I have been using VeraCrypt for about three minutes. Further, I am not very sophisticated. Perhaps one of you people can help me.
Now what?
“I have tried nothing and I am all out of ideas.”
Not to worry.
Are you talking about a “file container”? You can keep VeraCrypt installed while still being able to open and close the container at will. It’s just an encrypted file that contains other data, as opposed to an entire encrypted drive or hidden partition.
You have to remember where you put the encrypted file, though (on your Desktop? In your Documents? Go find it first.) Then you can open VeraCrypt, click on a drive letter and Select File, open the encrypted file via the browser (click on Open), and finally click on Mount. Then type your password.
Once it’s open, you can save files to the container as if it were a virtual disk drive.
I really ought to have looked for a video. That would help me understand.
The container “Test” that you created is just a file on your computer.
Then you open the VeraCrypt application, and mount that file. It will prompt you for the password that you used when creating the container. After it’s mounted, you will have a new drive letter in Windows, like it will be your “F:” drive.
While that file is “mounted,” then to Windows it’s an unencrypted file system. But then you can unmount it, and the data is strongly encypted, all of it is in that container file but inaccessible to anyone without your VeraCrypt password.
The whole point of this program is not to be obvious.
An encrypted container is a file full of unreadable garbage except with VC and the password.
Even Veracrypt cannot be sure a file is a VC encrypted file unless the password supplied is correct.
So it does not automatically register, it does not even get a filetype unless you want it, it could simply be ‘vacation.avi’ or some such innocuous name.
What’s the point of an encrypted file that screams “look at me I’m an encrypted file!”
Yes, you need to remember where you put the encrypted file when you created it.
you run VeraCrypt and tell it which file to open, what disk to mount it as.
Obviously you can have more than one encrypted file.
What’s misleading in this case, besides the name? It’s a file full of random-looking garbage, which totally screams, “look at me I’m an encrypted file!” As opposed to a legitimate video file that plays OK but has data steganographically embedded in it.
I believe VeraCrypt has a mode where you can encrypt a disk or file, but depending on the password used to open it will either open the real volume or a fake one instead (or not open it at all, in case the password is wrong).
@Paul in Qatar look at this tutorial (or your video)
IIRC, VeraCrypt (and Truecrypt, its predecessor) have the ability to make an encrypted container within another. And the second one is entirely undetectable without knowing the password.
So you could make one, give it a password, and then if you were subpoenaed or something, give them the password to the outer one, which would contain pictures of cats and innocuous files, and the undetectable inner one would have anything juicy.
Well yes, if “they” know you’re hiding something and go through your files with a fine-toothed software, they will find the file. Plus, if the software is installed, that’s a big give-away; it’s kind of hard to hide a multi-gigabyte file full of garbage. But there’s no point in making it easy. The filename dodge is enough to pass cursory or non-expert inspection, and keep prying eyes from looking at the contents. It likely won’t pass the rubber hose test.
IIRC there is an option to encode an entire USB stick, so basically it’s unusable (looks like it’s garbage or corrupt - won’t mount, needs to be formatted first) without the program. That’s probably a bit less obvious, I have plenty of simply dead USB sticks.
the double-volume trick is also an option, but again the $5 crescent wrench trick usually opens things. An expert will be aware of that option if they know anything about the software.
The interrogator probably knows about that feature of VeraCrypt, and probably suspects you might be using it. Even if they don’t, they are going to wonder why you are encrypting something innocuous. For “plausible deniability” it’s better that the file contain something you would want to encrypt, and would resist providing the password for, but is not illegal or what they are looking for. The most obvious choice being a bunch of raunchy and embarrassing, but legal, pornography.
Besides your basic abduction, torture, and murder, these days Saudi Arabia has access to sophisticated Israeli hacking and cyberattack tools, as well as the classic options of surreptitiously physically tampering with computer and telephone equipment, bugging hotel rooms and residences, and the rest. In case anyone is truly worried about “them”.