Mastering Linux Security and Hardening - Second Edition

Encrypting partitions with Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS)

Being able to encrypt individual files can be handy, but it can be something

• Block encryption: We can use this for either whole-disk encryption or to encrypt individual partitions.
• File-level encryption: We'd use this to encrypt individual directories without having to encrypt the underlying partitions.
• Containerized Encryption: Using third-party software that doesn't come with any Linux distribution, we can create encrypted, cross-platform containers that can be opened on either Linux, macOS, or Windows machines.

Linux Unified Key Setup (LUKS) falls into the first category. It's built into pretty much every Linux distribution, and directions for use are the same for each. For our ...