REQ: freeware volume encryptor for WinXP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sparx
  • Start date Start date
S

Sparx

Hello !

Having recently switched over to Win XP PRO after using WIn98 SE, I'm
looking for a replacement for Scramdisk that will now work on Win XP

Scramdisk is a program that allows the creation and use of virtual encrypted
drives. Basically, you create a container file on an existing hard drive
which is created with a specific password. This container can then be
mounted by the Scramdisk software which creates a new drive letter to
represent the drive. The virtual drive can then only be accessed with the
correct passphrase. Without the correct passphrase the files on the virtual
drive are totally inaccessible.

www.samsimpson.com/scramdisk.php

www.scramdiskclara.net

THe new version is called DriveCrypt and isn't free!


--
Regards,

Sparky

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?
 
Seconded!
HK
Click to expand...

The hardware key the commercial version of DPD utilizes is great! But
that is for the commercial version only.

This might well be a great product. From my reading on the subject the
last thing that you want is a false sense of security from a program
written by a "shadetree cryptographer" though. Cryptography is a VERY
deep subject. When misapplied or when a bad algorithm is used it can
be easily defeated. I'm not saying this applies to this program
necessarily.

Phil Zimmerman pretty much sacrificed much of his life and most of his
riches to provide PGP to the public. This is a saga in itself if you
ever get the chance to read about it. Great read!

This version has PGPDisk incorporated into the international freeware
version of PGP. It is an older file that does not explicitly list XP,
but I think it will work.

http://www.pgpi.org/products/pgpdisk/

"A false sense of security is far worse than no sense of security at
all."

Other concerns are peer review. This is what makes Scramdisk and PGP
stand out. Authors and cryptographers worldwide check the code for
backdoors and problems with the algorithms. Otherwise you have a
"black box" in which you have no idea exactly how secure it is. Even
with the best of intentions an author can make a fatal mistake, which
might leave your private data blowing in the wind if not peer reviewed
and fixed before release.

Just my opinion... I've played with PGPDosk and I fully trust Phil.
 
The hardware key the commercial version of DPD utilizes is great! But
that is for the commercial version only.

This might well be a great product. From my reading on the subject the
last thing that you want is a false sense of security from a program
written by a "shadetree cryptographer" though. Cryptography is a VERY
deep subject. When misapplied or when a bad algorithm is used it can
be easily defeated. I'm not saying this applies to this program
necessarily.

Phil Zimmerman pretty much sacrificed much of his life and most of his
riches to provide PGP to the public. This is a saga in itself if you
ever get the chance to read about it. Great read!

This version has PGPDisk incorporated into the international freeware
version of PGP. It is an older file that does not explicitly list XP,
but I think it will work.

http://www.pgpi.org/products/pgpdisk/

"A false sense of security is far worse than no sense of security at
all."

Other concerns are peer review. This is what makes Scramdisk and PGP
stand out. Authors and cryptographers worldwide check the code for
backdoors and problems with the algorithms. Otherwise you have a
"black box" in which you have no idea exactly how secure it is. Even
with the best of intentions an author can make a fatal mistake, which
might leave your private data blowing in the wind if not peer reviewed
and fixed before release.

Just my opinion... I've played with PGPDosk and I fully trust Phil.
Click to expand...
Dekart Private Disk uses SHA-1 and AES for data cipher. Htese are well
documented and the product has been certified to meet certain standards.
Although I completely agree with your statements regarding data encryption,
having dabbled myself, this product will suffice for most any private user
without any testing further than what has already been done.
See: http://www.dekart.com/home/
and http://www.dekart.com/news/news_archive/nist/
for more information on the testing and certification of this product. If
you have data that is so sensitive that you want it to be protected
regardless, I suggest you not trust any encryption product, as given enough
time and resources, any encryption algorithm will reveal weakness.
For instance, look at the RC4 algorithm, very secure in it's time, fast
enough to run on even minimal equipment. The weeknesses in this algorithm
are not only in that hardware has evolved to a point where brute force is
practical, but also that somewhat recently other weeknesses have been
discovered.
See: http://www.crypto.com/papers/others/rc4_ksaproc.ps
for a description.
These sorts of weeknesses are revealed as time progresses and will affect
the ciphers we now use sometime in the future. So in the end, you'll never
be protected forever with an algoritm you choose today. Such a small
percentage of the population can even begin to attack even the simplest
ciphers, that anything like AES is IMHO very secure.
PGP is IMO a very secure cipher, and is as you stated, tried and tested. It
has withstood the test of time. AFAIK the free version of PGP disk doesn't
work with XP and therefore would be of little use replacing Scramdisk.
Unless this has changed, for XP as a freeware product, I stand by my
recommendation, Dekart Private Disk Lite will keep all but the most
dedicated cryptographic hackers / scientists out of your data for some time
to come.
HK
 
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