Data Security: EncFS

ENCFS

according to the MAN page:


encfs - mounts or creates an encrypted virtual filesystem

..EncFS creates a virtual encrypted filesystem which stores encrypted data in the rootdir directory and makes the unencrypted data visible at the mountPoint directory. The user must supply a password which is used to (indirectly) encrypt both filenames and file contents...



Advantages of EncFS:
• Does not require root privilages.
• Easy, simple to setup and carry.
• No dependencies.
• Able to enlarge storage as long as the HDD space is available.
• Storage capacity not limited by fixed size encryption container like in truecrypt etc.

---

• Installing encfs :
on Debian system.

sudo apt-get install encfs

• We need to create two folder :
(one for encrypted folder and another for mount point/folder).

mkdir <ENCRYPTED FOLDER> <MOUNT FOLDER>

mkdir ~/encfs/ ~/mnt/

• Setup :

encfs ~/encfs/ ~/mnt/

thing to remember, the path must be absolute. ie- /home/user/mnt   or   ~/mnt   and not   mnt .
Since we are mounting it for the first time it'll prcode_innerompt for a setup and a password. it's fairly easy.

• Mounting encrypted folder :

encfs ~/encfs/ ~/mnt/

To encrypt any file(s), save them in the ~/mnt/ folder.it will be visible in plain sight.
if you look at the ~/enfs/ folder, you will see the encrypted raw files. that is the real files. Everything in ~/mnt/ is a mirror of the files in ~/encfs/.

• Unmounting the encrypted folder :

umount ~/mnt/

---

Extra's

• Displaying Info:

encfsctl <ENCRYPTED_FOLDER>

encfsctl info <ENCRYPTED_FOLDER>

encfsctl ~/encfs/

encfsctl info ~/encfs/

• Changing password:

encfsctl passwd <ENCRYPTED_FOLDER>

encfsctl passwd ~/encfs/

• For usage and option's :

encfs --help

man encfs

Read more at EncFS Homepage and Wikipedia .

---

Disclaimer
update: 4th July 2015

---