TrueCrypt released for OS X

A new OS X version of the well-known open-source disk encryption software TrueCrypt has been released. Basically, TrueCrypt creates a virtual encrypted disk that mounts in the Finder and which provides on-the-fly 256-bit encryption. This virtual disk can reside on your hard drive or a flash drive and can even be hidden. The new version relies on MacFUSE to bring its magic to the fairer platform.

Unfortunately, the interface is not terribly Mac-like, through this is probably not surprising given its roots. Each virtual disk has to be created and mounted through the TrueCrypt application. Nonetheless, once mounted you can interact with the virtual disk like any other volume mounted in the Finder.

TrueCrypt is a free download from sourceforge.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Source: http://www.truecrypt.org/

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Freeware Open Source Security

A new OS X version of the well-known open-source disk encryption software TrueCrypt has been released. Basically, TrueCrypt creates a...

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dscha

Hi,
I would like to use truecrypt in conjunction with Time machine, basically, my back ups should be crypted. Anyone who has tried this? I haven't bought a disc yet so I would like to know if this could work.
Thanks
Dietmar

February 18 2008 at 11:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Quentin

I hope one day they are able to bring out the hidden partition feature for Macs.

February 08 2008 at 10:54 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Andy

To everyone having problems with TrueCrypt, do what Rob said, use Firefox to download the .dmg. It solved all of my problems!

February 07 2008 at 8:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rob

Slobi -- I did not have any problems. But if you used Safari to download the image you might have problems. Safari is buggy and oftens appends the wrong file extension to the end of files.

Solution: You Firefox to download the installer image.

February 06 2008 at 6:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Slobi

Actually, OS X v. 5 for Tiger/Intel errors out when you try to mount the installer image. Wow, that's reliable. I'll be using it...NOT.

February 06 2008 at 4:52 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rob

Folks are asking what are the advantages of TrueCrypt over Apple's encypted dmg's.

There are TWO big advantages:

1. TrueCrypt is open source! No backdoors etc. There is no guarantee that Apple's encrypted dmgs don't have backdoors (for the NSA, CIA etc).

2. The TrueCrypt encrypted volumes should be portable over THREE Operating Systems -- Windows, Mac and Linux. For those, who use various OS's, this is a great plus!

Personally, I will be using TrueCrypt from now on!

February 06 2008 at 4:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

gtnman

man what kind of crap are you guys putting on your drives that are so sensitive?

February 06 2008 at 2:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to gtnman's comment

brian

pr0n

February 06 2008 at 2:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

treekite

financial data, account information, receipts, private keys, files for work (VA SSN leak, anybody?), you name it. You don't have any files that you'd prefer to keep secure? And when it's so easy, why not?

February 06 2008 at 3:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Paul Joyce

I've used TrueCrypt for the PC for quite a while. I'm excited there is now an OS X version.

February 06 2008 at 1:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

SoloMalee

Excellent! Now I can (hopefully) work without problem between home (MAC) and work(PC) while keeping my files on my thumb drive safe and secure.

February 06 2008 at 11:52 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

jason

So does anyone know if this is possible:
I have a 60 gig external USB hard drive. I'd like to take 20 GB or so and make that encrypted and private, leaving the rest unencrypted. I'd like to be able to access the files on a mac or PC.

February 06 2008 at 11:48 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to jason's comment

Patrick

You would of course have to create two partitions, one to be formated via TrueCrypt and one as usual via OS X. Of course having a seemingly empty 20 GB partition filled with random data will make it obvious that there is a TrueCrypt-Partition there, albeit encrypted. Hiding Files only works with hidden partitions as mentioned before.

February 06 2008 at 11:55 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

DWizzy

I'm not sure if you can make a TrueCrypt encrypted FAT32 partition. Else you'd have to use NTFS over MacFUSE (for write capability) so you can create a large disk image file

February 06 2008 at 3:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply