What is the best way to encript a folder?

[ebally]

I used to keep all my sensitive details and documents in my home directory, and with a login password and Filevault enabled, I thought all my stuff was safe, secure and inaccessable to anyone who wanted to get at them.

To my shock horror, I have recently found out that people can easily access any part of my system by using a FireWire cable and something called Target Disk Mode.

Is there anything I can do to make my document more safe?

Preferable I want to put all my sensitive stuff in a folder and encript it, so that no one can have access to the folder without a password.

I've read about Disk Images, but I can seem to get my head around them. As when I try to create them I have to specify a size.

My questions are:

1. Can I create a Disk Image with size restraints? (So it can grow or shrink depending on what I put inside).
2 If I use a very secure password, will my documents be safe in a Disk Image? Or is there a way around that as well?

Thank you in advan for any help.

 

[iMeowbot]

FileVault is just an encrypted disk image. That already solves the target disk mode problem.

 

[ebally]

FileVault is just an encrypted disk image. That already solves the target disk mode problem.

Sorry but I don't understand what you mean. I read that even with FileVault enabled, if you connect 2 Macs together using a FireWire cable and hold down 'T' when starting up one of them, you can bypass any encription on FireFault. Is this not true?

 

[iMeowbot]

It's not true, the security is as good as with any encrypted disk image, because it's exactly the same thing.

 

[howesey]

FileVault is just an encrypted disk image. That already solves the target disk mode problem.

Not really. The file which holds the key, "FileVaultMaster.keychain" which is in the keychains folder isn't encrypted. You can get that file, use it, and hey presto, you have access to all the encrypted data.

Best way is to either encrypt files in terminal, or to make a dmg file in disk utilities which is encrypted giving them a password.

 

[gekko513]

Not really. The file which holds the key, "FileVaultMaster.keychain" which is in the keychains folder isn't encrypted. You can get that file, use it, and hey presto, you have access to all the encrypted data.

Best way is to either encrypt files in terminal, or to make a dmg file in disk utilities which is encrypted giving them a password.

Are you sure about that? I would be very surprised if the FileVaultMaster.keychain isn't encrypted using the user's account password in some way.

 

[iMeowbot]

Not really. The file which holds the key, "FileVaultMaster.keychain" which is in the keychains folder isn't encrypted. You can get that file, use it, and hey presto, you have access to all the encrypted data.

No, that's only half of it. the user passwords are also required.