Howto: A simple encrypted folder using Cryptkeeper.

I required a simple solution to easily secure some data, a single folder that could be encrypted and require a password to decipher being the ideal solution. A quick google soon pointed me to a couple fo options, Truecrypt and Cryptkeeper. Truecrypt seemed far more than I required but Cryptkeeper was perfect for my use.

To get it installed and any extra dependencies issue the following from a terminal or Synaptic if you prefer.

sudo apt-get install cryptkeeper

You can then start Cryptkeeper from the menu >> Applications >> System Tools >> Cryptkeeper It will launch to your System Tray, click the icon and choose "New encrypted folder". Give it a name in the top entry on the dialogue, and a location on your hard disks to have the encrypted folder in the lower part. Click "Forward" then enter your password, its pretty darned important not to lose this password as it will not be recoverable if you ever lose it, and that means the data won't be either.

Once that is done nautilus will open your new encrypted folder which is currently empty. You can now move the data you want making secure into this folder, when you are done, click on the Cryptkeeper System Tray icon again and "untick" the folder that you had just created. Once unmounted the data cannot be read and the folder will become hidden from view. When hidden the folder is simply renamed with a dot preceding it, so if you do get curious and navigate into it you will find your file names and the content they hold is encrypted and unreadable.

To access the data again just click the icon and "tick" the box next to the entry to remount it and make the data accessible, the files in the folder can be read as normal by any applications and resaved again directly in place. Its incredibly simple, usable and ample security for the data I want to keep private, little more than personal letters in my case and I think that is the case with most home users.