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FireVault is ON: Now what?

HappyDude20

HappyDude20

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
3,688
1,479
Los Angeles, Ca
I turned on FireVault last night, woke up this morning seeing I needed to log in and that's it.

Took about 3 hours it said to encrypt everything...but now what?

Do I have to do like a weekly encryption thing or update it or something ever so often?

I'm guessing everything on my Mac is now encrypted, but will new stuff coming in be as well?

Or do I just leave it be and know it'll be working forever?
 
FileVault encrypts everything inside your home directory (/Users/username/). You have to do nothing further. It's self-maintaining.
 
Disable safe sleep, and enable encrypted swap, else there's no point in using FileVault.
 
I got burned a while back using filevault. never again. There is no reason to encrypt everything. There is software out the to encrypt files and folders. BTW, it will slow your system down due to unencrypting your programs you want to use.
 
Only use it if you have to, not just for fun.

If you use it, make a non-encrypted backup of everything very regularly, otherwise you wont be happy if the encrypted image screws up!
 
bearcatrp said:
I got burned a while back using filevault. never again. There is no reason to encrypt everything. There is software out the to encrypt files and folders. BTW, it will slow your system down due to unencrypting your programs you want to use.
Click to expand...
It doesn't encrypt everything, just the user's home folder. So there's no unencrypting of applications when you go to use them because they're never encrypted. The slow down is negligible. Been using it for years without problems.

revs said:
Only use it if you have to, not just for fun.

If you use it, make a non-encrypted backup of everything very regularly, otherwise you wont be happy if the encrypted image screws up!
Click to expand...

Make a non-encrypted backup? That defeats the purpose completely. With Leopard, the encryption uses a sparse image, so it makes backups nicer. You can also mount the encrypted backup just as easily as any other disk image. I've done it before. FileVault got a bit better on Leopard.
 
I really don't have anything that is that sensitive
The few things I do want protected I made a password protected .dmg

I tried File Vault a good while back, and I am sure it is better
But I found no need for it personally

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
ppc750fx said:
Disable safe sleep, and enable encrypted swap, else there's no point in using FileVault.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate a bit here?

Btw, I am confused, in real life does file vault slow down the system or not? Will itbe an option for say my G4 pbook?
 
applesuper said:
Can you elaborate a bit here?

Btw, I am confused, in real life does file vault slow down the system or not? Will itbe an option for say my G4 pbook?
Click to expand...

  • Safe sleep: System Preferences > Security > General (tab) > Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver.
  • Encrypted swap: System Preferences > Security > General (tab) > Use Secure Virtual Memory check box.
FileVault does not slow things down in a way you'll notice. Should be fine on your machine.
 
ppc750fx said:
Disable safe sleep, and enable encrypted swap, else there's no point in using FileVault.
Click to expand...

why?

angelwatt said:
  • Safe sleep: System Preferences > Security > General (tab) > Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver.
  • Encrypted swap: System Preferences > Security > General (tab) > Use Secure Virtual Memory check box.
FileVault does not slow things down in a way you'll notice. Should be fine on your machine.
Click to expand...

thanks angelwatt. Just wondering does the wake up password have to be strong too? Can they brute force attack it? Cause it would be practical to use a strong filevault pass and a weaker wake up one. Is that possible or am I confusing things?

Randman said:
You're better off creating a encrypted disk image and storing your porn in that than using FileVault.
Click to expand...
why? Btw I don't mind about my porn, pretty softcore stuff :), relatively speaking.
 
applesuper said:
Why?
Click to expand...
If you don't use secure virtual memory, then that data is not secure, thus not encrypted and potentially vulnerable. Password protecting from sleep is just a safe guard in case you forget to lock down your machine as you step away from it.

applesuper said:
Just wondering does the wake up password have to be strong too? Can they brute force attack it? Cause it would be practical to use a strong filevault pass and a weaker wake up one. Is that possible or am I confusing things?
Click to expand...

The wake up password = account password. They aren't separate. That setting merely makes sure you have to enter your account credentials when accessing the machine. FileVault can have a different Master password assigned though.
 
angelwatt said:
The wake up password = account password. They aren't separate. That setting merely makes sure you have to enter your account credentials when accessing the machine. FileVault can have a different Master password assigned though.
Click to expand...

