Laptop Bitlocker full disk encryption

[chubby]

Hello, does anyone use bitlocker with a TPM module on their laptop ?

I'm curious if I were to do this, If the win 7 backup process backs up encrypted files to my external HD, or should I also have a external USB HD that encrypts the files , no sense in buying the external encrypted enclosure, if the files will come encrypted ?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KDZ8EA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A397DTEK8L9AV5

thx

[MJCM]

Ever looked at TrueCrypt ?

A TrueCrypt partition is a hard disk partition encrypted using TrueCrypt. You can also encrypt entire hard disks, USB hard disks, USB memory sticks, and other types of storage devices.

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/truecrypt-volume#Y360

Edit: // Added Ps

Ps: What if you add bitlocker and another PC you connect your HD to doesn't support Bitlocker, Truecrypt would solve that problem for you. Carry it with you on a USB stick and you access the Data on the USB drive anywhere.

Systems Supported: Windows / Mac Os X / Linux

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/bitlocker-truecrypt-encryption,2587.html

Edited April 30, 2014 by MJCM

[chubby]

yes, i use truecrypt for files, but it looks like bitlocker, has some advantages for full disk encryption, i'm specifically looking at that option on a new laptop

though, very few of my files are sensitive , i think i'm willing to give up the performance for the "set it and go" FDE , i'm not organized enough to keep track of what to encrypt and upload besides what i've already done, eg I could just encrypt "My documents" but

i want to minimize the hassle and not lose the security

sorta just asking mostly about the external HD , as i'm looking at encrypting that too if i need to ............

[Carmine6]

My Win 8 tablet drive is bitlocked, so theoretically the drive shouldn't be readable if put into another computer or an enclosure. No idea if that is the case. However if I copy files off to a usb drive, they are un-encrypted. I can encrypt them, and then when copied to a usb drive, they are encrypted. Takes the encryption certificate to open them, or a long code that can be printed out. Same process as in other versions of Windows to encrypt. Right click, Properties, Advanced button, check the Encrypt contents to secure data box.

On my laptop with Win 8, I just encrypt certain folders/files. The drive itself is not encrypted as it doesn't have a TPM, so when my motherboard died I was able to pull all the un-encrypted files off the drive and keep working until the replacement motherboard arrived. That's why I have most files un-encrypted, and it worked when it mattered. The encrypted files could not be opened as I had not backed up the certificate at that point. So it secured those files as I wanted, other than I could never have opened them.

[KittenKong]

My Win8 laptop hard drive is whole-drive Bitlocked using a passphrase. As far as I know the drive can be unlocked on another PC (with the Bitlocker software) using the same passphrase. Not too bothered as I only use it when travelling and the only point of Bitlocking it was to make the drive unreadable if someone (not the NSA) steals the laptop.

For external drives etc I use TrueCrypt. All my important passwords and logins and other data are in a spreadsheet that is embedded in a KeePass data file.

And I just use the one password for everything: mummy. Oh bugger.

[Digitalbanana]

Anyone notice the latest version of TrueCrypt (7.2) recommends using Bitlocker and that this isn't available of some versions of Win7 or later? All very confusing and I am still using Truecrypt 7.1a for time being until I find an alternative? Ideas?

[KittenKong]

TrueCrypt 7.2 is dodgy, as is their website at the moment. Do NOT install it.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/28/truecrypt_hack/

[KhunBENQ]

Quite confusing this situation with TrueCrypt.

I read through a couple of pages and quite unsure what happend.

But this warning on the site and the text sounds very dubious and amateurish at the same time.

Even it there was a problem with TC, I can not believe that honest open source authors would direct you to BitLocker, a proprietary MS SW.

I would much more believe that BitLocker contains a backdoor for the NSA than TC.

Maybe they got under some kind of pressure?

On the other hand: this (hacked?) site is so amateur like, that I don't believe its been created by professionals (NSA, GCHQ) who want to direct you to encryption SW they hold the master key for. For that they would have to act much smarter.

Waiting for news.

Edited May 29, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[MJCM]

^ +1

[KhunBENQ]

Another one: the statement on the (hacked?) site that every version of Windows Vista and following contains BitLocker is wrong.

Officially you need the ultimate or enterprise versions, which is not standard for home/private users.

The justification for discontinuing due to the end of XP support also sounds naive/childish.

Edited May 29, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[chubby]

I've been looking at it further, and going back and forth, whether, in the future, depending on how much traveling, living overseas I may be doing, place I stay in BKK, serviced apartment, the maid and who knows whom, comes in everyday and tidys up, which is nice, but, seems an insecure setup. I suppose, there is no point, outsmarting the NSA, as a hope or a need. Therefore TPM for FDE probably is way to go, just end up paying an extra $400 for a higher end CPU with the AES and TPM , and for the "professional" win 8.1, and I'm not sure about making some mistake and losing it all, no matter how simple it may be to do FDE with TPM vs. TC , but perhaps if I also b/u onto an encrypted BL or TC external USB or so .....

[bendejo]

The lack of support for XP affecting development of Truecrypt?

Makes absolutely no sense.

For those of us that use TC we should just stay put and not seek an upgrade. I have 7.1a

[MJCM]

The lack of support for XP affecting development of Truecrypt?

Makes absolutely no sense.

For those of us that use TC we should just stay put and not seek an upgrade. I have 7.1a

It could be that they stopped development because of UEFI and that they couldn't find how to support systems with UEFI, however this is just speculating.

I also will stay with 7.1a and stay away as far as possible from 7.2

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[steelepulse]

Wasn't there some sort of back door to Truecrypt discovered very recently and that's why the recommendation for bitlocker? There's also drivecrypt, but it's not cheap.