[TriLUG] best way to hack root...

[Alan Porter]

> Ecrypted files systems are great until you forget the passphrase. Then you have NO options.

On the two systems that I use full-disk encryption, I have multiple keys 
and I store the "backup" one in a "safe place".

On my Linux laptop, I use LUKS, which supports up to 8 passphrases for a 
single volume.  I assign two passphrases -- one to use every day, and a 
second that is harder to remember (I think I just did "$(date | md5sum)" 
and cut-pasted it in).  I printed the second passphrase on a small piece 
of paper and filed it in a "safe place" -- think "geocache in the woods"*.

On my Macbook, I use their built in "File Vault".  It has the same 
setup, using both my user password and a secondary backup passphrase.  I 
took a photo of the generated backup passphrase, printed it out, and 
then went for a hike in the woods.*  Apple also offers an optional 
service of storing your disk passphrase on their servers -- I declined that.

* OK, really, I did not hide those papers in the woods.  But that sure 
does appeal to the über-paranoid side of me.  Apparently, that side 
likes to go hiking.

-- 
# Alan Porter