Securing Laptop's Hard Drive

[appster]

I need to use my laptop on the road quite a bit. I keep reading about stolen laptops, so I want to secure my hard drive so that if my laptop is stolen, my personal data would not be compromised.

Can you guys please recommend software products (for WinXP) that secure the entire hard drive so that only someone knowing the proper password could gain disk-access? That software would have to be capable of not allowing a Safe Mode work-around.

[Huupi]

-{ Quote: "I need to use my laptop on the road quite a bit. I keep reading about stolen laptops, so I want to secure my hard drive so that if my laptop is stolen, my personal data would not be compromised.

Can you guys please recommend software products (for WinXP) that secure the entire hard drive so that only someone knowing the proper password could gain disk-access? That software would have to be capable of not allowing a Safe Mode work-around." }-

Depend on amount of pers. data,when traveling maybe better to put it on a USB stick or ext. drive[for more security make multiple copies].

[appster]

-{ Quote: "Depend on amount of pers. data,when traveling maybe better to put it on a USB stick or ext. drive[for more security make multiple copies]." }-
Thanks for the reply, but those are not solutions for my situation. First of all, I have a large database with confidential information that I would not want compromised should my laptop get ripped-off. Secondly, my browser remembers my logons (names, passwords, etc.) which I certainly never want visable to others!

Furthermore, since I keep a backup at home, losing my laptop would sort of be a financial hardship, but at least I could restore my data to a replacement laptop. But I must find a way to prevent whomever stole my laptop from accessing my personal data!!!

[newbino]

You could use TrueCrypt, an on-the-fly disk encryption system
http://www.truecrypt.org/
to create crypted folders or even a partition - not the OS ;)
Open-source, very fast, flawless. Also very simple to use, but make sure you read the manual first.

If you are looking for a whole-disk encryption, on the other hand, I do not have any personal experience but here is a very interesting reference:
http://scmagazine.com/us/grouptest/details/096e9d9d-f817-5228-f8ed-05b777ed9a07/whole-disk-encryption-2007/

[pvsurfer]

appster, look no further than Jetico BestCrypt (http://www.jetico.com/index.htm#/bcve.htm) ....it's exactly what you need.

[appster]

Hey guys, thanks for those suggestions - seems to be just what I'm looking for!

[Jo Ann]

You may want to checkout SecureDisk (http://www.feebe.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=30), which has similar features to those mentioned and is freeware!

[NGRhodes]

Why not use the built in encryption (if using XP PRO) ?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308989

[si_ed]

-{ Quote: "Why not use the built in encryption (if using XP PRO) ?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308989" }-

Because: http://www.elcomsoft.com/aefsdr.html

[GroverH]

You might be very interested in the responses listed below to a similar topic.
The link below covers just a few major responses. You can read the others from his links also.

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-10149_102-0.html?forumID=7&threadID=259087&messageID=2564464&tag=nl.e497#2564464

[si_ed]

I forgot to mention the most obvious and easy option. If you have Windows Vista (or intend to upgrade) you could use BitLocker to encrypt the entire hard disk, rather than encrypting files, folders or using virtual volumes. You would need either Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows Vista Enterprise. 'Lower' versions and XP does not support BitLocker.

BitLocker info: (http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/ba1a3800-ce29-4f09-89ef-65bce923cdb51033.mspx?mfr=true)

"Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature available in Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate for client computers and in Windows Server 2008. BitLocker provides enhanced protection against data theft or exposure on computers that are lost or stolen, and more secure data deletion when BitLocker-protected computers are decommissioned.

Data on a lost or stolen computer is vulnerable to unauthorized access, either by running a software attack tool against it or by transferring the computer’s hard disk to a different computer. BitLocker helps mitigate unauthorized data access on lost or stolen computers by combining two major data-protection procedures:

• Encrypting the entire Windows operating system volume on the hard disk. BitLocker encrypts all user files and system files in the operating system volume, including the swap and hibernation files.

• Checking the integrity of early boot components and boot configuration data. On computers that have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 1.2, BitLocker leverages the enhanced security capabilities of the TPM to help ensure that your data is accessible only if the computer’s boot components appear unaltered and the encrypted disk is located in the original computer.


BitLocker is tightly integrated into Windows Vista and provides enterprises with enhanced data protection that is easy to manage and configure. For example, BitLocker can use an existing Microsoft Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) infrastructure to remotely store BitLocker recovery keys. BitLocker also provides a recovery console that enables data retrieval for non-domain-joined computers or computers that are unable to connect the domain (for example, computers in the field)."