What is more secure truecrypt or zip file with AES-256 assuming equally strong passwords?

Klawdek

I would like to encrypt some files and put them on DVD.

I have looked into using 7 zip and truecrypt I have no need to send files to anyone else so asymmetric (public/private key) is not needed.

I think it would be easier to work with zip files rather than truecrypt's fixed size containers.

Is either of these any more secure from attack?

I realize that a strong password is necessary in any encryption scheme.

coolcolors

Put this way once you password protect how will you remember the password if you forget??? You should think about that situation as well. If no one has a access to it why should you even encrypt it?? Just get a good safe and lock it away.....

Wombler

There are ways of creating memorable random passwords.

Take a random phrase and a random but memorable number such as a telephone number you know.

Use the first letter of each word in the phrase and intersperse the letters with the numbers also alternate between capital and ordinary letters and you end up with a secure password.

So 'Mary had a little lamb' and 12345 would become either m1H2a3L4l5 or M1h2A3l4L5 for example.

Pick a phrase that no one would guess is a password reminder such as 'I must remember to call Fred Bloggs about blah blah blah on 1234567' and write this down as your reminder.

If anyone sees it they'll not suspect it's a password reminder and you'll have it there if you ever forget.


Wombler

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DrageMester

Not being an expert in cryptology, I'd imagine they'd be more or less equally safe when using the same algorithm (AES-256) and password.

I would instead consider the convenience of each solution:

If you just want to archive some files to CD/DVD, then using a Zip container is probably the easiest.

If you on the other hand want to have a number of folders both on your computer and a backup on CD/DVD, it might be easier to make a TrueCrypt container on your computer, perhaps using NTFS with compression inside the container, and then simply burn a copy of the container to CD/DVD whenever you like.

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Mr. Belvedere

DVD's to tend to have a fixed sized capacity.

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Klawdek

I have considered that. I am just a bit worried about having one big encrypted file on the DVD one bit gets corrupted and the entire volume is lost. Whereas with encrypted zip/rar files I can divide a disk into several encrypted archives. If I loose one I at least do not loose them all. I can also, in the case of something that cannot be lost, create some par files for the archive file (of course the par files would have to be put into an encrypted archive).

I am still curious if either truecypt or 7 zip is better that the other in the area of how hackable they are.