Backup of USB stick {SOLVED}

[cliffcoggin]

After nearly losing data stored on a protected USB stick
viewtopic.php?f=90&t=379372
I realise it is time to make an equally well protected backup.

I have seen
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=379319&p=2215773&h ... e#p2215773
but I want a non terminal method.

My first thought is to simply copy from one stick to another as the total amount of data is less than 4GB, however I am open to suggestions for a better strategy that is quick and simple.

[Cosmo.]

Honestly, what can be quicker and simpler than the direct way?

[cliffcoggin]

OK. I'll do that, and I'd like to protect it the same way as the original because that system works and I am comfortable with it. However that causes me an embarrassing difficulty in that I have forgotten how I protected or encrypted the first device a couple of years ago. Its properties do not give me a clue, nor does the appearance of the password dialogue box. Is there a way to identify the protection/encryption method I have used?

[Cosmo.]

No, in this case the protection would likely be illusion.

Perhaps you should think about a password manager like KeePassXC.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Honestly, what can be quicker and simpler than the direct way?

For 4GB or less, I agree.

[Cosmo.]

Even if it would be larger than 4 GB. Otherwise you would have to copy the 4+ GB file to an interim place and then again the 4+ amount to the second stick. You only add more needed time and of course an additional step. Even assumed you would create for that purpose a RAM-disk (only hypothetically), you have to read from a stick (to the RAM disk) and you have to write (from the RAM-disk) to a stick.

[cliffcoggin]

No, in this case the protection would likely be illusion.

Perhaps you should think about a password manager like KeePassXC.

I use KeepassXC already for the password, in fact I use it for all passwords. My question is how to discover what application I used to apply the existing protection. I simply do not remember if I have used encryption software or merely password protection.

[Cosmo.]

My question is how to discover what application I used to apply the existing protection.

As I said already: You cannot (except it would be a rather insecure application).

[cliffcoggin]

Well this is intriguing. I have looked into several encryption/protection methods via compression, and all of them need to be extracted in a few steps. I can use them of course, but none are as straightforward as the unknown method I use at the moment. All I need do at present is plug in the USB stick, enter the password, and the data is revealed. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

[deck_luck]

,,,
All I need do at present is plug in the USB stick, enter the password, and the data is revealed. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

It sounds like the native Linux LUKS encryption. With the storage device connected please post the output from the following command from a terminal session to help identify the LUKS encryption method:

Code: Select all

sudo lsblk -f

[cliffcoggin]

Code: Select all

[sudo] password for cliffcoggin:             
NAME FSTYPE LABEL UUID                                 FSAVAIL FSUSE% MOUNTPOINT
sda                                                                   
├─sda1
│    ntfs   System Reserved
│                 524881174880FB4D                                    
└─sda2
     ntfs         E81687FC1687C9D0                                    
sdb                                                                   
├─sdb1
│    ext4         b8cb396b-91e0-4778-9189-5649476b306e   13.8G    44% /
├─sdb2
│    swap         b61807f9-d44d-45a5-bdc5-691fc4428a9a                [SWAP]
└─sdb3
     ext4         b4b9f16f-0c57-4641-b06a-36265f15cf74  324.6G    15% /run/times
sdc                                                                   
└─sdc1
     crypto       a64bf3cb-b31f-448b-b011-7478a4a6f486                
  └─luks-a64bf3cb-b31f-448b-b011-7478a4a6f486
     ext4   Tempus
                  d7ccf3f5-993d-4380-8278-bcaa5d25a67c    3.2G     7% /media/cli
sr0                                                       

I see "luks" amongst all the sdc characters so I must have used that, though I have no memory of doing so. Nevertheless it is progress. I now need to investigate what luks is and how to use it. Thanks for the assisstance.

[deck_luck]

You can use the more user friendly Disks GUI utility to create additional LUKS encryption.

Create or select the appropriate partition
Click the gears and select format partition
Click internal disk ext4 and the password protect volume (LUKS)

Note the internal disk ext4 works on external USB storage devices as well.

[cliffcoggin]

Encryption via Disks was indeed the answer, thank you. Even though I have now made and tested the encrypted backup, it still does not prompt any memory of encrypting the original two years ago. I blame it on senility. Nevertheless I achieved what I wanted with your help.