像别人一样，最近我常常需要使用越来越多的网上用户名和密码，还有跟信用卡和银行有关的信息，用户名和密码。假如把这些都放在计算机文件里面，已经超过30K以上的资料。并且，这种资料假如不是电子的的话，不太方便。为什么呢？第一个原因就是，这种信息常常改变，需要编辑。第二个原因，信息不是电子的的话，可能是需要二十张紙，就不能作一个CTRL－F而去查某一个字，因此也许你需要五分钟，才查到莫一个重要的密码。第三个原因，纸上的信息不能加密，千万不要丢了!

最好的解决办法呢。我觉得就是加密的闪存盘，我特别喜欢的是一个开放源代码加密程序，叫做Truecrypt，应用于Linux和Windows的造作系统两个都可以。在下我试试描写Truecrypt最方便的用法。总的来说，就是加密闪存盘的一个所谓”volume”,然后把你的文件放在这个volume上，这样子你可以拿这个闪存盘，随便用于你办公室的电脑或者家里的电脑或者移动的电脑。这样子，每次开始用这个闪存盘跟另外一个有Truecrypt加密系统电脑，Truecrypt加密系统先让你轮入闪存盘上被加密的volume的密码，然后你每次把文件放在闪存盘上或者用你的Text Editor或者Word processor编辑闪存盘上的文件，Truecrypt加密系统就会自动的加密或者解决，不需要再次轮入密码。

安装（GNU/Linux Ubuntu 6.10)：
>truecrypt -V // 假如Truecrypt不在或者不是4.2a以上，作sudo apt-get install truecrypt
// 连接你想用的闪存盘于你的有Linux造作系统的电脑的USB端口而
>ls -latr /dev // 试试看最后被打的pluggable device (plugdev)叫什么名子（例如“sdb1”）。 也可以用dmesg
>sudo fdisk /dev/sdb // 创造1个给Truecrypt加密系统用的partition
>sudo truecrypt -c /dev/sdb1 // 在这个partition上创造Truecrypt要用的volume
// 我选的encryption是“Twofish”而hash是“Whirlpool”

每次用于一个有Truecrypt系统的电脑：
// 连接闪存盘于USB端口
>ls -latr /dev // 试试看最后被打的pluggable device (plugdev)叫什么名子（不一定是“sdb1”）
>sudo mkdir /mnt/sdb1 // 如果没有/mnt/sdb1
>sudo truecrypt -u /dev/sdb1 /mnt/sdb1
// 用Truecrypt系统来mount这个device
// Truecrypt系统只要问你Linux系统的密码和Truecypt volume的密码

// 现在你可以随便继续用这个volume上的文件，比如：

>ls /mnt/sdb1/myfile.txt // or edit, etc.

// 工作做完的时候：
>sudo truecrypt -d /dev/sdb1 // 以Truecrypt系统卸载加密的文件系统
// 在电脑的桌面上的一个“cdrom“图标上的右键菜单中你就要选“eject”。 现在可以断开你的闪存盘。

其他：
>sudo truecrypt -vl // Truecrypt系统的volume的属性看得出来.

就这样。最基本的用法非常简单。除了这些以外，应该作一个被安全地存储备份。

Like everybody else, recently I’m finding I need to use more and more web IDs and passwords, as well as user names and passwords for credit card and banking information. If you look at this in terms of a computer file, it amounts to more than 30K of information. Furthermore, if this kind of material weren’t in electronic form, it would be pretty inconvenient. Why? One reason is that this is information that is frequently changing and needing to be edited. The second reason is that, if this information were not electronic, it might take up 20 paper pages, in which case you can’t just hit ctrl-F to go find something, so it might take you five minutes to locate a particular password. The third reason is that there’s no practical way to encrypt information you’re going to keep on paper, so you’d better hope you don’t lose it!

What’s the best solution to this? I think it is an encrypted flash drive. I particularly like an open source encryption program called Truecrypt, which can be used both on Linux and on Windows operating systems. In the following, I try to describe the most practical ways of using Truecrypt. In short, it’s to encrypt a “”olume” on a flash drive and then put files onto this volume. Then you can just take the flash drive and plug it into your office computer or your home computer or your mobile computer. This way, each time you start to use the flash drive with a different computer that has the Truecrypt encryption program, the Truecrypt encryption system will first require you to enter a password for the Truecrypt-encrypted volume, and then automatically encrypt or decrypt files, as you put them onto the volume, or open them from there, in a text editor or word processor, without requiring entering a password again.

Installation (GNU/Linux Ubuntu 6.10):
>truecrypt -V // If Truecrypt is not installed, or is not version 4.2a or greater, do: sudo apt-get install truecrypt
// Connect the flash drive you’re planning to use to the USB port of your Linux OS computer
>ls -latr /dev // check to find the name of the pluggable device (plugdev) hit most recently (like “sdb1″). You can also do this with dmesg.
>sudo fdisk /dev/sdb // Create a partition intended for Truecrypt use.
>sudo truecrypt -c /dev/sdb1 // On this partition, create a volume intended for Truecrypt use
// I chose “Twofish” for the encryption and “Whirlpool” for the hash.

Each time you use it with a computer that has Truecrypt:
// Connect the flash drive to a USB port
>ls -latr /dev // Check to find the name of the pluggable device (plugdev) hit most recently (like “sdb1″).
>sudo mkdir /mnt/sdb1 // If there is no /mnt/sdb1
>sudo truecrypt -u /dev/sdb1 /mnt/sdb1 // Use the Truecrypt system to mount the device
// The Truecrypt system will ask for the Linux system password and the Truecrypt volume password

// Now continue doing whatever you need to with the volume’s file system, such as:
>ls /mnt/sdb1/myfile.txt // or edit, etc.

When finished:
>sudo truecrypt -d /dev/sdb1 // Dismount the volume’s file system through the Truecrypt system.
// Right click on the “cdrom” icon on the computer desktop and select “eject” from the menu list. Now you can disconnect the flash drive.

Other:
>sudo truecrypt -vl // To access properties of the volume in the Truecrypt system.

That’s it. It’s really very simple. Aside from these few things, the only other thing you ought to do is to make a secured backup.