FireVault and Login Password: someone can help me?

[AGX]

Hi,

I have some question regarding file vault and OS X login password.

When I have turn on for the first time my mac the OS X installation program ask me:

- if I want to access with my iCloud password or with another password

- if I want activate FireVault

What do you suggest?

My principal question is if is secure use the iCloud password for login and if FireVault is secure, I don't want data loss and slow down.

And for FileVault... but if for some reason my mac will fail, but the hard disk is ok and is all functional, how to save the data without a mac?

For example:

- mac broken without FileVault: I connect the HD to another computer and save the data

- mac broken with FileVault: I can't recover data because there is cryptography

I hope that some one can tell me how to proceed.

Thanks very much

 

[simonsi]

Password - well it depends how strong your password is???

Filevault, its very secure. You can attach the disk to any Mac as far as I am aware and you will get asked for the FV2 password to unlock the disk, just the same as I do for my non-boot disks that are encrypted by OS X.

 

[AGX]

But if i mount my startup HD to an external USB box, how i can recover the file?

 

[maflynn]

maflynn

But if i mount my startup HD to an external USB box, how i can recover the file?

I haven't tried this, but I believe OS X will ask you for the recovery key. You are prompted to save the recovery key with Apple or as a file.

As for how strong or safe both are. iCloud is data in the cloud, you are relying on the service provider (in this case apple) to ensure they use all means necessary to project your data. You need to do your part and use a strong password. I know people who use 1Password or other password managers that generate a long complex password such as u$CPfcppJKmfd62tEzo=JDHsz

FV protects your data by encrypting the computer's internal drive. If you have an easy password to log into the computer, such as "password" or "abc" then you are largely mitigating the strength of FV.

If you have a desktop computer or don't travel that much with your laptop then of course the need for FV is mitigated as the risk of theft is reduced.

 

[AGX]

I don't have problem with the use of FileVault, but my question is only... if my Mac will don't start... I will be capable to recover the file on the hard drive (if the hard drive is functional)


P.S: but on a Mac with FileVault activated, if I transfer a file to a usb stick or to an external hard drive, the file will be encrypted?!

 

[simonsi]

I don't have problem with the use of FileVault, but my question is only... if my Mac will don't start... I will be capable to recover the file on the hard drive (if the hard drive is Functional)

Yes

P.S: but on a Mac with FileVault activated, if I transfer a file to a usb stick or to an external hard drive, the file will be encrypted?!

No

 

[KALLT]

Obviously, you will need to have a system that is capable of mounting and decrypting a drive with Apple’s HFS+ file system. I think Linux can mount HFS+, but I’m not sure whether it can decrypt anything on it. I might test this myself. You only need the encryption key that FileVault gives to you if you want to decrypt the data via another Mac. The password doesn’t help you, unless you actually want to boot up the system.

Regarding login password, the difference is of course that your password is not stored anywhere else. If you choose to use the iCloud password as your main password then the security of your system is dependent upon the security of your iCloud account, but it’s one password less to worry about. Personally, I use a password manager (1Password) and have set a random passphrase for my iCloud account, which I very rarely use in the browser. I only use my iCloud password when I’m logging into iCloud services directly on my Mac and iPhone, so there is no point in using that password for my Mac account. Thus I keep them separate. By the way, you can always change this later on, your decision during the setup process is not permanent.

 

[bobr1952]

You won't need to worry about having access to the data if something happens to your Mac if you have a robust backup system such as Time Machine. I use Time Machine with a Time Capsule and have the Time Capsule encrypted as well.

 

[KALLT]

You won't need to worry about having access to the data if something happens to your Mac if you have a robust backup system such as Time Machine. I use Time Machine with a Time Capsule and have the Time Capsule encrypted as well.

I think they worry more that they won’t be able to get to their data without a Mac. If the Mac dies, the encrypted data is difficult to retrieve. As long as the hard drive is intact, you can simply turn it into an external drive and mount it from another computer, but you won’t be able to decrypt the data if that system isn’t a Mac. Time Machine only helps to preserve your data in case your hard drive itself fails.

 

[AGX]

Exactly my worry are about the difficulty to retrieve data.

Because I have only a mac, and if it dies I can't retrieve data if file vault is activated and without another mac. Correct?

 

[maflynn]

Regardless if you have FV enabled, you need to have a backup. You can choose to have the backup encrypted or not (if you use TimeMachine) It sounds to me, that you may not be backing up your data.