Encrypting an External HD on Zorin OS 12

I recently purchased a 1TB Western Digital (WD) Elements SE at Datec. I had a lot of movies and other personal files on my computer which was taking up space and slowing down performance so I needed somewhere to store all these files. However, after having my last external drive stolen by criminals, I opted to play it safe and encrypt the hard drive.

WD Elements SE (1TB) 

The WD Element SE (1TB) hard drive set me back K299, but you can get if for about 15% less if you are a member of Nambawan Super or Nasfund.

It comes default in NTFS format and will automatically pickup on any Windows or MacOS system. Unfortunately, Zorin OS, like other Ubuntu/Linux systems does not suppot NTFS – but you can add it by installing NTFS-3G.

sudo apt install ntfs-3g

I had a friend with a Windows 10 system format it to exFAT before mounting on my system. 

The hard drive comes in a compact black casing with USB 2.0 and 3.0 support. It also has an LED indicator on the edge. 

Encrypting the Hard Drive

On Zorin OS 12 already comes with encryption software already installed so there is no need to install it. However, if you don’t have it then you can install it:

sudo apt install cryptsetup

The utility can be accessed in System Tools under Disks. Then select the external hard disk and under volumes click the stop icon to unmount. 

Once the hard disk has been unmounted, click on the gear icons and select Format Partition. This will open the format options. 

In the format Type, click the drop down and select Encrypted, compatible with Linux systems (LUKS+Ext4). 

Then enter a Name for your hard drive. I opted to put the name that came with it. You can choose anything.

The Passphrase (password) is the most important component and you will have to confirm it. You can also check the Show Passphrase box to see it in plain text. 

IMPORTANT: DO NOT FORGET PASSPHRASE!   

Then you click Format. You will be prompted to confirm the format so click on Format again – and watch the magic happen.   

When the format is complete, you should see a lock icon where the play icon was. This indicates that the hard disk is encrypted and can only be accessed with a passphrase. 

You can test it again by trying to access the hard drive in the desktop. You will not be asked to enter the passphrase in order to access your files. 

Why Hard Drive Encryption

Hard drive encryption is a simply way of making sure that your information/files/data does not fall into the wrong hands. This can be for both personal and work information. 

Image if criminals stole your hard drive, they would have access to everything inside. Your photographs, letters and other information that is sensitive. 

Anyway, I hope this post has been helpful. if it has then please support me by subscribing and sharing. 

Also, if you have anything you would like to know about Zorin OS or Ubuntu then please leave a comment below.