Tag Archives: cloud security

Protect Your Privacy with TrueCrypt – Part 2



In this post, we’ll describe how to encrypt a small folder using TrueCrypt, a free and very powerful encryption tool. You can put anything you want in this folder, of course, but the point of this exercise is to have something that is extremely safe from prying eyes that will allow you to keep your passwords or online account numbers private. Once you create this folder, you can put text files, documents…basically whatever you want to, as long as the total size is not larger than the folder you create. We’ll explain that later.

1. Download and install Truecrypt. You can install Truecrypt or run it from a folder. You could even keep the Truecrypt folder inside your Dropbox folder in order to make it available on every computer that you access Dropbox with.

2. Run Truecrypt. Here is the window that comes up at the start:

Photo of TrueCrypt menu
Click on the Create Volume button or click on Volumes then Create New Volume.

A volume is something that only Truecrypt can open. As you will notice later on, there is no three letter file designation to the folder/file/volume that you create. No other program will recognize it, not Windows, not Notepad, only Truecrypt.

 

3. 

Menu for TrueCrypt
For the next few screens, you’ll just accept the default settings. Here, choose ‘Create an encrypted file container’ then click Next.

 

4. 

Menu for TrueCrypt  3
Click Next to start creating a Standard TrueCrypt volume.

 

5. 

Menu for TrueCrypt
This menu looks complicated but it’s not. Click on the Select File and the standard Windows dialogue will open up.

 

6. 

Menu for TrueCrypt
You do not actually choose a folder, you are making one. Type in a name, we’ve used Test Folder for TrueCrypt.

Don’t get confused here. You’re not choosing a file or folder, you are really creating a volume somewhere you are on your computer. We chose our Desktop but you’re on your own here. All you do in this menu is simply type in a name, make up anything you want. You can even use a three letter file name to make this Truecrypt volume look like another kind of file. The default program for that type of file, .avi or .mp3 for instance, will NOT be able to open it, remember? Only Truecrypt can open this file.

 

7. 

Photo of TrueCrypt menu
This menu just confirms the file location. Click Next. 

 

8. 

Photo of TrueCrypt  menu.
Just click Next here. The default AES algorithm is fine.

 

9. 

Photo of TrueCrypt
You’re on your own here but we chose a 1 MB file, lots of room for our password text file.

 

10. 

Photo of TrueCrypt  menu
Choose your password. If you make it less than 20 characters, Truecrypt will give you a nudge. Whatever you do, don’t forget the password you use. You can’t open this volume without it, no matter what you do.

 

11. 

Photo of TrueCrypt menu.
Your password is too short! Don’t worry about this. You’re not protecting state secrets, right? If you can remember a 20 digit password, however, use one.

 

12. 

Photo of TrueCrypt menu
We would normally choose NTFS for the filesytem but our volume is only 1 MB so NTFS isn’t available. Move your mouse over this screen in a random order to create a very strong encryption.

Move your mouse all over this menu for a minute or two then click Format. Truecrypt will then format the volume that you just made, creating, more or less, a separate drive on your computer. That drive is controlled by Truecrypt, nothing else. Windows doesn’t know anything about it, other than it takes up space. It cannot open the volume and will not even suggest a program that might open it.

 

13. 

Photo of TrueCrypt menu.
Success! Click OK and you’re done.

 

14. 

Photo of TrueCrypt menu
Click Exit to end this part of the lesson.

 

That’s it for now. This post is long enough but we’ve accomplished a lot. You now know how to create a locked volume that can be opened only by you. Even if someone gets access to your computer or your cloud folder, they will not be able to see what is inside this folder. Cool huh?

Next time, we’ll show you how to use this volume. Basically, you just mount it using your password, open it then drop files into it and then dismount it. Once you dismount it, it is locked again.

Thanks for reading!

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