This makes a world of difference. I know many people may know of it but may not actually do it. It Protects your files in case your computer is ever stolen and prevents alphabet agencies from just brute forcing into your Laptop or whatever.
I found that Limine (bootloader) has the fastest decryption when paired with LUKS at least for my laptop.
If your computer isn’t encrypted I could make a live USB of a distro, plug it into your computer, boot, and view your files on your hard drive. Completely bypassing your Login manager. If your computer is encrypted I could not. Use a strong password and different from your login
Benefits of Using LUKS with GRUB Enhanced Security
- Data Protection: LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup) encrypts disk partitions, ensuring that data remains secure even if the physical device is stolen.
- Full Disk Encryption: It can encrypt the entire disk, including sensitive files and swap space, preventing unauthorized access to confidential information.
Compatibility with GRUB
- Unlocking from Bootloader: GRUB can unlock LUKS-encrypted partitions using the cryptomount command, allowing the system to boot securely without exposing sensitive data.
- Support for LVM: When combined with Logical Volume Management (LVM), LUKS allows for flexible partition management while maintaining encryption.
I built a small set of scripts to decrypt when the initrd starts and can load from a file in the initrd (from separate volume), EFI, or various combinations of passphrase in GRUB. The main intent isn’t to keep out somebody with physical access to the machine and sufficient time but rather makes it a lot easier to make the data unrecoverable when the drive is disposed of.