Lone Iguana

We’ve talked about the importance of encrypting your cell phone here on Lone Iguana before, but if you haven’t already done so, it’s also important to use some level of encryption for your personal computer. For example, a simple laptop theft can be turned into something much more devastating if the thief has access to sensitive information contained on your hard drive. Maybe you find yourself being persecuted by a tyrannical government. Perhaps you’re involved in some shady activity, or maybe you just want to protect yourself and secure your computer and your personal information. The reasons for encrypting your data are virtually unlimited, and secure encryption will prevent access to your information should your computer fall into the hands of an adversary.

While there are several options out there for encryption software, TrueCrypt is decidedly one of the best. TrueCrypt includes useful features such as hidden operating systems, keyfiles, and the ability to encrypt portable media. And the best part? It’s free, open-source, and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. TrueCrypt supports AES (which is used by the US military to encrypt data up to the top secret level), Twofish, and Serpent cryptographic algorithms, as well as several combinations of cascaded algorithms. I’ve been using TrueCrypt for almost a year now on a Windows laptop and an Ubuntu netbook, and I’ve found nothing to complain about. It’s easy to set up and install, I’ve noticed no adverse effects on the performance or speed of either system, and everything runs as it should.  With TrueCrypt, you really sacrifice nothing for high quality, secure encryption. One important thing to note, however, is that your encryption is only as strong as your password. If your password can be easily cracked, even the strongest encryption is essentially meaningless.

Resources, Links and Information:

• The official TrueCrypt website
• As part of their Surveillance Self-Defense Project, the Electronic Frontier Foundation provides a basic explanation of how encryption works here, as well as information on the law and encryption as a means for protecting yourself against surveillance here.
• A testament to the effectiveness of TrueCrypt: Hopefully you don’t need this level of encryption, but neither Brazilian police nor the FBI could crack a suspect’s computers that were encrypted with TrueCrypt.
• Comparison of Disk Encryption Software on Wikipedia

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As a result of recent court cases, it is now legal in California and some other areas of the United States for law enforcement officers to search your cell phone upon arrest without a warrant. An article on Ars Technica provides an explanation of the law and instructions and tips for securing your phone and protecting yourself. Even if you live in an area where these laws do not affect you, it’s still a good idea to ensure the data on your phone is secure, should it fall into the wrong hands.

Last week, California’s Supreme Court reached a controversial 5-2 decision in People v. Diaz (PDF), holding that police officers may lawfully search mobile phones found on arrested individuals’ persons without first obtaining a search warrant. The court reasoned that mobile phones, like cigarette packs and wallets, fall under the search incident to arrest exception to the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.

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On the other hand, if you are arrested with a mobile phone in your possession but not immediately associated with your person, police may not search your phone without a warrant once you’ve been taken into custody and your phone is under police control.

The takeaway from Diaz, therefore, is that you should store your mobile phone in your luggage, footlocker, or in some other closed container that’s not on your person, particularly when driving an automobile

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Therefore, if you care about your privacy, password-protecting your smartphone should be a no-brainer. Better yet, you should ensure your smartphone supports a secure implementation of full-disk encryption. With this method of encryption, all user information is encrypted while the phone is at rest. While it isn’t absolutely foolproof, full-disk encryption is the most reliable and practical method for safeguarding your smartphone data from the prying eyes of law enforcement officers (and from wrongdoers, like the guy who walks off with your phone after you accidentally leave it in a bar.)

Why you should always encrypt you smart phone via Lifehacker

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