Sometimes just setting a password on your file is not enough. If a cybercriminal is really motivated and has the right technical knowledge, they can crack this password and gain illegal access to your confidential data. Hence, it is always advisable to encrypt your confidential files and folders with a strong encryption standard. The TrueCrypt encryption tool can be used in such situations. It is available as a free download from http://www.truecrypt.org
TrueCrypt creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file on your computer and mounts it as a real disk or drive, so that you are allowed to store files on it in encrypted format. You will be allowed to save files on the virtual disk just the way you normally save files on any other disk on your computer. The best thing about TrueCrypt is that it does all the encryption on the fly, without causing any time lag in your day-to-day work.
Before you can start storing your files and folders in an encrypted format, you need to create a TrueCrypt volume.Think of this as a finite area on your hard drive ,inside which all the encrypted data will be stored. To create the volume, start TrueCrypt on your computer and click on the Create Volume button.This will start the TrueCrypt Volume Creation Wizard.
Next, you need to create a virtual disk within any file on your computer. Select the first option which is selected by default and click on the Next button to continue. Select the Standard TrueCrypt Volume option and click on the Next button to continue.
In the next step, you need to select the location on your hard drive where you want to create the TrueCrypt container file. Click on the Select File button, choose any location and type in the name that you want to give to the TrueCrypt container file. Ensure that you type in a new file name and not the name of an existing file, since TrueCrypt will completely overwrite whatever file you name. it is important to understand that during this step you are not creating any encrypted files; you are merely creating the TrueCrypt container file or virtual disk, inside which all your other encrypted data will be sorted. Click on the Next button to continue.
TrueCrypt will now ask you to select the encryption algorithm which encrypts your file and the hash algorithm that encrypts your password. For most users, just selecting the default option is the way to go.
In the next step TrueCrypt will ask you to enter the size you wish to assign to the TrueCrypt container file that you are creating. Depending upon the size of the files you wish to encrypt and store, you need to specify an appropriate size. Now, you need to choose a password to secure the confidential data you will be storing. The longer the password, the better it is. The more complicated the password the harder it will be to crack.
In the next step, TrueCrypt will ask you to move your mouse around as randomly as possible within the application window. The more randomly you move your mouse and the longer you move it for, the stronger will be the encryption that TrueCrypt will use to encrypt your files. Click on the Format button whenever you are ready to create the TrueCrypt volume.
At this stage, you have successfully created the TrueCrypt volume where you will be able to save all your files securely in encrypted format. Click on the Exit button to end the TrueCrypt Volume Creation Wizard. You are now ready to start saving all your confidential files in encrypted format in the TrueCrypt virtual disk. Now each time you wish to access data stored in the TrueCrypt virtual disk, you need to mount it using the TrueCrypt app. Start TrueCrypt and select any drive letter you would like to mount your virtual disk as. Select the TrueCrypt Container file that you wish to mount as a virtual disk and click on the Mount button.
TrueCrypt will now ask you to enter the password you had chosen while creating the TrueCrypt volume. Without entering the correct password, no one can access any data stored in your TrueCrypt virtual disk. Click on the OK button to continue.
Within a few seconds, TrueCrypt will successfully mount the TrueCrypt volume as a virtual disk represented as P: on your system. You can now access all the files on this TrueCrypt encrypted virtual disk just the way you would access any other drive. If you go to My Computer on your system, you will notice that a new drive P: has been mounted. The moment you shut down your computer, or if your computer crashes the mounted drive will disappear. It can be accessed by mounting the TrueCrypt virtual drive again, by selecting the container file and entering the correct password. Even if someone were to copy your container file and take it to another system, they will not be able to mount it and access your data without knowing your passoword
TrueCrypt creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file on your computer and mounts it as a real disk or drive, so that you are allowed to store files on it in encrypted format. You will be allowed to save files on the virtual disk just the way you normally save files on any other disk on your computer. The best thing about TrueCrypt is that it does all the encryption on the fly, without causing any time lag in your day-to-day work.
Before you can start storing your files and folders in an encrypted format, you need to create a TrueCrypt volume.Think of this as a finite area on your hard drive ,inside which all the encrypted data will be stored. To create the volume, start TrueCrypt on your computer and click on the Create Volume button.This will start the TrueCrypt Volume Creation Wizard.
Next, you need to create a virtual disk within any file on your computer. Select the first option which is selected by default and click on the Next button to continue. Select the Standard TrueCrypt Volume option and click on the Next button to continue.
In the next step, you need to select the location on your hard drive where you want to create the TrueCrypt container file. Click on the Select File button, choose any location and type in the name that you want to give to the TrueCrypt container file. Ensure that you type in a new file name and not the name of an existing file, since TrueCrypt will completely overwrite whatever file you name. it is important to understand that during this step you are not creating any encrypted files; you are merely creating the TrueCrypt container file or virtual disk, inside which all your other encrypted data will be sorted. Click on the Next button to continue.
In the next step TrueCrypt will ask you to enter the size you wish to assign to the TrueCrypt container file that you are creating. Depending upon the size of the files you wish to encrypt and store, you need to specify an appropriate size. Now, you need to choose a password to secure the confidential data you will be storing. The longer the password, the better it is. The more complicated the password the harder it will be to crack.
In the next step, TrueCrypt will ask you to move your mouse around as randomly as possible within the application window. The more randomly you move your mouse and the longer you move it for, the stronger will be the encryption that TrueCrypt will use to encrypt your files. Click on the Format button whenever you are ready to create the TrueCrypt volume.
At this stage, you have successfully created the TrueCrypt volume where you will be able to save all your files securely in encrypted format. Click on the Exit button to end the TrueCrypt Volume Creation Wizard. You are now ready to start saving all your confidential files in encrypted format in the TrueCrypt virtual disk. Now each time you wish to access data stored in the TrueCrypt virtual disk, you need to mount it using the TrueCrypt app. Start TrueCrypt and select any drive letter you would like to mount your virtual disk as. Select the TrueCrypt Container file that you wish to mount as a virtual disk and click on the Mount button.
TrueCrypt will now ask you to enter the password you had chosen while creating the TrueCrypt volume. Without entering the correct password, no one can access any data stored in your TrueCrypt virtual disk. Click on the OK button to continue.
Within a few seconds, TrueCrypt will successfully mount the TrueCrypt volume as a virtual disk represented as P: on your system. You can now access all the files on this TrueCrypt encrypted virtual disk just the way you would access any other drive. If you go to My Computer on your system, you will notice that a new drive P: has been mounted. The moment you shut down your computer, or if your computer crashes the mounted drive will disappear. It can be accessed by mounting the TrueCrypt virtual drive again, by selecting the container file and entering the correct password. Even if someone were to copy your container file and take it to another system, they will not be able to mount it and access your data without knowing your passoword
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