How to encrypt / password protect big Linux file?

Applications Cybersecurity
1

Hello,

i have around 20 backup files tar.gz with sensitive data. The sizes of these files are from around 200MB to around 20GB

I want to secure these files so no one can read, use its contents. only me

the method of encrypting, password protecting them should be fast, so for example in case of 20GB file, it wont take more than like 10 minutes of server work to "encrypt it"

it should be able to "encrypt/decrypt" them from linux command line.

Please do you have any ideas on how to do it?

2

It would be better to encrypt them right when they're made, and decrypt them 'on the fly' when you use them, than to encrypt and decrypt them in a giant file operation.

$ tar -zcf - folder | openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -out file.tar.gz.aes

enter aes-256-cbc encryption password:
Verifying - enter aes-256-cbc encryption password:

$ openssl enc -d -aes-256-cbc -in file.tar.gz.aes | tar -ztf -

folder/file1
folder/file2
...

$

You will still need to convert files that already exist of course:

openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -in file.tar.gz -out file.tar.gz.aes

If 'aes-256' isn't fast enough for you, try 'blowfish'.

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