Securing data on disk - when disk taken out of computer ?

Hi,

I'm seeking for solution, that would let me ecrypt partition of file on
disk, but be somehow automatically mounted on reboot (without prompting for
password) , but still secured if someone takes disk out and tries to mount
on another system...

I'm newbie, so please be gentle - it could be impossible to achieve...

How to do this?
Can I somehow sign disk to be used/mounted only in certain HW and not on
another HW ?

If proof solution is not possible, could I at least automate mounting of
encrypted file and give at least some problems to enyone that stoles disk
and tries to mount it outside PC ?

Thanks in advance,

regards,

Rob.

Robert Rozman <rozman@fri.uni-lj.si> wrote:

> I'm seeking for solution, that would let me ecrypt partition of file on
> disk, but be somehow automatically mounted on reboot (without prompting for
> password) , but still secured if someone takes disk out and tries to mount
> on another system...

There is an encryption HOWTO,
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/howtos.html .
As I remember it does whole-disk encryption with keys stored on
a USB key. It *would* prompt for a passphrase at boot, by design.
However, you could always store *un*encrypted keys on the USB.
Then the stolen drive is no good unless the thief also took
the USB key.

You may be able to come up with a variant that serves
your needs.

--
pa at panix dot com