How do I encrypt my cloud storage files and folders in Linux?

Most of us use cloud storage services like Dropbox, gdrive or copy to use synced files from any of our devices, anytime, anywhere. But no one will be relieved to put their sensitive data on the cloud storage platform. Recent hacking events have shown how insecure our data is. In 2014, many celebrity photos were leaked from cloud storage platforms and posted on social networking sites. So, why not encrypt the data before uploading it to the cloud storage platform to enhance security?

What is encryption?

If you use Google to search for "What's encryption?", you'll find this explanation:

"Data encryption is the most effective way to ensure data security." To read an encrypted file, you must have a key or password to interpret the file. Unencrypted data is known as plaintext data, and encrypted data is called ciphertext text. ”

This definition from Webopedian makes it very clear that encryption refers to making files inaccessible from accessible formats, so that no one can use them. After you encrypt the file, set a password so that only those who have the password can access the file.

Why encrypt a cloud storage file or folder?

The main purpose of this article is not only to strengthen security against hackers, but also to protect your friends, relatives and team members. If you have more than one computer, and the cloud storage client software is installed on those computers, then any user will be able to view your photos and files that you have previously uploaded from other devices. So once you encrypt the files, you can't access them now from any other device unless you provide your password for each other.

For Dropbox, copy, Gdrive, Onedrive (Skydrive), and many other cloud storage services, they are already encrypting files and making them inaccessible. But just as recent hacking shows that our files are still unsafe even after this encryption. This is an additional security step if you upload an encrypted, sensitive file. In 2014, many celebrities ' cloud storage accounts were hacked (mostly women), and their sensitive (and even many nude) photos were posted on social networking sites, which can be found on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014 _celebrity_photo_hack).

How do I encrypt a cloud storage file or folder in Ubuntu/linux Mint?

To encrypt our sensitive data, we will use the Free encryption software/program called "Encfs". Before we install and configure ENCFS, take a look at how it works, don't worry, it's simple.

Unlike any other cryptographic program, ENCFS creates two folders, one that holds the decrypted files (don't worry, it still can't be accessed). The second folder will hold the encrypted file.

Here, the second folder containing encrypted files or folders will be our cloud storage folder, such as the Dropbox folder, the Grive folder (Google Drive's unofficial client software) or the Copy folder.

The above is what you need to know, now you may start.

Open Terminal (CTRL + ALT + T key combination), install ENCFS:

$ sudo apt-get install ENCFS

The ENCFS command automatically creates a folder, but it does not create a folder for me, displays an error, and then manually creates the folder to avoid any errors.

Create two folders, one in your cloud storage folder, which is "encrypted" in this article, and the other in "Private" in this article, but for easy access, create it in your home folder.

One version of the file for encryption, and another for the decrypted file version.

Encfs ~/dropbox/encrypted ~/private

You can change the above command according to your own needs. For example, if you use Copy, Grive, or any other service's client software to sync files, replace "Dropbox" with that folder name. This will create a folder named "Encrypted" in your storage folder.

~/private is the second folder in your home folder. You will put the files in this place, those files will be automatically encrypted and synchronized with the/dropbox/encrypted folder. Dropbox or any other service syncs those encrypted files!!!

You will be asked to enter "P" (for pre-configured paranoid mode), "X" (on behalf of the expert configuration mode), or press ENTER, do not enter "P" or "X" to indicate the standard mode.

"P" should work properly, so enter "P".

You will be asked to enter a password or encryption key to access the encrypted files on your system. Don't forget the password, otherwise you won't be able to access your files.

So, you might want to encrypt our first file and upload it to Dropbox.

How do I encrypt my cloud storage files and folders in Linux?