GPG Vim: Decrypt and edit on the fly
I have a file on my computer filled with all sorts of interesting personal data, such as usernames and passwords, bank account and credit card numbers, and keys to the non-Free software I’ve purchased. I’ve encrypted it to my GPG key, and keep it in my SVN repository. When I want to add something new to the file, I have to decrypt it to a plaintext file, edit it, and re-encrypt it before committing it back to subversion. Taking a page out of Cryptonomicon (one of the best books ever written), I just discovered a nifty plugin for Vim, my editor of choice, that turns off swap files (and other un-secure things) and automatically decrypts and encrypts files ending in .gpg. Still vulnerable to cross-process memory inspection, I suppose, but this is better than nothing, saves me time, and prevents sensitive bits from ever going onto the hard drive, where they are pretty difficult to get rid of.
Installation is as easy as dropping the downloaded file into ~/.vim/plugin/