TrueCrypt - Is there any use in encrypting the whole HD?

[Chris Thomas]

Is there any benefit if I encrypt my whole HD?

Does my performance decrease?

Or

Is it just meant to prevent HD tampering and has nothing to do with online security?


http://www.truecrypt.org/

(Edited)

[Lisandro]

I use TrueCrypt into one partition (not the whole disk).
In that partition I put my personal stuff that I don't want to be abused if they stole my computer.
There are not noticeable performance slowdowns.

[Chris Thomas]

I use TrueCrypt into one partition (not the whole disk).
In that partition I put my personal stuff that I don't want to be abused if they stole my computer.
There are not noticeable performance slowdowns.

Yes, I have tried that but I haven't tried encrypting the whole HD.

I guess, TrueCyrpt can encrypt the whole HD even if there is Windows OS on it....

Have you tried it?

[igor]

Disk encryption isn't really about online security - but rather offline security.
OK, if you put your personal data to an encrypted folder and don't mount it, they'd be protected against malicious code, should you get infected in between - so that would be online security, but that's not the main scenario IMHO.
Disk encryption is there mainly to protect your data if your computer gets stolen (or if anybody has a physical access to it).

Regarding the full disk encryption - the difference is in the system partition (which you cannot encrypt otherwise). So, if you encrypt the whole disk, you also protect Windows registry, the system folder... and of course anything you have stored or installed on your system partition. It's probably up to you to say whether you think you might have any "interesting" information there.

[YoKenny]

I guess if you are paranoid that the US or any other government wants to spy on what you do then Encryption is for you.

[bob3160]

I personally don't care what Uncle Sam or any one else sees and
don't really need anything else slowing down my system.
What you encrypt, you'll need to decrypt before it's usable.

[Lisandro]

Have you tried it?

No, I haven't. But the software is quite secure and serious. You can trust it.
I can't use this configuration as I use CTM (which is incompatible with full HDD encryption).

[Lisandro]

What you encrypt, you'll need to decrypt before it's usable.

Of course. But at driver level, you don't have performance issues with that job. Just test

[Chris Thomas]

@ igor

I guess your explanation was easy to understand and to the point. I got it now.

@ YoKenny @ Bob

Actually, I am a little paranoid since I live in another restrictive country who even wants to censor Blackberries....

And I was impressed by some reports about TrueCrypt like this one

Brazilian banker's crypto baffles FBI

18 months of failure

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/28/brazil_banker_crypto_lock_out/

Hmm, so I though, if ever some spies or gangs or anyone want to take me out in the future, I would have to encrypt everything atleast to buy some time

But since I don't have any sensitive information - I guess I don't want to waste time decrypting what I have encrypted.

Just a precaution actually to meet unforeseen risks.

@ Tech

Thanks for the info.

EDITED:

Preparing myself for any cyber apocalypse.

[bob3160]

What you encrypt, you'll need to decrypt before it's usable.

Of course. But at driver level, you don't have performance issues with that job. Just test

Sorry Tech this is one function I really don't need nor want.

[Lisandro]

Sorry Tech this is one function I really don't need nor want.

No problems, just that performance is not a problem here.