[SOLVED] Popular tools for file encryption

[bleedingsamurai]

I have some files and possibly directories that I would like to protect with encryption. I wasn't really looking for full disk encryption, but rather a file by file kind of thing.

I have already looked at TrueCrypt but I was just wondering what else is out there, what is considered the "standard" tool in the GNU/Linux world?

[dayid]

Gnu Privacy Guard

[Steven_G]

I like truecrypt. You can, but don't have to, encrypt hardware with it. You can also create an encrypted container to put files in that mounts as a drive. The set up is easy and the algo's are strong.

Whatever you use I'd suggest that it accept at least 14 characters for the password. You should use a mix of upper and lower case letters and special symbols. An easy way to do this is to create a short alpha numeric "sentence" and then "pad it out" with a bunch of empty spaces before and after the password.

From what I have read if you use anything less it is *possible* that your password can be cracked with advanced techniques and / or powerful / distributed computing. Supposedly, as long as there is no flaw in the algo this formula for creating passwords still cannot be backwards factored.

Example: (_ = space) ______U2kAnBiettI!__

Also, you should never spell real words or use consecutive numbers like 1,2,3,4. You should also never use consecutive key strokes like QWERT or QAZ.

A trick that I use: I have my own rule set for misspelling words that helps me remember them: kAn= can, Biet = Bite, tI=It and so on.

If you come up with your own rule set to misspell words you can come up with some very complicated, but easy to remember, passwords that are impossible to crack.

[Lazydog]

When it comes to passwords I like to use phrases or saying for them.

Example:

The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over The Lazy Dogs Back

The password:

tqbfjotldb

You could also like to add numbers, special charters and Capital letters too

TqbF5JotLDb#

[bleedingsamurai]

GPG has always seemed cumbersome to use for files and directories, but since I already use it for email encryption I decided to use it for file encryption too.