Slashdot Mirror
Open Source Removable Media Encryption?
An anonymous reader asks: "I'm trying to find a solution for encrypting removable media connected to my network's computers. Ideally, the solution would: allow Enterprise deployment and configuration in a Windows XP environment; be free and open source; not require administrative privileges to use (encrypt/decrypt files and media); and allow decryption via freely available and platform-independent methods on the destination machine. I've looked at PointSec for Removable Media, but it requires Windows on both ends. I've also looked at TrueCrypt, but it doesn't appear to limit encryption to only removable media (I don't want users encrypting their hard drives). Slashdot, can you help me?"
This question comes up every few months here, and as far as I can tell TrueCrypt is really the only solution that even approaches what you and almost everyone else here is looking for. First off it's open source (check), it's under active development unlike many other encryption projects (check), it's already partially cross-platform (semi-check) with plans for a Mac OS X version, and it's the only free, open source encryption software to have a decent GUI, as far as I can tell.
If you have the backing of a real enterprise organization what you need to do is donate some time and/or money to the TrueCrypt project so that you can get the features you want. At this point there is really only one thing holding TrueCrypt back from becoming as ubiquitous as Firefox, which is that it hasn't yet been ported to Mac OS X and its GUI hasn't been ported to Linux yet. Feature-wise it will do just about exactly what you want, but the project needs resources and programmers to help make it totally cross-platform.
The day that there is a stable GUI version that runs on OS X, Windows and Linux is the day that you and the rest of us will FINALLY have a solution to cross-platform encryption needs. It will also be the ONLY cross-platform solution available, if current trends continue. Believe me, I have LOOKED, and looked hard, and there is NOTHING on the market that isn't either Windows-dependent on both ends (as you've seen) or some half-assed clunky little command-line program only suitable for statically encrypting and decrypting files (google bcrypt and ccrypt, cross-platform but useless except to a few geeks). TrueCrypt mounts the encrypted file or drive as a drive letter and lets you transparently work with the files without ever writing them to disk in an unencrypted format. Regular users aren't going to accept anything less than TrueCrypt's already proven ease of use.
Seriously, I can't emphasize this enough. TrueCrypt is your (our) only hope. They are Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's so close to what we all want, and nothing else even compares. Go ahead, keep looking. You won't find anything. If you have some resources behind you, as in money or programmers, aim them square at the TrueCrypt project and get things moving to get it completely cross-platform. The world will thank you and your enterprise needs will be met by free, open source software that will never die or cost you $100 per seat per year. Isn't that worth a little initial investment?