DiskCryptor – Open Source Whole Disk Encryption for Windows

Bruce Sterling has said he’s been using Symantec’s Endpoint Encryption software for full disk encryption ever since the demise of TrueCrypt. I used Symantec’s product — which is really just a commercialization of PGP — many years ago before TrueCrypt became so popular. It worked well and I’m sure it is still a great solution IF you can afford the $85/workstation license.

So instead, I’ve been using the open source DiskCryptor for all of my whole disk encryption needs for Windows.So far I haven’t had any issues with it and from what I can tell it is a least as secure as TrueCrypt was (i.e., it’s likely to stymie local cops, but state actors have many ways to obtain passphrases if they want to devote sufficient resources — not sure they’re likely to do so for my porn collection, however).

 

 

 

Don’t Leave Your Draft Designs Laying Around Web

I am a big fan of encrypting my laptop’s hard drive, and typically use PGP Whole Disk Encryption product for that purpose. So yesterday I installed the 30-day trial, encrypted the drive, and ran it through its paces. As usual, WDE impresses me for its speed and unobtrusiveness.

But paying forĀ  it — that’s a whole other ball of wax. So I open up PGP, go to the “Buy a License” setting, and end up at their online store. Put in my credit card and other details and hit submit.

Uh oh — server error message. But there’s a helpful mailto link that suggests I send a notice to the web master to resolve the problem. So I click on the link, draft a quick “I’m just trying to register PGP WDE” and hit send.

And, of course, it bounces back. The interesting thing, though, is the e-mail address is clearly a dummy filler address that the web designer put in with the intent of adding a real address later . . . in fact the designer helpfully named the placeholder e-mail address:

[email protected]

Except, of course, it looks like no one ever bothered to go in and change [email protected]

Sigh. I’ll try again tomorrow.