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New Mac, What Next? Configuring It For Grouping All Your Data in An Encrypted Container

This document provides recommendations for configuring a new Mac computer with an encrypted container to securely store all data. It recommends: 1. Backing up the computer with Time Machine before and after installing software. 2. Creating a volume to store data and an encrypted VeraCrypt container within it to securely store applications and documents. 3. Moving default application data locations like email inboxes to the encrypted container and using symbolic links to reference them. 4. Backing up the final configured system with Time Machine for protection.

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Chief Joseph
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45 views6 pages

New Mac, What Next? Configuring It For Grouping All Your Data in An Encrypted Container

This document provides recommendations for configuring a new Mac computer with an encrypted container to securely store all data. It recommends: 1. Backing up the computer with Time Machine before and after installing software. 2. Creating a volume to store data and an encrypted VeraCrypt container within it to securely store applications and documents. 3. Moving default application data locations like email inboxes to the encrypted container and using symbolic links to reference them. 4. Backing up the final configured system with Time Machine for protection.

Uploaded by

Chief Joseph
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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New Mac, What Next?

Configuring it for grouping all your data in


an encrypted container.
This is what I would recommend but not necessarily your piece of
cake!

Before we continue …

Disclaimer

The ideas, concepts and everything else in this paper are simply my opinion based on what
has worked for me. It may not continue to work for me and it may not work for you.
While I hope this paper answers some of your questions and provides valuable
guidance, I cannot possibly know the full details of your personal situation or needs.
As the writer of this paper, I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness,
correctness, suitability, or validity of any information presented in this paper and will not be
liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or
damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
You are solely responsible for your own choices. There are absolutely no guarantees
here.

TIME MACHINE
Do a Time Machine backup of the machine as is. Just in case you
screw up something in the process.

TIME MACHINE
Have your Office software installed then do a Time Machine backup
again. Here at least you have a backup with Ms Office installed.

VOLUME CREATION TO STORE ALL YOUR DATA


Create a volume (a bit similar to partitioning in Windows but not
exactly the same) in the Mac container to store all your data.
- Finder, Go-Utilities, Disk Utility, <Select your container disk>, <+
Volume>, <Size & Name your container- e.g. 300GB out of 500GB,
Data>

VERACRYPT - ENCRYPTED CONTAINER


If another level of security is not that important to you then you are
done and no need to read further.

For those who take security at heart:


The proposed configuration is to create an encrypted container in
your newly created Volume and to store all your data there.

-Download VeraCrypt for Mac. You will also need to download


osxfuse which is required for VeraCrypt to run (yes, VeraCrypt is free).
-Install OSXFUSE then VeraCrypt.
-Run VeraCrypt, Create Volume, <size and name as you want e.g.
200GB, Data200GB. Save on Data Volume, follow the instructions
which are quite explicit, hint use strong password mixture of Capital
letters, Small letters, digits, special characters and be of at least 25
characters long>. This is your secured container.

-VeraCrypt, Select File..., <locate your Data200GB in Data Volume


through Finder>, Mount, <Enter your password>. Now you should find
the encrypted container in Locations in Finder.

MOVE DEFAULT APPLICATION DATA LOCATION TO THE ENCRYPTED


CONTAINER
Download SymbolicLinker2.1.1 (this is what I use, you could also do it
via Terminal which I am not conversant with) and install it.
This is for creating a sort of shortcut to reference to a location.

Here I will only introduce the concept with an example and it is up to


you to find all the data you want to keep secure!
-For example, I will consider Mac Mail.
-By default, the data are kept in ~Library\Mail.
~Library is not visible by default to access it you
Goto Finder, hold option key, Go-Library
-All your mails are stored in the Mail folder.
-You may want to MOVE the Mail folder from its default location to
your VeraCrypt encrypted container (exit from your mail application
first!).
-Right click on the Mail folder in the VeraCrypt container, Services -
Make Symbolic link.
-MOVE the created Mail symbolic link to the ~Library folder as a
replacement of the original Mail folder that has been moved to the
VeraCrypt container.
-That’s it. Your mail will only be accessible if you mount your
Data200GB container in VeraCrypt.

You could so same for all the applications that have a default location
in Mac (e.g. most email clients like Thunderbird, Opera Mail, etc...).

FINAL TIME MACHINE


Do a Time Machine backup of your system as it is your final working
configuration.

You could save all your created documents (Word, Excel, etc...) in the
VeraCrypt encrypted container.

Prior to shutting down your computer it is a good practice to Dismount


your VeraCrypt Container even though it is usually dismounted on
Shutdown.

Now you know that all your data are stored on the VeraCrypt
encrypted container and you could do regular backup of your data
on an external drive. In theory if your container is dismounted it would
be practically impossible to have access to your data.

(c) June, 2019, Joe


Some screenshots:

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