TrueCrypt 6 offers faster encryption and completely secret operating systems

If you use TrueCrypt to encrypt your laptop just in case the worst should happen, then here’s a bit of good news. Version 6 of the open source encryption tool was released late last week and among the new features introduced this time round is parallelised encryption and decryption. In plain English, this TrueCrypt now works that much more quickly if you have a laptop with a multi-core processor.

According to TrueCrypt, encryption and decryption is twice as fast on a dual-core processor than a single-core chip of an equivalent specification, which means all Intel Centrino-powered laptops with a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo chip will see the speed increase.

TrueCrypt v6.0 also includes the option to create a hidden operating system to sit alongside a decoy, but fully functional, operating system. This means you can boot up a laptop and show that it doesn’t contain anything of interest, safe in the knowledge that your private data and applications are safe on a hidden and undiscoverable partition.

Setting up a hidden operating system partition means you will have to enter a pre-boot authentication password that controls with operating system is used (much in the same way that TrueCrypt handles hidden encrypted volumes). You also need a separate partition on which to install the hidden operating system.

[ TrueCrypt]