Adding encryption/security to an external media HDD

JohnnyScience · 21 Sep 2010

jcgriff2 said:

If external HDD formatted NTFS, you can set ownership/ file permissions.

Yes the external as well as the internal are all NTFS, so would I be better off using Ownership/File Permissions or Trucrypt?

Which will give me a stronger/safer encryption?

logicearth · 21 Sep 2010

If you are going to encrypt data you should only encrypt small about of data. And only encrypt data that has been backed up. Because if the encryption goes south your data is lost forever. Second encryption and decryption requires CPU time, so you have to take that into consideration.

Using Bitlocker and Trucrypt seem way too over kill for this when you could just right-click on any folder go to Properties > Advance on the General Tab > and Select "Encrypt contents to secure data". As simple as that.

All three methods, Bitlocker, Trucrypt, and my method all use AES to encrypt the data.

JohnnyScience · 21 Sep 2010

logicearth said:

If you are going to encrypt data you should only encrypt small about of data. And only encrypt data that has been backed up. Because if the encryption goes south your data is lost forever. Second encryption and decryption requires CPU time, so you have to take that into consideration.

Using Bitlocker and Trucrypt seem way too over kill for this when you could just right-click on any folder go to Properties > Advance on the General Tab > and Select "Encrypt contents to secure data". As simple as that.

All three methods, Bitlocker, Trucrypt, and my method all use AES to encrypt the data.

Ok well I should say that what I'm trying to protect is my external, back up media HDD, so since its external & could technically "walk away" I need to protect it.

So do i want to use a full encryption like Trucrypt, or just perhaps a password option?

Or should I just do Properties > Advance on the General Tab > and Select "Encrypt contents to secure data"?

Does that prompt me/someone to then enter a password in order to access the external HDD?

logicearth · 21 Sep 2010

JohnnyScience said:

Ok well I should say that what I'm trying to protect is my external, back up media HDD, so since its external & could technically "walk away" I need to protect it.

So do i want to use a full encryption like Trucrypt, or just perhaps a password option?

Or should I just do Properties > Advance on the General Tab > and Select "Encrypt contents to secure data"?

Does that prompt me/someone to then enter a password in order to access the external HDD?

Using my method, someone must be on your computer to access the encrypted data. So if they walk away with your drive, the data will be useless. None of the keys will exists on the drive to unlock it. For you on the computer the encryption and decryption will be completely transparent using my method.

Just remember to decrypt the drive before you ever reinstall Windows.

wilywombat · 21 Sep 2010

JohnnyScience, Sorry to disappoint you but Bitlocker is not part of Windows 7 Pro it is only in the Ultimate and Enterprise versions. Truecrypt is my preference as you can encrypt all of the drive of create a hidden drive in a file if you only want a certain amount of encrypted space. You can also use up to 3 chained methods of encryption for extra security from a choice of AES, Twofish and Serpent.
A word of caution though....DO NOT lose you password/phrase as there is no way back, no trapdoors so if you lose your password/phrase...youve lost your data.