FileVault | EPFL Graph Search

Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?

Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.

FileVault is a disk encryption program in Mac OS X 10.3 Panther (2003) and later. It performs on-the-fly encryption with volumes on Mac computers. FileVault was introduced with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, and could only be applied to a user's home directory, not the startup volume. The operating system uses an encrypted (a large single file) to present a volume for the home directory. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard use more modern which spread the data over 8 MB files (called bands) within a bundle. Apple refers to this original iteration of FileVault as "legacy FileVault". OS X 10.7 Lion and newer versions offer FileVault 2, which is a significant redesign. This encrypts the entire OS X startup volume and typically includes the home directory, abandoning the disk image approach. For this approach to disk encryption, authorised users' information is loaded from a separate non-encrypted boot volume (partition/slice type Apple_Boot). The original version of FileVault was added in Mac OS X Panther to encrypt a user's home directory. When FileVault is enabled the system invites the user to create a master password for the computer. If a user password is forgotten, the master password or recovery key may be used to decrypt the files instead. FileVault recovery key is different from a Mac recovery key, which is a 28-character code used to reset your password or regain access to your Apple ID. Migration of FileVault home directories is subject to two limitations: there must be no prior migration to the target computer the target must have no existing user accounts. If Migration Assistant has already been used or if there are user accounts on the target: before migration, FileVault must be disabled at the source. If transferring FileVault data from a previous Mac that uses 10.4 using the built-in utility to move data to a new machine, the data continues to be stored in the old sparse image format, and the user must turn FileVault off and then on again to re-encrypt in the new sparse bundle format.

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related concepts (7)

Related lectures (2)

BitLocker

BitLocker is a full volume encryption feature included with Microsoft Windows versions starting with Windows Vista. It is designed to protect data by providing encryption for entire volumes. By default, it uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm in cipher block chaining (CBC) or "xor–encrypt–xor (XEX)-based Tweaked codebook mode with ciphertext Stealing" (XTS) mode with a 128-bit or 256-bit key. CBC is not used over the whole disk; it is applied to each individual sector.

FileVault

TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt is a discontinued source-available freeware utility used for on-the-fly encryption (OTFE). It can create a virtual encrypted disk within a file, or encrypt a partition or the whole storage device (pre-boot authentication). On 28 May 2014, the TrueCrypt website announced that the project was no longer maintained and recommended users find alternative solutions. Though development of TrueCrypt has ceased, an independent audit of TrueCrypt (published in March 2015) has concluded that no significant flaws are present.

Applied Cryptography: Symmetric Integrity COM-301: Computer security

Explores symmetric cryptography for integrity, emphasizing Message Authentication Codes and different encryption approaches to ensure data confidentiality and integrity.

E-Voting: Election Phases and Security Measures CS-438: Decentralized systems engineering

Discusses election phases, ballot security, privacy, and transparency in e-voting.