File Vault: What Is It?

What is File Vault?

FileVault is the technology that Apple offers to encrypt the files on your hard drive. After encrypting those files with a sufficiently strong algorithm, it’s technologically unfeasible to access them using any conventional means. Mac OS X launched the first iteration of FileVault with Mac OS X Panther (10.3).

How does it work?

Back in the day, FileVault only encrypted individual users’ home folders in a single large file (a sparse disk image) using cipher-block chaining (CBC) modes of encryption. Since Mac OS X Lion (10.7), FileVault 1 — now called Legacy FileVault by Apple — has been superseded by FileVault 2.

Why is it helpful?

FileVault 2, in contrast, encrypts the entire startup disk in a multitude of smaller files (sparse bundle disk images). It also replaces the now insecure CBC encryption with XTS-AES 128 mode, using a notably safer encryption algorithm. In summary, it has a broader scope and is more secure. This application along with a secure password will keep undesirable users from getting your most secret information.

How do I make use of the FileVault?

Proper use of FileVault and a very solid password will deter unauthorized users from getting into files and areas which hold private information. Setting FileVault up properly can only be done by the computer’s authorized administrator which would normally be the owner. With FileVault and good password usage, no one can do harm to the computer. If one forgets one’s password, a recovery key is given to the administrator during the set up process, if this key is lost, all information will also be lost.

This article taken from:

"What Is Mac OS X FileVault & How Do I Use It?" MakeUseOf. Web. 4 Oct. 2015.

XTS-AES 128 explained.

If you are a novice user, please do not be alarmed at this explanation, I barely understand it myself.

AES-XTS is designed for use in encrypting data stored on hard disks, and it works within the constraints imposed by disk hardware while keeping the security provided by the AES algorithm. The operation of AES-XTS is defined in the 1619-2007 IEEE Standard for Cryptographic Protection of Data on Block-Oriented Storage Devices, and is currently under consideration by NIST as an approved mode of operation of AES.