Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE DESKTOP 11, Manual

Page: 159 / 450

11
Encrypting Partitions and Files
Every user has some confidential data that third parties should not be able to access.
The more you rely on mobile computing and on working in different environments and
networks, the more carefully you should handle your data. The encryption of files or
entire partitions is recommended if others have network or physical access to your
system. Laptops or removable media, such as external hard disks or USB sticks, are
prone to being lost or stolen. Thus, it is recommended to encrypt the parts of your file
that hold confidential data.
There are several ways to protect your data by means of encryption:
Encrypting a Hard Disk Partition
You can create an encrypted partition with YaST during installation or in an already
installed system. Refer to
Section 11.1.1, “Creating an Encrypted Partition during
Installation” (page 147) and Section 11.1.2, “Creating an Encrypted Partition on a
Running System” (page 148) for details. This option can also be used for removable
media, such as external hard disks, as described in Section 11.1.4, “Encrypting the
Content of Removable Media” (page 149).
Creating an Encrypted File as Container
You can create an encrypted file on your hard disk or on a removable medium with
YaST at any time. The encrypted file can then be used to store other files or folders.
For more information, refer to
Section 11.1.3, “Creating an Encrypted File as a
Container” (page 148).
Encrypting Partitions and Files 145