Do you trust Encryption?

[AZgl1800]

I have steered clear of encrypting anything that is extremely important to me.

I have been scared to death to totally devote all of my important data to an encrypted volume, and then not have a copy of it stored some where "in the open".... which would inherently negate the idea of using encryption in the first place.

I just read an article about VeraCrypt and how it would make it easier for the neophyte to learn to use encryption. But still, what if I forgot the password to the encrypted volume?

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ho ... d=23006433


any hints on getting me past this bit of distrust with encryption?

and secondly, just how trust-worthy is encrypted data?

and 3rd, does Linux Mint already provide for encryption, and VeraCrypt would just be something that I don't really need? What drew me towards VeraCrypt is that I use Windows, Android and Linux Mint daily and could need access to the data from any of the 3 OS types.

[Cosmo.]

If you forget the password, than you can forget your encrypted data. Perhaps except in the case, that you use a weak password, but in this case you can forget encryption.

Store backups on a locally attached external drive, not "in the open". Then they are safe.

[MintBean]

People who encrypt the entire OS seem to get into more trouble. Just have an encrypted data partition and only store there what needs to be encrypted. Having done some research and played with it, Veracrypt is the one I always recommend.

[WharfRat]

I've been using apt show encfs

Another option is LUKS.

I would stick with native repo apps rather than VeraCrypt.

And as Cosmo. said forget your password and you can forget your data

[Mute Ant]

"Do you trust Encryption?" Yes, all the way. Encryption scrambles everything beyond hope of recovery without a valid password... no password, no data... that's the whole point really.

LUKS is very easy to set up on a removable drive... the Disks accessory even offers 'Ext4 on LUKS' as one of the formatting options. I got that far and have not used anything else. Mint's File Manager recognises a LUKS when you plug it in, it's all point-and-click. Unless you make an explicit effort to copy something into plain-text, the files stay encrypted as you use them, in the LUKS container. Pull the USB stick and it's all in there, nothing in the machine.

It's not difficult to recognise an encrypted sequence of numbers by the lack of pattern. If you have a special need to hide the fact that you have hidden something, encryption alone won't do it.

Open-source is important too, to allow everyone to see how it works. That doesn't have to be 'free' or 'libre', just open source.

[AZgl1800]

If you forget the password, than you can forget your encrypted data. Perhaps except in the case, that you use a weak password, but in this case you can forget encryption.

Store backups on a locally attached external drive, not "in the open". Then they are safe.

This is what I do now, I have a 1 TB external USB HD and use 'AlwaySync' to keep pertinent folders backed up. It is "always on".
That drive is not accessible from the web, nor is my OS..... assuming I don't get hacked...


So far, after nearly 3 decades of using these things we call computers, I have always managed to keep my data safe from loss. In fact, just tonight, someone needed something from 10 years ago, and I found it on a 3.5" 160 mB hard drive.... I have 3 of those things with data from many years back.

Just ordered up a new 6 TB HDD and it will become my offline backup for images, and permanent data.
It will only be plugged in to make full complete images of my C:\ drive on my Win7 PC.... that is where all of my data resides....

but, I am learning with 18.3 Cinnamon to like Mint a lot.... this LinuxMint 18.3 Cinnamon laptop is becoming my favorite way to surf the internet.

I think I will get a new 16 gB Flash drive stick, and experiment with that for my encryption endeavors.

Thanks to all for your comments. and if there are more ideas, please present them too.

[pbear]

What drew me towards VeraCrypt is that I use Windows, Android and Linux Mint daily and could need access to the data from any of the 3 OS types.

I use TrueCrypt, from which VeraCrypt was derived, for this reason. (If I were starting fresh, I'd probably use VeraCrypt.) Two issues of which to be aware. First, bear in mind encrypted data has to be backed up the same as all other data. I do that by using two flash drives, both encrypted, which I mirror against each other. You also could use an internal partition and an external backup. Second, the most vulnerable aspect of container encryption is the header, which like all read-writes can become corrupted. There's a tool for backing up the header.

[Mildly_odd]

How do I actually get hold of LUKS or Veracrypt? Are they available in any repositories approved by linux Mint?

[AndyMH]

For veracrypt, in a terminal:

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unit193/encryption
sudo apt update
sudo apt install veracrypt

For LUKS, you don't need anything, it's built into mint. You can select LUKS+Ext4 as a format option in disks.

[Hoser Rob]

How do I actually get hold of LUKS or Veracrypt? Are they available in any repositories approved by linux Mint?

If you want to find 'approved' by Mint all you have to do is look in Synaptic. Unless you added a ppa for it, it's been tested. Nothing else is officially supported.

[Faust]

Yes , I trust encryption ( to varying degrees , depending on whose implementation it is )

I use TrueCrypt, from which VeraCrypt was derived, for this reason. (If I were starting fresh, I'd probably use VeraCrypt.) .........

I strongly urge anyone with any sensitive date encrypted using TrueCrypt to decrypt it right now , and re-encrypt with VeraCrypt .

There is a big dark question mark over what happened when TrueCrypt suddenly went " quiet " .
It happened at around the same time that Lavasoft pulled the plug , and probably for similar reasons .

I'm not including links , but a quick search will give plenty to read about .

[lsemmens]

Out of curiosity, is Truecrypt/Veracrypt any more secure than LUKs? I have read about the Truecrypt issue and the response by Gibson Research to it. Although it is no longer under development, it appears that it is still secure. Veracrypt to my understanding has not been audited like TC so may, or may not, be as good, or better.

[absque fenestris]

...
There is a big dark question mark over what happened when TrueCrypt suddenly went " quiet " .
It happened at around the same time that Lavasoft pulled the plug , and probably for similar reasons .
...

It really looked like force majeure back then.

[phd21]

Hi AZgl1500,

This is your second post on encryption?

Yes, encryption is safe and a smart thing to use, especially if you have sensitive data to protect. But you must remember your encryption password and using a password manager is also a very smart thing to do like "KeePassXC". TIp 1: Every so often, you can export your passwords from a Password Manager like KeePassXC to a text file and create an encrypted archive file of that text file which is handy when you are not around a computer with KeePassXC installed. Tip 2: Create a USB stick with Linux Mint on it with an encrypted home folder and with KeePassXC installed (portable Linux Mint system).


Previous post with good information
Encrypting Files Question - Linux Mint Forums
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=267379&hilit=cryfs


Hope this helps ...

[GS3]

I strongly urge anyone with any sensitive date encrypted using TrueCrypt to decrypt it right now , and re-encrypt with VeraCrypt .

There is a big dark question mark over what happened when TrueCrypt suddenly went " quiet " .
It happened at around the same time that Lavasoft pulled the plug , and probably for similar reasons .

I think the consensus is that the reasons involved the US Government and gag orders and also that Truecrypt's last version before this is still safe as it is open source and has been reviewed.

My opinion is that for personal use it is safe and if you are afraid of the government then this XKCD applies.

Personally I have been using PGP since it came out like twenty years ago. I find it convenient to use and it is not tied to an OS or installation. I can copy my encrypted files for backups and can read them with the appropriate key on another computer.

[absque fenestris]

Bad thoughts, system independent:
Never thought is never stored - so not thinking is the safest way not to be monitored - the Cartesian imperative "I think, so I am" is transformed into "I don't think - and certainly not voluntarily" and we are in the brave new world. No encryption required.