I use LUKS-encrypted LVM volumes to store everything (and transfer via SSH or HTTPS), but would use GPG if I needed to encrypt individual files.
this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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Privacy
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And tar | gpg is handy if you want more than a few files encrypted for transport.
If it is full disk encryption or for file containers I plan to update regularly, VeraCrypt. It's quite capable and has quite a number of encryption options.
For individual file or folder encryption, 7zip. It's a very straightforward program that is worth having installed given how much good of an all-round zip program it is.
I've used VeraCrypt successfully to encrypt volumes/folders.
It's worked great for me, although I recently started encountering issues accessing files but it seems the problem is with my external and not with the encryption method. Hopefully I can recover those files someday. Backup your backups and then backup again.
My volumes are PLAIN dm-crypt encrypted (i.e. LUKS without the LUKS bells and whistles) and the key is stored on my Vivokey Flex implant.
I mount them using scripts that combine crypsetup and vivokey_pam, with the ubiquitous ACR122U RFID reader: the systemd service file calls my script, I present my implant to the reader and voila: the volume is mounted.
Can you tell us more about the implant? Is it painful to install? Is it uncomfortable to wear? Where do have it? What other things is it useful for?
Is it painful to install?
Honestly, yes. It's not fun when someone slices your skin open and then lifts your skin to create a pocket, even with lidocaine injections. But usually it's 10 teeth-gnashing minutes and then it's over.
That's for big planar implants of course. The smaller ones are glass tubes the size of a grain of rice and injected under the skin, exactly like chipping a pet. It's 10 seconds and then it's done. But those glass implants have reduced performances, especially for things like doing cryptography on the chip, which requires more power.
Is it uncomfortable to wear?
No. I've had mine for years and I honestly only remember they're there when I touch them.
Where do have it?
My Flex is in my right wrist. I have other implants (11 in total) in other locations. Mostly in my hands.
What other things is it useful for?
The Flex is used for cryptographic purposes (TOTP and computing hashes, the main purpose of the latter being those encrypted volumes). It's also used as a token to unlock my banking app on my phone.
All my implants are used for many things. I guess the best way to show them to you is to point you to this post I wrote a year and a half ago, in which I gathered all the videos I made to show their use in one post.
This is seriously impressive.
Did you use to post on Reddit? This is not the first time I've ran across DangerousThings and I think the first time around might have been caused by you lol
I post on Reddit infrequently. It's not a very nice place to be. I might have posted something about my implants there in the past but I doubt it: I tend to avoid mentioning them on there because it invariably attract unwanted comments from religious nutcases.
You may have read something another implantee has posted. I'm far from the only one out there :)
While I find your implants path very interesting, impressive and Cyberpunk worthy, I would't use any externally accessible keys / fobs / etc myself. I wouldn't want someone to unlock my stuff while I'm sleeping. Same reason I avoid face detection unlock. My mind is the best safe out there, I can memorize a very lengthy passphrase and have no problems typing it.
It's not very likely, unless you're a heavy sleeper who happens to sleep in unsafe places regularly - or your partner at home is up to no good.
Also, implants are kind of finicky with respect to reader placement, because they're sitting under a layer of skin full of conductive water, and they're usually not symmetrical, so the reader has to be positioned a certain way to score a good read. You as the implant owner know "the move" (in fact, it quickly becomes second nature and you never think about it anymore) but unless you explain it to someone or they know about this shortcoming, they'll have a hard time getting a read. That's assuming you don't wake up because someone is touching you, because the read range is very short - like 1/4" when the reader is ideally placed - and you don't hear the loud bing from the cellphone.
But yeah, you're correct: strictly speaking, if you have a good memory, a long and complicated password - or a mental "recipe" to make one - and a healthy habit of changing passwords regularly is better. Or better: a password in your head and an implant as a second factor.
Geez this guy secures. Impressive
I use GPG if there's just like a single file I need to encrypt. When I have to sync an entire folder to the cloud though, I use Cryptomator. I have also used VeraCrypt before, as well as TrueCrypt back in the days.
Don’t think those guys update that much. Still have libreddit for Reddit
? There's no mention of libreddit on the encryption page
https://discuss.privacyguides.net/search?q=
Their community is very active, you could mention it to them
tar | gpg.
I'm pretty sure there are "better" ways. Can someone please recommend?
Right now, GnuPG is absolutely safest for individual files. There's no age client for Android, and while I like it, I am allergic to encryption systems without a robust ecosystem.
Someone else just pointed out that DroidFS can read gocryptsfs directories, which greatly expands my confidence in gocryptsfs - which is my preferred short term directory solution. For archival purposes, though, tar+gpg is the only thing I trust to be available and working in a decade.
Agreed. Whenever I encrypt stuff in bulk, I usually do it purely for archiving purposes and tar seems to be the most battle-tested archiving thingie
DroidFS on phone and sync the folder with laptop using Syncthing. On laptop I use whatever can decrypt gocryptfs.
Gocryptfs (DroidFS)
Holy shit, I didn't know about DroidFS... lets me use my gocryptfs folders?? That's awesome! Thank you!
Cryfs. I sync the directories with syncthing.
Why do you use age? I’ve heard of it before but never used it.
I've heard it recommended and I've never had a problem with it.
7zip for quick encryption of individual files. Veracrypt for portability of a large number of files.
LUKS
I'm still waiting for a dumb user friendly system compatible with all those security tokens being sold like Yubikey
Tbh man, I use 7zip. I mean I know it's not all that secure from law enforcement or anything because with the quantum shit going on they're gonna break that in no time.
Per file/folder, via gpg and pass.
Base64, it is convenient, and doesn't cause encoding issues. It only bloats file size 3x.
Isn't base64 purely encoding, not encryption?
yes, base64 is not encryption
Yes, that was the joke...