How do I encrypt the email stored on my machine?

In this excerpt from
Answercast #35, I look at encrypting email real-time by storing your email
folders in a Truecrypt volume. They are only accessible after mounting the
volume.

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Encrypting email

So I’m not really sure what it is you’re referring to here.

On my Dell laptop, on my PC desktop, I have my email folders stored on a TrueCrypt volume.

So I can’t even see my email, I can’t get to my email unless I have the TrueCrypt volume mounted. Once it’s mounted, Thunderbird happily puts all of its email onto that volume. And it is, in fact, encrypted in real time.

• It’s visible unencrypted as long as the volume is mounted.

• As soon as the volume is dismounted, then the email is present – but it is completely and totally encrypted.

So, I’m not really sure exactly what it is you’re referring to.

Exporting to Truecrypt?

There was no export/copy operation necessary to get encrypted storage of my own email on my own PC. And I know that the same thing could very well be done on the Mac as well.

And (in fact, as I think about it) I may end up having to do exactly that with my new Macintosh.

So the short answer is:

• You can do what you’re looking for right now using TrueCrypt. No changes necessary.

Native encryption

The other approach that you may consider (if TrueCrypt for whatever reason is too cumbersome) is to use an email program that allows the option of storing its email natively encrypted.

Now, there may be others, but the only one that I’m aware of is Outlook: Microsoft Outlook that comes with Microsoft Office.

If you look at Properties for a PST file within Outlook, there is an option to specify an encryption password. That will cause the PST itself to be encrypted.

• Don’t forget the password!

I actually don’t know how strong an encryption it really is.

I tend to avoid application-specific encryption mechanisms because typically, they are after-thoughts or add-ons. They may not be up to the same level of encryption standards that something like, say, TrueCrypt would be. But it is there and I know that it is completely transparent once you have it turned on.

So those are two options for you.

• I think TrueCrypt is a viable solution for the kind of thing that you are asking about.

• If not, some email programs themselves have the encryption ability built right in.