Get Linux mint 20 full disk encryption on dual boot

[crukam]

Hi,
I have an issue i am not sure how i can go about it and was hoping to get some help from this forum. Few moth ago i have installed dual boot on my laptop computer, but now due to the fact i will get access to some costumer data they want my linux mint 20 to be have a full disk encryption. From the research i have done on internet it require to make a new re-installation. I am a little worried i may loose some data i have already. Can someone suggest a tutorial or a step by step guide on how i can achieve it safely(without loosing any data).

Many thanks

[RIH]

Personally I would never recommend full disk encryption - even though it is offered by Mint at install.
The problem is that if that data is vital then you will need to keep an unencrypted copy of it somewhere in case anything in the future goes wrong with your machine.
That rather defeats the objective but, if you don't then how do you recover the vital data the day the s does hit the fan?

A much more secure & sensible approach to take would be to use a program like VeraCrypt to just encrypt all the sensitive data.
https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Home.html

[Moonstone Man]

Can someone suggest a tutorial or a step by step guide on how i can achieve it safely(without loosing any data).

There are tutorials out there but the bigger issue is that you need to ask, and with encryption, if you need to ask then you're likely to be heading for disaster. It's not for the faint-hearted and it requires advanced knowledge if something goes wrong. If you absolutely need full disk encryption then there is a way forward but you won't get out of jail free. You need to make a full backup of all your important files, verify that the backup is restorable, then backup again. After that, you need to decide what OS you're going to use because, technically, you can't implement full disk encryption with two disparate OSes on the disk in dual boot mode because each OS is separately encrypted. You can only encrypt the partitions that each OS is installed to or makes use of. After that decision, you then need the courage to wipe your system clean and then install the chosen OS with full disk encryption.

If you want to encrypt both OSes then you will have to ask the data provider if separate encryption of both OSes is acceptable, or just the partitions of the OS that will access the data. Similarly, with the suggestion above about VeraCrypt, ask the data provider if VeraCrypt secure containers are sufficient.

Once that's all decided, and if you choose full disk encryption over home partition encryption or over secure VeraCrypt containers, you also need to make sure that you have recoverable, secure backups. Data loss is a distinct possibility with full disk encryption so secure backup is an absolute must because it is designed not to be broken into therefore it is very difficult to recover from a failure, and mostly it is not recoverable at all. Home encryption can be recovered but it takes an awful lot of work. Secure VeraCrypt containers can be copied in order to make backups of them.

The only other options that you have are a) buy another HDD and encrypt that, or b) buy another machine and full disk encrypt that.

[AndyMH]

+1 for veracrypt, it's what I used to use for work related stuff before I retired.

[t42]

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