Comments on: On-the-fly Encryption with TrueCrypt http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/ Open Source, Open Standards Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:25:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: samil http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-2675 Wed, 27 May 2009 14:51:03 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-2675 I did not get it. Why when a partition or a device is encrypted all data is lost??? I might be missing something, but if it means that the existing data residing on the disk can not be encrypted without loss, what is the benefit? My company used zecurion for encrypting server data on linux and windows servers(both backup and storage) and the software encrypted all of the existing data without loss. check them out ... http://www.zecurion.com/software-products.php I did not get it. Why when a partition or a device is encrypted all data is lost??? I might be missing something, but if it means that the existing data residing on the disk can not be encrypted without loss, what is the benefit?
My company used zecurion for encrypting server data on linux and windows servers(both backup and storage) and the software encrypted all of the existing data without loss. check them out … http://www.zecurion.com/software-products.php

]]> by: meeas http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-2184 Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:53:09 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-2184 Third vote for ENCFS. And Gerlos, it works on MAC OSX as well. Just not Windows...... But maybe that will happen once Fuse is fully ported over to Windows. For everyone else, if you haven't checked it out, you can read more at: http://www.arg0.net/encfsintro Third vote for ENCFS. And Gerlos, it works on MAC OSX as well. Just not Windows…… But maybe that will happen once Fuse is fully ported over to Windows.

For everyone else, if you haven’t checked it out, you can read more at:

http://www.arg0.net/encfsintro

]]> by: malcarada http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1820 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:31:54 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1820 Truecrypt is a great program but they do not support whole disk encryption in Linux and they support that for Windows users. This is not the way to go for open source software, encouraging people to use Windows giving them more features on that platform. Truecrypt is a great program but they do not support whole disk encryption in Linux and they support that for Windows users.

This is not the way to go for open source software, encouraging people to use Windows giving them more features on that platform.

]]> by: jm_hannon http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1727 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:01:20 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1727 (1) What file system did you choose? I was given a choice of "FAT" or "None". (2) When I mounted the encrypted file system (via truecrypt) only the root user had ANY access to the files in the container, and I couldn't find a way to change that behavior. Is there some way to allow others to access the files? (3) The files in the container are, for practical purposes, unencrypted for the root user (or whoever owns the container). If my system gets cracked, how does the encryption protect me? (4) This approach seems to fit the model of a laptop, more than a desktop or server system. (1) What file system did you choose? I was given a choice of “FAT” or “None”.

(2) When I mounted the encrypted file system (via truecrypt) only the root user had ANY access to the files in the container, and I couldn’t find a way to change that behavior. Is there some way to allow others to access the files?

(3) The files in the container are, for practical purposes, unencrypted for the root user (or whoever owns the container). If my system gets cracked, how does the encryption protect me?

(4) This approach seems to fit the model of a laptop, more than a desktop or server system.

]]> by: Jakub Myszka http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1725 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:58:01 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1725 FreeOTFE does something a bit different as far as i can remember. It does not encrypte the file itself but the data about the file in the MFT or FAT table... It is waaay faster and consumes mUUCH less battery life form notebook. But i'd say it's less secure because of that... doesn't offer hidden partitions as far as I can remember and I had problems with getting it to work on some windows machines (but the OS was NLIGHTed so possibly because of that..) FreeOTFE does something a bit different as far as i can remember. It does not encrypte the file itself but the data about the file in the MFT or FAT table… It is waaay faster and consumes mUUCH less battery life form notebook. But i’d say it’s less secure because of that… doesn’t offer hidden partitions as far as I can remember and I had problems with getting it to work on some windows machines (but the OS was NLIGHTed so possibly because of that..)

]]> by: ahri http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1724 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:02:12 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1724 I found that encfs (a FUSE application) was easier to use, and you're not limited by the rather annoying startup hinderance; "how big do I make my encrypted partition?". http://www.arg0.net/encfs allows you to mount an encrypted filesystem in userspace and just add stuff on the fly; the only limit is the size of the partition under which you're hosting the encrypted files. Having said that I use TrueCrypt all the time in Windows, so I suppose it's a matter of taste. TrueCrypt *may* be faster, too, although I have no benchmarks to prove that. I found that encfs (a FUSE application) was easier to use, and you’re not limited by the rather annoying startup hinderance; “how big do I make my encrypted partition?”.

http://www.arg0.net/encfs allows you to mount an encrypted filesystem in userspace and just add stuff on the fly; the only limit is the size of the partition under which you’re hosting the encrypted files.

Having said that I use TrueCrypt all the time in Windows, so I suppose it’s a matter of taste. TrueCrypt *may* be faster, too, although I have no benchmarks to prove that.

]]> by: mhelander http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1721 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:21:42 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1721 If traveling a lot, why not install [K]ubuntu[-8.04] with optional dm-crypt/luks/aes256 encryption from alternate install media ? Works right from the box, related information has been available sans 2002 (albeit _much_ more complicated). And you can use same encryption scheme to portable storage and GUI (both Gnome and KDE in Kubuntu-8.04) recognized those and prompt for password prior to mounting. FreeOTFE provides Windows software to share these encrypted medias with Windows (haven't tried that personally). Cheers, -Mika If traveling a lot, why not install [K]ubuntu[-8.04] with optional dm-crypt/luks/aes256 encryption from alternate install media ?

Works right from the box, related information has been available sans 2002 (albeit _much_ more complicated).

And you can use same encryption scheme to portable storage and GUI (both Gnome and KDE in Kubuntu-8.04) recognized those and prompt for password prior to mounting.

FreeOTFE provides Windows software to share these encrypted medias with Windows (haven’t tried that personally).

Cheers,
-Mika

]]> by: Hennie Briel http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1720 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:31:31 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1720 Yes. I share data between vista and kubuntu. No problem. Great application!! Yes. I share data between vista and kubuntu. No problem.
Great application!!

]]> by: shekharc http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1719 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:33:03 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1719 sorry but I have a question. What if I upgrade the OS or change the OS?! Will I still be able to access my encrypted data on the drive and will be able to decrypt it?! sorry but I have a question. What if I upgrade the OS or change the OS?! Will I still be able to access my encrypted data on the drive and will be able to decrypt it?!

]]> by: Bruce Smith http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1718 Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:29:24 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7177/#comment-1718 Well I gave this a try and I keep getting prompted for an 'administrator password' when none has been set up. Wasn't even asked to set one up and cannot find where to add one. Well I gave this a try and I keep getting prompted for an ‘administrator password’ when none has been set up. Wasn’t even asked to set one up and cannot find where to add one.

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