This thread will be a collection of resources on how to use encryption, tool use suggestions and where possible, usage explanations.
I’m fine with reading technical documents, however I also value time and the ability to convey a point, without a huge time investment. The easier and more clearly encryption can be used, the better everyone will be.
Be it an individual or some sort of state agency / boogeyperson, more layers and protections are a good thing. Having protections does not make one a criminal, either.
CryptSetup LUKS guide. There are command syntax examples and console response dialogs.
Cryptsetup is nice, as it also handles mounting of drives and partitions. If you are unable to mount a drive, you will likely need to install cryptsetup. This should also work to mount any TAILS persistent volumes you have setup.
For more info on DM-Crypt (cryptsetup), the Arch wiki is a great resource.
Samples of flow (1st link)
01 step: install cryptsetup (dm-crypt)
02 step: confirm your drive target and valid partition (gparted or parted to get your /dev/(drive))
03 step: initialize your drive
# cryptsetup -y -v luksFormat /dev/xvdc
(This is setting up your passcode to access drive)
04 step:
# cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/xvdc backup2
(Mounts newly configured drive)
05 step: format the LUKS partiton (needless to say, you really want to have the correct drive or you have lost data on the drive you are using)
# dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/mapper/backup2
(This will take quite some time. Let the cursor do it’s work, check your hdd led to confirm activity)