Burning CDs and DVDS with an encrypted filesystem

BATTENING DOWN THE DISKS

Article from Issue 72/2006
Author(s):

An encrypted hard disk on your server is no help if valuable data on CDs or DVDs falls into the hands of spies. We’ll show you some convenient solutions for encrypting data on removable media.

You may already store sensitive data in an encrypted area of your hard disk – and if you haven’t so far, you might start after reading this issue of Linux Magazine. If you use your data on the road, you might store a snapshot on a CD or copy your files to a USB stick. But you should be concerned about the risk of carrying around copies of your data. USB sticks are used just like external hard disks, so protecting a USB stick with encryption is easy. Encrypting CDs and DVDs is more difficult, but you do have some options. This article explores a pair of useful techniques for putting encrypted data on a CD or DVD. Options The simplest way to put encrypted data on a CD is to use GPG or a similar tool to individually encrypt the files and then store the results on the CD. This approach is fine for many applications, and it provides adequate security, but the risks become apparent on closer inspection. A user might manually decrypt the file and temporarily store the cleartext on a writable medium.

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Encrypted Filesystems

    If you’re not a security expert and you're looking for a crypto filesystem, you may be wondering about the alternatives. We took at a look at some popular crypto options for Linux.

  • DM-Crypt/ LUKS

    Encrypting a home directory is easy. Encrypting your whole hard disk – including the root filesystem – takes a little more effort.

  • Command Line: Encrypting Partitions

    Modern installers offer the option of encryption with just a few clicks, but you might want to take control of the process. We show how to encrypt your partitions safely without sacrificing convenience.

  • zuluCrypt

    The security of personal data is a major topic in the Linux world. zuluCrypt gives users a tool for uncomplicated encryption of any data.

  • Encrypting USB Sticks

    How easy is it to lose a USB stick? Why not protect your data just in case the stick falls into unfriendly hands?

comments powered by Disqus
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.

Learn More

News