I’ve been using TrueCrypt for a while now. So here is a Howto part 1 on setting it up. You can use TrueCrypt to secure files on everything from the whole system, Jump Drives, CD-R’s, and even DropBox. You can read about it here: DropBox, now that is how you do it!
I hope at this point in your life you know how to install software? If you don’t I’m sorry.
This howto is going to walk through creating your first encrypted file container. A file container is a file located on your hard drive that you can mount/load that will look like another hard drive or removable device. While it is mounted anything placed into it will be encrypted automatic. Once un mounted no one can get to your files without knowing your password.
After installing, or after running TrueCrypt you will select “Create Volume”.
We are going to select “Create a file container” this is a file located on a device such as a hard rive, jump drive, CDR, DVDR, or DropBox. It is pretty much just a file and can be stored anywhere you could store a file.
For this we will select “Standard TrueCrypt Volume” the other option is for a “Hidden TrueCrypt Volume”. This is an Standard TrueCrypt Volume hidden inside another Standard TrueCrypt Volume. You would store some non important files on the first volume and have a file that was another TrueCrypt volume that you stored your sensitive data on. If someone was to torture you for the password you would give them the password for the first one but not the second in hopes they would not figure out the second one being there.
This is where we will decide where our file will live and what it will be called. For this example I used primary hard drive C:\ and the file secure.file. You can put this anywhere. It could be on F:\SomeDir\With\files.jpg where files.jpg would be the TrueCrypt volume and F:\ being my jump drive. Another good place for this is to install a software something small that has a .dll but that you won’t be using and to put the volume in that directory replacing the dll that comes with the file with your TrueCrypt volume.
Select Encryption Algorithm and Hash Algorithm. Selected is my favorite.
This is where the size of the TrueCrypt Volume. This is where you need to decide how much you will use it. If you are putting it on a jump drive or somewhere else. To place this on a DropBox I would make it around 200 MB or so.
Password time! This is where the true security takes place. If you use a normal password and or a weak password, you should just not encrypt your files. It should be long 20 Characters or more. Please see The Geek Stuff - The Ultimate Guide for creating strong passwords for more information about passwords. We could also use a key file here. A key file can be a random generated file or a file you already own. This is required along with the password to access the file. I store several key files that are standard file on a jump drive that is required along with my 20+ character password to access the TrueCrypt volume that is stored on my DropBox. You want to make sure that NOTHING can overwrite or change your key files. If they are changed in any way, you can’t get to your own files.
Time to generate the Volume, but first we need some random data. While this is not true random data it is ok. So move your mouse around, ehhh randomly. Select the file system type, NTFS or FAT. Its up to you, but for speed I choose FAT. Depending on how big your size you decided was and speed of your PC it could take a while from here.
Select Exit we are done.
Now if you are still with me at this point we have created a file on a device somewhere that is ready to mount and use. There is alot this software can do, including encrypting a whole drive. If there is any want for it I may write another howto on it.
Next how to mount and use…. stay tuned.
Tags: Dropbox, encryption, Howto, TrueCrypt
“Select File” this is the file container we created before. This can be located on your hard drive such as c:\secure.files, an USB/Flash drive, a CDR, or your DropBox. If you are using a “somewhat” hidden file such as a dll as described before. Make sure that “Never Save History” is checked. 
Now select “Mount” so that we can put in our 20+ character password.
We will need to put in our password. Please do not cache the password in memory. I have not figured out why that would even be an option but it is. If you created a device with a KeyFile this is where you will also add it. For this I used no KeyFiles. The “Mount Options” are also available.
If you are mounting a secure file and want to make sure it does not get damaged. Select “Mount Volume as read-only”. The second option is to “Mount volume as removable medium”. This will make the new drive show up as a USB drive. This is used because some programs will not run from a removable media. For instance “Family Tree Maker” will not run from a removable drive. Oh yea you can run programs from these drives. I personally run my financial software from one so that I have another layer of security.
