How to Encrypt Full Disk While Installing Ubuntu 22.04?

Introduction

Data security has become a major concern in today's world where most of our personal and professional information is stored digitally. Keeping critical data safe from unauthorized access is crucial to protecting your privacy and preventing identity theft. Encryption plays an important role in ensuring the safety of sensitive information stored on your computer.

When someone gains access to your computer, they have unfettered access to everything on it, including personal documents, financial records, email contacts, and sensitive business information. Encryption helps protect this data by encrypting the entire hard disk drive or solid-state drive (SSD) so that even if someone gains physical access to your device, they won't be able to read or copy any of the data without the correct password.

Encrypting a Full Disk while Installing Ubuntu 22.04

Ubuntu 22.04 provides an easy-to-use full-disk encryption feature that can be enabled during installation. It is important to note that once encryption is enabled for the installation process, it cannot be turned off without reformatting the hard disk or SSD completely. To encrypt your full disk while installing Ubuntu 22.04, you need to follow these general steps −

• Prepare for installation by downloading the Ubuntu 22.04 ISO image and creating either a bootable USB drive or DVD.

• Boot from either the USB drive or DVD.

• Choose language and keyboard settings.

• Select installation type - erase disk and install Ubuntu.

• Select "Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security".

• Configure encryption options - setup passphrase, choose encryption type (AES, Twofish), configure LVM (Logical Volume Management).

• Create user account and password.

• Finalize installation settings.

• Reboot your system.

In this article, we will go into details of each step to guide you through the process to encrypt your full disk while installing Ubuntu 22.04.

Preparing for Installation

Downloading Ubuntu 22.04 ISO image

Before installing Ubuntu 22.04, you need to download the ISO image file from the official Ubuntu website. The latest version can be found at https://ubuntu.com/download. You can choose between the desktop or server version depending on your needs.

Creating a bootable USB drive or DVD

There are many third-party tools available for creating bootable USB drives such as Rufus, Unetbootin, and Etcher.

To create a bootable USB drive using Rufus −

• Insert your USB drive into your computer.

• Download and open Rufus.

• In Rufus, select your USB drive from the Device dropdown list.

• Select "Disk Image" and browse to locate the Ubuntu 22.04 ISO image file.

• Click "Start" to begin copying files onto your USB drive.

Booting from the USB Drive or DVD

Once you have created your bootable USB drive or DVD, you will need to boot your computer from it. To do this, you need to change the boot order in your computer's BIOS or UEFI firmware settings.

• Insert the bootable USB drive or DVD into your computer.

• Reboot your computer and press the key that takes you into the BIOS/UEFI firmware setup utility (usually F2, F10, F12, ESC or Del).

• Navigate to the Boot menu and select your USB drive or DVD as the primary boot device.

• Save changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI setup utility.

Once you have completed these steps, your computer will reboot again from the bootable USB drive or DVD containing Ubuntu 22.04 installation media.

Initiating Ubuntu Installation

Selecting language and keyboard settings

After booting your system from the USB drive or DVD, you will be prompted to select your preferred language and keyboard layout. Choose the language you are most comfortable with as it will be used as the default for your Ubuntu installation.

Choosing installation type (erase disk and install Ubuntu, etc.)

The next step is to select an installation type that suits your needs. If this is a new installation or if you want to wipe all data on your system's hard drive, select "Erase disk and install Ubuntu".

Selecting "Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security"

Once you have chosen an appropriate installation type, look for the checkbox labeled "Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security." This option enables full disk encryption for all data stored in your system's partition during setup. The encryption passphrase entered here will be used to unlock encrypted partitions upon bootup of your computer.

Configuring Encryption Options

Setting up encryption passphrase

Setting up a strong encryption passphrase is crucial when encrypting your full disk. The passphrase is used to decrypt your data and grant access to the operating system once the system is booted. This passphrase should be unique, long, and complex enough to prevent unauthorized access.

Choosing Encryption Type (AES, Twofish, etc.)

Ubuntu provides several encryption types from which you can choose. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is considered one of the safest encryption algorithms available today and is widely used worldwide. Another option is Twofish; however, while Twofish offers more block sizes than AES for flexibility in configuration options, it can have slower performance compared with AES.

Configuring LVM (Logical Volume Management)

LVM (Logical Volume Management) makes partitioning easier by allowing users to create logical partitions that span across multiple physical disks or partitions as necessary. When configuring LVM during Ubuntu installation, users should consider factors such as ease of management and scalability while maintaining security.

Completing Installation Process

Creating User Account and Password

After completing the encryption configuration, the installer will prompt you to create a user account and password. It's important to choose a strong password that is difficult for others to guess or crack. Consider using a passphrase instead of a single word, including numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as special characters.

Finalizing Installation Settings

Before you finalize the installation process and reboot your system, take some time to review the installation settings. Make sure that all of the options are set correctly and that there are no errors or warnings.

Rebooting Systemv

Once Ubuntu has finished installing, you'll need to reboot your system to activate full disk encryption. When you boot up your computer for the first time after installation, you'll be prompted for your passphrase before you can log in.

Verifying Encryption

Once you have completed the installation and rebooted your system, it is important to verify that your disk encryption is working properly. There are two main things to check: that your encrypted partition is mounted at startup and that you are prompted to enter your passphrase before login.

Checking that the encrypted partition is mounted at startup

The first thing you should do after logging in is check that your encrypted partition is mounted correctly. This can be done by opening the "Disks" application, which can be found by searching for it in the Activities menu or by opening a terminal window and typing "gnome-disks".

Confirm that you are prompted to enter your passphrase before login

The second thing you should check after verifying that your encrypted partitions are mounted correctly is whether or not you are required to enter a passphrase before logging into your system. To test this, simply log out of your account and attempt to log back in.

Conclusion

Encrypting your full disk while installing Ubuntu 22.04 provides a multitude of benefits, including protecting your data from potential theft or unauthorized access. Additionally, it can also prevent sensitive information from being compromised if your device is lost or stolen.

By encrypting the entire disk, you ensure that all data is protected, including temporary and swap files that may contain sensitive information.