Encrypt your disks on Linux
Unreadable
Encrypted volumes have long since ceased to be an exception or luxury. Corporate policies and compliance rules often demand encryption for critical data. This article looks at tools for disk encryption on Linux.
It's no coincidence that portable computers have pushed desktop PCs into the background over the past 10 years. Today, users only need desktop systems for computationally intensive work such as video rendering or games. For everything else, even mid-range laptops are now perfectly adequate. But laptops also have one disadvantage: They are far easier to steal than a standalone PC. An appropriate insurance policy can cushion the cost of replacing the device in case of theft. However, it is not so easy to compensate for the loss of data.
Corporations and users can only protect themselves effectively against this kind of horror scenario by completely encrypting the data carriers in the device, from USB sticks to external hard drives. How can a Linux user best secure disk data by means of encryption? This article describes some leading encryption methods and tools for Linux.
Cryptsetup with LUKS
Just about everyone who has ever dealt with encryption on Linux will have come across the abbreviation LUKS [1], which stands for Linux Unified Key Setup. The LUKS standard describes what disk encryption should look like on Linux (Figure 1). LUKS is based on the Cryptsetup tool, which in turn uses the Dmcrypt kernel module of the Linux kernel to manage encrypted volumes.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.
-
Gnome Working on Test Center App to Make Testing Easier
It's now possible to test experimental features on the Gnome desktop without worrying that you'll break things.
-
New Vulnerability Discovered in Linux Kernel
Hiding out for nearly 15 years, the Ghostlock vulnerability allows a standard logged-in user to gain root privileges.
-
New Linux Flaw Lets Attackers Escape VMs
A 16-year-old vulnerability allows an attacker to escape a virtual machine, gain access to the host, and execute malicious code.
-
Hannah Montana Linux Is Back!
Developer Noah Cagle decided the world needed the once obscure but beloved Linux distribution and gave it a decidedly pink refresh.
-
System76 Refreshes the Lemur Laptop
If you're looking for a laptop with tons of power and battery, look no further than the latest iteration of the System76 Lemur Pro.
-
More than 43 Million Lines of Code in Linux Kernel 7.2
Using the cloc utility, Michael Larabel of Phoronix discovered that Linux kernel 7.2 has over 43 million lines of code.
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.