What is hard drive encryption and how do i do it?

>>56993416
It comes in various forms, but the basic principle is that all data stored on your hard drive is encrypted. In order to access any data, the code needs to be entered at start-up which then stores the key in RAM, allowing you to access/write data. After the machine is shut-down, the code is wiped from RAM and must be re-entered to access the drive again.

Bitlocker is one form of it. Some hardware manufacturers have their own implementations. Do not forget your key or you are fucked.

>>56993469
Thank you. What is the most reliable software for this operation?

>>56993490
If you're using Windows, for most intents and purposes Bitlocker is fine. Someone will probably respond to this stating otherwise, but if you are at that level of neckbeard-paranoid, you really shouldn't be using Windows in the first place.

If you're using Linux, dm-crypt will be your run-of-the-mill option, but I would advise doing research on all existing types of full disk encryption and see what people using your *nix distro prefer and why.

>>56993490
Windows: VeraCrypt
Linux: dm-crypt

>>56993598
>>56993661
Is there an option to do this over installed system or should i re-install with encryption?

>>56993682
if you are running linux, there should be a package preinstalled with a name similar to "disk manager" or something similar, or it can be installed. The easy way is to connect the drive you want to encrypt, and reformat it with the dm-luks ext4 option. If you are speaking about your "normal running drive" for your OS, yes, you'll have to reinstall. The option is usually in the gui for the installation. I've seen it with fedora, openSUSE, and ubuntu, but haven't messed around with anything else yet

>>56993682
You're supposed to encrypt your already installed system by overwriting the entire disk.

Bitlocker is proprietary and closed source so I'd use VeraCrypt instead if you're in Windows.

>>56993714
>>56993717
Understood. Thanks for the replies.

>>56993682
Windows doesn't need a reinstall, Linux does.

There's no point since all of them are back-doored.

>>56993806
>he thinks the NSA shills on /g/ aren't trying to convert people to windows because they got tired of trying to get a 0day for dm-crypt

>>56993806
Isn't the main reason one should encrypt their laptop not the big agencies but rather thieves stealing your laptop? If the NSA wants to learn something about me they probably can. If someone steals my laptop there is very little chance they will be able to access the encrypted data.

>>56993854
Eh, both. Although proprietaty encryption will protect you from thieves, if you are able to keep the government from peeking on your shit, you might as well.

Most people are tempted to look at this the other way around, a-la "i've got nothing to hide" but frankly you should always be prepared to hide something anyway, because, why not? The code is there for you to use as you would like.

>>56993806
and yet if in a court case, I don't see them busting their way through your encryption unless you live in a not-free land where they can force you

Bitlocker is far easier to use and faster than veracrypt, also it will work on your operating system if you have it installed already. It is not a safe encryption method in NSA country, but any other free country it's impossible to crack.

But! You computer is unsafe while it is turned on, remember that, if they can get to you through your wifi or something else

In linux, you can install 'cryptsetup' and use it to encrypt a new partition for your private files. The advantages of this are that you don't have to reinstall, you don't have to encrypt everything, and you can just open and close the encrypted partition as needed, instead of having it open the entire time your computer is running, or that you're logged in. You can even create the encrypted partition on a usb stick if you'd like to keep it physically separate from your internal storage. Just another handy option to know about.

>>56993992
>Bitlocker is far easier to use
True.
>and faster than veracrypt
False as long as your cpu has AES support.
>also it will work on your operating system if you have it installed already
Both methods do this.

>>56993904
And if you're in a not-free-land and might face a situation where you may be forced to disclose a key you have in your brain, full disk encryption isn't going to help you. It may be better to use PGP in some form and keep the private key in a location where it can be securely destroyed by a third party if you and your data are ever taken into custody.

The data will be effectively rendered useless with the private key destroyed, but depending on how lizard-brained the court is, you may face an unknown fate.

just hypothetical nonsense in case you live in Iran or something.

>>56993416
Its pointless shit that will just slow down your performance. Any thief that gets your hardware just wants to sell it for money and isnt interested in you and law enforcement can just force you to hand over keys or spy on you through some other way

>>56994067
>Iran

UK courts force their citizens to hand over decryption codes

>>56993490
Selling your soul for Satan.

>>56993416
get a mac
accept the defaults
>it just werks

>>56993598
>dm-crypt
I think you mean LUKS on LVM, fampai

good luck getting it to work with a graphical installer

>>56994023

>not just copying /home and /etc to a thumb drive and copying them back over

>>56996608
>>>/lgbt/

>>56996670
>>>/pol/
seriously, HFS+ is shit, but core storage is slick AF

Also you alt-right niggers are the reason /g/ is a fucking wasteland, kys