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When will BiT include encryption?

Asked by JohnL

Having installed Ubuntu 9.10 from the Live CD, I noticed it now includes the option to encrypt the 'home' and 'swap' folders; a really good idea for laptops. Using the encrypt option, I'm now using BiT to backup my encrypted 'home' onto a NAS storage device in an unencrypted state; this bothers me greatly. If I'm encrypting my 'home' folder on my laptop (for good reasons) the the resulting copy of it on my NAS device should also be encrypted. I need BiT to include an option to encrypt the backup data.

JohnL

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Aldo "xoen" Giambelluca
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Revision history for this message
Bart de Koning (bratdaking) said : 		#1

Can't you encrypt the partition of your NAS to do that. I am not sure if
encryption on file level will give the security you need. I am also not sure
if we will be able to encrypt data, keep hardlinks and be able to walk
through time...
But you can file a wishlist bug...

2009/11/13 JohnL <email address hidden>

> New question #90005 on Back In Time:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/backintime/+question/90005
>
> Having installed Ubuntu 9.10 from the Live CD, I noticed it now includes
> the option to encrypt the 'home' and 'swap' folders; a really good idea for
> laptops. Using the encrypt option, I'm now using BiT to backup my encrypted
> 'home' onto a NAS storage device in an unencrypted state; this bothers me
> greatly. If I'm encrypting my 'home' folder on my laptop (for good reasons)
> the the resulting copy of it on my NAS device should also be encrypted. I
> need BiT to include an option to encrypt the backup data.
>
> JohnL
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are an answer
> contact for Back In Time.
>

Revision history for this message
JohnL (jwillar) said : 		#2

I have filed this request as a 'wish list' item in the bug area. If I encrypted my NAS device, I'd have to de-crypt it before running BiT then re-encrypt it when finished. This doesn't sound like I could automate this very easily or securely. I'm assuming by your response this will be difficult to add to BiT. Perhaps I will look further into using Areca/Duplicity that offer encryption now but I'd much rather keep using BiT.
JohnL

Revision history for this message
Arek Olek (arekolek) said : 		#3

You may consider backing up /home/.ecryptfs/$USER/.Private as every file is encrypted separately (so it's possible to use rsync) instead of unencrypted $HOME.

Revision history for this message
Best Aldo "xoen" Giambelluca (xoen) said : 		#4

I want to use BiT too but it doesn't support encryption so I've thinked to this solution, maybe can help :
1) Create a TrueCrypt encrypted volume on the NAS (use ext3 filesystem for this volume)
2) Mount it
3) Use this encrypted volume as backup destination (once mounted BiT will see the encrypted volume just like a common directory)

In this way unauthorized users just see the TC volume not the content.

Revision history for this message
JohnL (jwillar) said : 		#5

Yes, I'm familiar w/Truecrypt; love it in fact. I was looking for something a little more automated. Jwillar