Arch Linux

ora

Member

Registered: 2007-06-20

Posts: 26

disk encryption question

I want to encrypt my entire disk to keep my data safe.
I've read through truecrypt and dm-crypt wiki,
want to know how strong these tools against crack.
If somebody get my box,is there a way to make him can't  tell whether I encrypt my disk so he can't ask me for password.

Or can you recommend tools which can quickly erase or break my disk.

chimeric

Member

From: Munich, Germany

Registered: 2007-10-07

Posts: 254

Website

Re: disk encryption question

want to know how strong these tools against crack.

Both of them are pretty strong, but it also depends on the encryption algorithm you use (both support different algorithms) and the complexity of the password/passphrase. The chosen encryption algorithm + password directly affect the time and efforts needed to crack the disk.

If somebody get my box,is there a way to make him can't  tell whether I encrypt my disk so he can't ask me for password.

In case of truecrypt yes. With truecrypt you can create an hidden encrypted volume inside an already encrypted volume. If you like to mount this disk, truecrypt will decide on the volume it mounts by the provided password. That means you can have one volume which contains some dummy data which you could mount whenever you're forced to reveal the password for your disk and one hidden volume which contains the important stuff. It's not possible to tell whether a truecrypt encrypted volume contains another hidden volume or not.

Or can you recommend tools which can quickly erase or break my disk.

Quickly erasing or breaking disks completely, so absolutely no data can be recovered, isn't that easy (http://www.technologyreview.com/read_ar … x?id=17007), however you could get yourself some really strong/big magnets and pray .

ora

Member

Registered: 2007-06-20

Posts: 26

Re: disk encryption question

Thanks, I learn a lot from your post.
I ask the question here because police "visited" one of my friends for "anti-CPC" and took his laptop away for investigation.
Everyone(include me) is scared and I decide to encrypt everything.

Aaron

Member

From: PA, USA

Registered: 2007-12-19

Posts: 108

Website

Re: disk encryption question

Or can you recommend tools which can quickly erase or break my disk.

While I don't know much about encrypted file systems, I do know a little about destroying disks.

I use Darik's Boot and Nuke.
http://dban.sourceforge.net/

Of course the safest way is to physically crash the platters, but in a hurry (For whatever reason), using DBAN (Or an alternative) is the next best thing.