few files.

It seems that encryption of the whole drive takes ages so that most probably is not an option for me.

It's alright encrypting a couple of sensitive files but where do you stop? For instance I would not like anyone to get hold of the Password Manager info in my browser but that file is included in the browser ini files.

Sorry if it's a stupid question but I thought I would ask before I download the program and use it!

epninety

For my laptop, where theft is a slightly higher risk, I encrypt the entire hard drive. It doesn't noticeably affect performance, just put in the password at boot time, and everything works as normal.

For my work machines, I create 4.5Gb encrypted containers, one for each project. Then I just mount the required container for whatever project I'm working on. Keeping the size to 4.5Gb makes it easy to create encrypted backups onto DVD.

mr_fishbulb

The whole drive encryption will only take a long time when it first encrypts everything. After that the speed will be the same as usual.

Personally I just have a 500MB container for my sensitive files, but I'm on a desktop not a laptop.

debitcardmayhem

For my lappy since I use Firefox, as my browser I use Portable Apps, and the portable version of Firefox, plus other apps too. I created a Truecrypt container on the lappy hard drive, and put of all my data in that, and the apps with it. It is also handy just co copy that container to a stick which I can take with me without the lappy. I have a container on my Desktop which keeps everything in it too. I did think about encrypting the whole disk on the lappy but it's up to the individual really.

Iconic

Many thanks for the replies.

I think I will give encryption of the whole drive a go and see how long it takes.

debitcardmayhem's tip about a portable version of Firefox will be a great alternative if I find it takes too long to encrypt although I will have to find out if they do a portable version of Opera!

debitcardmayhem

Iconic wrote: »

Many thanks for the replies.

I think I will give encryption of the whole drive a go and see how long it takes.

debitcardmayhem's tip about a portable version of Firefox will be a great alternative if I find it takes too long to encrypt although I will have to find out if they do a portable version of Opera!

Here you go http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/opera_portable

Iconic

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Here you go http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/opera_portable

Wow thanks. I already had a quick look on the Opera site and they did not seem to mention the portable version.

debitcardmayhem

Iconic wrote: »

Wow thanks. I already had a quick look on the Opera site and they did not seem to mention the portable version.

PortableApps has quite a lot of stuff these days, the only drwaback is you often have to wait for newer versions.
Dont forget that you need to install the portable launcher first.

A.Penny.Saved

I think that encrypting the whole drive is only for paranoiacs and totally unnecessary except for very rare occasions.

If your using a good password manager, why would you need to worry about anyone getting the password database? A good password manager such as Keepass with a fairly decent master password is never going to be broken into in a persons lifetime with the current increases in computer power, unless computer computing power rises much faster than it currently is.

It will never happen so why bother?

Keepass can effectively replace the Firefox password manager using a Keepass plugin called PassIFox and older Firefox Keepass form filling such as KeeFox are also okay.

I'm more security conscious than most people but I am not concerned with my Password database getting compromised. Having it stolen is the biggest issue.....having a backup available so all is not lost.

Encrypting the browser cache for anything which could be viewed and you wouldn't want anyone knowing about. Cookies would be a very important one as they can be used to login to some accounts.

Keepass with Keyscrambler and maybe Truecrypt encrypting cookies, browser cache and maybe a smallish area where you intend keeping any sensitive information such as letters, downloaded emails, spreadsheet data etc and I don't think you would have anything to worry about.

Encrypting everything is just going to slow everything down too much IMO. Why encrypt applications or the windows folder?

mr_fishbulb

A.Penny.Saved wrote: »

Encrypting the browser cache for anything which could be viewed and you wouldn't want anyone knowing about. Cookies would be a very important one as they can be used to login to some accounts.

Sandboxie and truecrypt are a good way of doing this. You sandbox the browser and tell sandboxie to user the space in a truecrypt volume.

Burridge60

A.Penny.Saved wrote: »

I think that encrypting the whole drive is only for paranoiacs and totally unnecessary except for very rare occasions.

Unless you have a job like mine! Costs a fortune and is coming up for renewal.

Wish I could take the risk but it just wouldn't be worth saving the 35,000 pennies.