Encryption with VeraCrypt
Conclusions
VeraCrypt impresses in three scenarios: (1) Access to VeraCrypt-encrypted objects is possible across platforms with Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows; (2) the GUI is ideal for volumes unlocked only when needed, whereas the Linux on-board tools play to their strengths with system-integrated, permanently mounted filesystems; (3) hidden VeraCrypt containers cannot be demonstrated to exist "by design," which adds security that you might need depending on the political situation in your country.
VeraCrypt comes with a bootloader that starts Windows systems in hidden containers. However, with an up-to-date Cryptsetup binary and some modifications to the initial ramdisk, this function can be emulated under Linux, too. Incidentally, VeraCrypt on Linux uses the kernel's dm-crypt mechanism for encryption on the fly, as do the Linux on-board methods, thus removing the need for a separate kernel module that could compromise system stability.
Infos
- TrueCrypt: http://truecrypt.sourceforge.net
- VeraCrypt: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com
- TrueCrypt audit: http://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2015/04/truecrypt-report.html
- Rights escalation: https://code.google.com/p/google-security-research/issues/detail?id=538
- Rights escalation: https://code.google.com/p/google-security-research/issues/detail?id=537
- Key disclosure laws: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_disclosure_law
- dm-crypt/LUKS: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dm-crypt
- eCryptfs: http://ecryptfs.org
- E4M: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E4M
- Security fixes: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/discussions/569777
- Installation: http://sourceforge.net/projects/veracrypt/files/
- Documentation: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/documentation/
- Windows bootloader: http://sourceforge.net/p/veracrypt/discussion/technical/thread/a010f9bc/
- Ubuntu initramfs: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Initramfs
- openSUSE dracut: https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/dracut/dracut.html
- Code for this article: ftp://ftp.linux-magazine.com/pub/listings/magazine/188
- Full-system backup with Rsync: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Full_system_backup_with_rsync
- Initcpio hooks: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/mkinitcpio#HOOKS
- Chroot helper script: https://projects.archlinux.org/arch-install-scripts.git/tree/arch-chroot.in
- Fixing GRUB in Ubuntu via chroot: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing#via_ChRoot
- EFI in Arch wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Unified_Extensible_Firmware_Interface
« Previous 1 2 3
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
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
-
Red Hat Migrates RHEL from Xorg to Wayland
If you've been wondering when Xorg will finally be a thing of the past, wonder no more, as Red Hat has made it clear.
-
PipeWire 1.0 Officially Released
PipeWire was created to take the place of the oft-troubled PulseAudio and has finally reached the 1.0 status as a major update with plenty of improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Rocky Linux 9.3 Available for Download
The latest version of the RHEL alternative is now available and brings back cloud and container images for ppc64le along with plenty of new features and fixes.
-
Ubuntu Budgie Shifts How to Tackle Wayland
Ubuntu Budgie has yet to make the switch to Wayland but with a change in approaches, they're finally on track to making it happen.
-
TUXEDO's New Ultraportable Linux Workstation Released
The TUXEDO Pulse 14 blends portability with power, thanks to the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU.
-
AlmaLinux Will No Longer Be "Just Another RHEL Clone"
With the release of AlmaLinux 9.3, the distribution will be built entirely from upstream sources.
-
elementary OS 8 Has a Big Surprise in Store
When elementary OS 8 finally arrives, it will not only be based on Ubuntu 24.04 but it will also default to Wayland for better performance and security.
-
OpenELA Releases Enterprise Linux Source Code
With Red Hat restricting the source for RHEL, it was only a matter of time before those who depended on that source struck out on their own.
-
StripedFly Malware Hiding in Plain Sight as a Cryptocurrency Miner
A rather deceptive piece of malware has infected 1 million Windows and Linux hosts since 2017.
-
Experimental Wayland Support Planned for Linux Mint 21.3
As with most Linux distributions, the migration to Wayland is in full force. While some distributions have already made the move, Linux Mint has been a bit slower to do so.