IDEA: Password Protect CD/DVD

[vevola]

Sometimes we need to add some security to our files, and we want to protect the data on cds or dvds from prying eyes.

I've tried password protecting winzip or winrar files, but the files have to be copied to the hard disk, and that's no good.

What I'm requesting is to add a small file to your cds or dvds that will encrypt your files (data and filenames) without copying or leaving traces on the computer, with an option at creation to autorun, and password protect the files.

Somethig similar is at cd-lock.com

Any thoughts?
vevola

Edit by brotherS: please always start the thread topic in here with "IDEA: ...", thanks.

[Carol Haynes]

One way you could do this is to set up a RAM disc on your computer so that when the computer is restarted the contents of that disc is lost and then copy stuff there.

If you want to use stuff that is encrypted on a CD it has to be copied somewhere on your system to be able to read it, even if it is only a temporary file.

Check out http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=57704017

[SexyLilDarkPaw]

Greets

You will be happy to know this is an actual product, http://www.cryptcd.com/ it has home, pro, government and forensic editions. they encrypt and scramble your files into fake data and they have a special viewer that you use to view the files.  One of the kool features is you can set it to not allow export from the disc and you can have it remove traces after you close the viewer.
It has many decoy options and customized screen making so you can pretend its software and the password is really a serial or whatever you can come up with, imagination is the limit.

Although i think it would be easier & more interesting to have something that unpacks to a ram drive i would like to see how that would work out ^_^ because i'm not totally sure how cryptcd keeps the traces off your drive unless it stores reads them right from teh cd and decodes while in ram but not on a ram drive *confused* XD

anyways good way to start a monday ttyl all

[Carol Haynes]

Had a quick look - they don't seem to be able to seel outside the US (except for an older version). Can't quite see why they need an export license if they can already sell the older version ???

[AbteriX]

Sometimes we need to add some security to our files, and we want to protect the data on cds or dvds from prying eyes.
[...]
What I'm requesting is to add a small file to your cds or dvds that will encrypt your files (data and filenames) without copying or leaving traces on the computer, with an option at creation to autorun, and password protect the files.
[...]

How about TrueCrypt ?
TrueCrypt makes an container file with all your own files inside.
The TrueCrypt.exe needs no install, just start, mount your container and
wrote your password /phrase - then start your application from this container.

Q: Is it possible to mount a TrueCrypt container that is stored on a CD or DVD?
A: Yes, it is. [...]

Q: Is it possible to use TrueCrypt without leaving any 'traces' on Windows?
A: Yes. This can be achieved by running TrueCrypt in traveller mode under BartPE.  [...]


TrueCrypt can be found here ==>  http://www.truecrypt.org/



.

[patthecat]

With regards to Truecrypt, I THINK (not sure) that running it even in "traveller's mode" (portable) you would still need admin access on the computer you are running it from since windows requires it for running the drivers.

[SexyLilDarkPaw]

There is also E4M which truecrypt is based off, but it needs to load a .Sys file driver , but something you might look into it also has the source available if you look around.

[vevola]

cd-lock doesn't seem to need special rights, and i used it for a while and I liked it because it was simple.

if you guess the password than you see the contents unscrambled and you can run them. i'm almost thinking it just scrambled the names... and something like that would be low security and fine enough for many uses.

is it possible?