Encrypting personal data on the PC can be a daunting task. Not because it’s inherently difficult, but because of the vast amount of ways to accomplish it. I have experimented with various ways to encrypt data and my personal favorite is an open-source application called TrueCrypt. I prefer its approach of creating a virtual encrypted disk within a file that can be mounted and used just as if it a real disk. In other words, it simpler to manage and makes it easier to move encrypted data between systems or store on USB flash drives.