If using file/volume encryption understand how it works.

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make sure to read all the info on your particular software. especially don't leave volumes/file unencrypted when not at your computer (for long periods of time) or otherwise let your machine hybernate with a drive mounted or file/container open. This has long been a known issue that the "keys" sit in resident memory but until yesterday, this was a difficult task to accomplish.

 

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/12/20/this-299-tool-is-reportedly-capable-of-cracking-bitlocker-pgp-and-truecrypt-disks-in-real-time/