Top Encryption Software For Linux
- Category: Linux
- Author: Admin
- Publisher:
Psychz Networks
- January 26,2016
System admins rely on backup, cloning and encryption to keep data safe and secure. When it comes to encryption, many Linux users have relied on TrueCrypt to encrypt their data for a long, long time. Last year, without warning, the anonymous developers stopped work on the software claiming that the software was no longer secure – leaving many worried about the security of their files and searching for a new encryption solution. Here are our suggestions – and best of all, they’re all free to implement.
This is the easiest way to transition from TrueCrypt for several reasons. The primary one is that much of the code was taken directly from TrueCrypt so VeraCrypt works in much the same way and looks somewhat similar (all the way down to the somewhat-messy, relatively-simple interface). VeraCrypt supports the most important encryption ciphers including AES, Serpent, and TwoFish, and allows encryption at all levels, even permitting the creation of encrypted volumes within encrypted volumes. Another important plus is that it encrypts on the fly, meaning that files remain encrypted unless and until they’re actually needed. Because it’s based on TrueCrypt, you might think that it could support your existing containers and files; it doesn’t, but can easily convert them to the VeraCrypt format – another reason why it’s the easiest option if TrueCrypt left you hanging.
For those who are just starting down the data encryption path, the simplest way to do it is with this option which comes bundled with Ubuntu and many other Linux distributions. You can choose the encryption during your initial Linux install, and it will provide an encrypted root partition and encrypted Swap via AES. The stronger and newer dm_crypt is also available on kernel versions 2.6 and later as well as in DragonFly BSD if you’re comfortable working at the command line level.
GnuPG (obviously part of the German GNU project) is open-source software based on PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) – which, as you probably know, is more than pretty good. GnuPG comes as an installable package on most major Linux distributions including RedHat, Debian, and Ubuntu, although it can also be built directly from the source. It’s been integrated into Evolution and KMail and there are a number of graphical front ends available. This is versatile encryption software, able to drill down to individual files, handle volumes and disk images, and even encrypt external media or drives. GnuPG uses a combination of symmetric-key and public-key encryption, using Cast5 on earlier versions and AES on the latest ones.
Originally based on and compatible with TrueCrypt, this reliable software has since been modified but resembles its predecessor in many ways including the use of AES, Twofish, Serpent and combinations of them all. It allows the user to encrypt whole drives or partitions but doesn’t normally work at the file level. That makes it a worthwhile option for some users (and also makes the software extremely lightweight), but certainly isn’t a full-featured choice for those who want to be able to encrypt selectively.
If you need assistance installing or configuring any of the programs listed above on your dedicated server, please feel free to contact our support department and we would be happy to assist you.
