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Ask most people about encryption and you're likely to hear about James Bond, but protecting data isn't just something for super spies. In fact, with the tools available today, protecting your data is so simple there's no reason to not to.
As it is, it seems like very time you turn around there's another story about a data breach through a stolen laptop or a break-in where the thieves are after servers chock full of personal data.
Both of these increasingly common scenarios can be easily avoided by encrypting your hard drive. You might still be out of a machine, but your sensitive data won't be exposed.
### How Encryption Works ###
The term "encryption" refers to the process of turning the ordinary text you're written into unreadable gibberish. Decryption is the process of rendering the gibberish back into readable text. The software that handles the those processes is know as encryption software
There are three basic ways that encryption software can protect your data:
# by encrypting your entire hard drive.
# by partition on your hard drive and encrypted just those sections
# by creating an encrypted disk image which you can mount when you need it and ignore when you don't
While all of these are acceptable solutions, by far the most secure is to encrypt your entire hard drive. With the whole disk encrypted thieves will be confronted by a password screen when they boot the stolen computer, and even moving the disk to another machine will still keep them locked out.
### Windows Vista BitLocker ###
Windows Vista includes a new tool known as [http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/58358421-a7f5-4c97-ab41-2bcc61a58a701033.mspx?mfr=true BitLocker]. BitLocker can encrypt your whole disk or just a single partition.
Unfortunately BitLocker is tied to Microsoft's controversial Trusted Platform Module which includes some other things you may not want like DRM. BitLocker also requires either the Enterprise or Ultimate editions of Windows Vista.
### OS X File Vault ###
Apple's OS X operating system also ships with some encryption tools by the name of FileVault. FileVault's chief disadvantage is that it won't encrypt your entire drive. Instead FileVault locks down your user folder.
For casual users that may be enough, but if you're looking for more flexibility FileVault will leave you wanting.
### TrueCrypt ###
[http://www.truecrypt.org/ TrueCrypt] is a free, open-source disk encryption program that will work with Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS X, and Linux. TrueCrypt offers the ability to encrypt your whole hard drive, select volumes or encrypt disk images.
The software is simple to install and there's no need tweak the default settings, though there are two gotchas to watch out for.
TrueCrypt will offer to remember passwords when mounting an encrypted volume and it will also let you auto start the program when you boot. While both of those things are convenient they also defeat the purpose — if it automatically remembers the password for you it'll remember it for a thief too. If you're serious about protecting your data make sure both of these options are turned off.
For those worried about performance, TrueCrypt is surprisingly light on the processor.Despite the fact that TrueCrypt encrypts and decrypts on the fly, opening files is very nearly as fast as a system without any encryption.
### Other Options ###
There are several commercial products available that offer varying degrees of encryption. [http://www.pgp.com/ PGP] offers whole disk encryption software ($150) and [http://www.jetico.com/bcrypt8.htm Best Crypt] is another option for Windows and Linux users.
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