Ask Leo!: Encryption

How can I recover my encrypted data from my flash memory device?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:48:34 -08:00

Truecrypt Issue: I cannot read disk even though I successfully mounted Windows 7 Professional, Truecrypt 7.0a

Following your recommendation, I decided to use Truecrypt to encrypt a SD card that contains personal data to keep it off the work laptop. This has worked very successfully for about three months until this morning. When I entered the password to mount the volume, it mounted as usual with no error messages. However, when I tried to access the mounted drive (volume), it said, “You need to format the disk in drive Z: before you can use it. Do you want to format it?” Of course, I clicked No.

I consulted the Truecrypt user manual that said that I should restore the volume header. As recommended, I dismounted the volume, then used Tools > Restore volume header using the “Restore the volume header from the backup embedded in the volume” option, and the normal password worked. I got the message saying the volume header was successfully restored. However,, the same problem persists, "You need to format the disk....." as above.

This is a real disaster for me, I need the drive contents. Do you have any idea what to do next?

]]> I do not.

I may have one straw to grasp at, but overall, I'm concerned that this situation cannot be recovered.

I'll explain why I think that is and what I would have done differently.

I'll also ask my readers for any additional ideas.

Encrypting Using AxCrypt

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:42:34 -08:00

I frequently get asked how to encrypt a file. Tools like 7-zip and TrueCrypt, my most common recommendations, are designed to work on collections of files. AxCrypt, on the other hand, encrypts single files quickly and easily.

In this video excerpt from an Ask Leo! webinar, I'll walk through using AxCrypt.

Does keeping an unencrypted copy of encrypted data make sense?

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:49:35 -08:00

In a previous newsletter, someone was explaining how they lost data because they encrypted it and they couldn't decrypt it. You said it is always a good idea to keep an unencrypted copy of your data to prevent you from losing it. Doesn't doing this completely defeat the purpose of encrypting your data in the first place?

]]> Not at all.

In fact, as that reader discovered, it's actually an important part of keeping your data secure - both from prying eyes and from failure.

The "trick", if you want to call it that, is in how you do it.

Encrypting Using LockNote

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:44:07 -08:00

LockNote is kind of a fun little application that's really good at doing what it was designed to do: encrypt and decrypt a text 'note' and make it easy to share with other Windows users.

In this video excerpt from an Ask Leo! webinar, I'll walk through using LockNote.

Encrypting using Truecrypt

leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:46:53 -08:00

I recommend Truecrypt as perhaps the most flexible, the most useful way to encrypt your computer, particularly if it's portable or you're concerned about it being stolen.

It's not necessarily a way to share files with other people, but its usage is so easy, so simple that once you understand the basic model behind TrueCrypt, it becomes something that is just second nature.

In this video excerpt from an Ask Leo! webinar, I'll walk through setting up a Truecrypt volume and using it.