Disk Encryption

With normal encryption methods, you can protect your data, but you still have to decrypt a file manually every time you want to use it. Also, many editors and viewers have a habit of creating temporary files. The decrypted data can end up in these files, and they are not safely deleted when the programme exits. This means that this data can easily be accessed by everyone who manages to get at your hard disk.

Disk encryption programmes encrypt your entire hard disk (sometimes they use a special partition), so that you don't have to worry about leaving the decrypted messages on your disk. The approach is similar to Stacker's disk compression programme, but these packages encrypt instead.

SafeHouse : SafeHouse Hard Drive Encryption provides transparent "on-the-fly" encryption for your notebook or desktop computer. It creates a volume that can be mapped as an actual drive. As data is stored, it's encrypted on the fly. Just install Safehouse, create a volume, and use the mapping utility to turn it into a virtual drive -- it couldn't be any easier. Once mapped, files can be copied and used as if the volume were an actual disk. You'll just need to supply a password one time for each Windows session to gain access to the drive. Included utilities let you size the drive, assign passwords, and even create a master password for a back door in case the password is forgotten. You can choose from multiple encryption algorithms to balance speed and security. Other options allow Safehouse to automatically resize the volume when it gets full and to hide the file holding the volume information. Encrypted volumes can range in size from one kilobyte to two Gigabytes. The DES (Data Encryption Standard) programme code used by SafeHouse is written in highly-optimized 40-bit assembly language, resulting in one of the highest encryption data throughput rates attainable on a PC for this algorithm. - The trial version uses 40-bit DES.

SafeHouse Screenshots
SafeHouse Hard Drive Encryption HomePage

T r u e C r y p t : TrueCrypt is a free open source on-the-fly encryption (OTFE) program for Microsoft Windows XP/2000/2003 and Linux. It allows one to create a virtual encrypted disk (TrueCrypt volume) within a file and then mount it as a real disk. TrueCrypt can also encrypt an entire hard disk partition or a storage device/medium, such as floppy disk or USB memory stick. Thus, TrueCrypt creates device-hosted TrueCrypt volumes. Everything stored on a TrueCrypt volume is entirely encrypted (i.e., including file names and folder names). TrueCrypt volumes behave as real physical disk drives. More at Wikipedia.

True Crypt HomePage
True Crypt Screenshots
True Crypt Tutorial