Encrypted "virtual" disk

Jeremey Barrett (jeremey@veriweb.com)
Mon, 10 Feb 1997 00:46:27 -0800 (PST)


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I am interested in writing a cryptographic "virtual" disk or filesystem.
My goals/ideas are the following:

o To be able to create/mount/unmount files (fixed size) as encrypted
disks, or some other scheme to avoid actually having to partition.
Using files has the advantage of piggybacking off the already existing
fs code and allowing encrypted disks on any fs.

o Not being required to create a physical partition is critical. An
arbitrary number of encrypted disks, easy to create, should be possible.

o The crypto-fs code would require a passphrase upon mounting. It would
be nice to auto-unmount after a period of time specified by mount.

o When a file is read by something in user-space, the crypto-fs
maps the request to some part of the file as it exists in the mind
of the underlying "real" file system, reads the requested portion,
and then decrypts it.

o Writing works much the same way, encrypting before "really" writing.

I'm starting to pilfer through the exising fs code now. If anyone has
suggestions, pointers, a better design meeting the basic goals, etc,
please contact me. Unfortunately, I am in the U.S., and given the
asshole export laws, this will not be exportable (legally). If anything
like this has already been done, please point me there. Thanks.

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Jeremey Barrett VeriWeb Internet Corp.
Senior Software Engineer http://www.veriweb.com/

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