Ah ok I see, thanks for clearing this up! Kind of a bummer though as you will need to use a pretty strong account password I suppose since it will be in use by filevault too, and that translates to lots of time spent inputting your filevault/account password, just a strong master password wont be enough.
 
applesuper said:
a bummer though as you will need to use a pretty strong account password I suppose since it will be in use by filevault too, and that translates to lots of time spent inputting your filevault/account password,...
Click to expand...

Why do you think that? Having FileVault enabled doesn't add to how often you enter your user name and password. It simply encrypts your home directory. You still login with your user name and password when you start the machine and then you're set. Your files are ready to go, no extra password entering.
 
angelwatt said:
Why do you think that? Having FileVault enabled doesn't add to how often you enter your user name and password. It simply encrypts your home directory. You still login with your user name and password when you start the machine and then you're set. Your files are ready to go, no extra password entering.
Click to expand...

Because I currently have a dead simple password in my user account and I don''t use one when waking up from sleep. If do install filevault I will use a very complex one and will have to enable my mac to prompt me for a pass when waking from sleep (often) which will require my inputting the account/filevault pass very frequently. At first sight this seems more time consuming than just picking up my mac and opening up the screen from sleep.

However I am thinking of just giving it a go (despite the other issue of all the temp files not saved in the home folder that could be potential leaks).

I just want to try to combine it with something like espionage and I wish that apple would enable remote wipe of a mac as well as an iphone!!!:)
 
Never used FileVault, but if I need something that sensitive secured, I put it on my IronKey, which never leaves my pocket or backpack unless it's in use.

-Andrew
 
applesuper said:
Because I currently have a dead simple password in my user account and I don''t use one when waking up from sleep. If do install filevault I will use a very complex one and will have to enable my mac to prompt me for a pass when waking from sleep (often) which will require my inputting the account/filevault pass very frequently. At first sight this seems more time consuming than just picking up my mac and opening up the screen from sleep.
Click to expand...

Well it's your choice to turn on the prompt for password when waking. It is more secure though. FileVault isn't responsible for that though. Even with it disabled you can have the system prompt you for your account when waking. If you're really worried about security then entering your account info when waking the machine shouldn't be an issue. It only takes me about 3 or 4 seconds tops.
 
Andrew Henry said:
Never used FileVault, but if I need something that sensitive secured, I put it on my IronKey, which never leaves my pocket or backpack unless it's in use.

-Andrew
Click to expand...
very interesting, wasn't aware of that, and they do offer "cloud" services too...should a tad more secure than mobileme...;)
 
I'm dealing w/ an issue right now actually regarding my MacBook Pro running filevault which now has a damaged screen. I am trying to get all my files out of the home folder and onto another computer so that I can send in the damaged MBP in for repair and if something goes wrong, at least I have all my data.

I first tried connecting via target mode. My plan was to pull the sparseimage file off entirely but I can't even access that it seems. I can't see anything in the home directory - just shows up empty.

Then I started up the macbook pro w/ the damaged screen and just left it on the login screen. I was then able to login to it over my wireless w/ my login and password. With that, I was able to access my home folder. I pulled almost everything off of there and then put the damaged MBP into target mode and pulled everything off of the shared folder. Now though, when I try to get back in my damaged MBP over wireless, I can't get into my home directory anymore. I wanted to get back in to get the remaining large items out of my home directory -> movies folder.

My home directory just shows up empty and when I navigate from Leopard -> Users -> myusername, it just has that red-dash w/ circle icon on the folder. I don't understand what happened, I was able to get everything off of it before, why can't I Get into it now?

Fortunately I was able to get everything important off so if I can't figure it out, I'll be ok. But it's bothering me. any thoughts?
 
angelwatt said:
  • Safe sleep: System Preferences > Security > General (tab) > Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver.
  • Encrypted swap: System Preferences > Security > General (tab) > Use Secure Virtual Memory check box.
FileVault does not slow things down in a way you'll notice. Should be fine on your machine.
Click to expand...

FYI, that’s not what safe sleep is.

Screen shot 2009-09-28 at 3.02.18 AM.png
 
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