Is there a way to encrypt a USB in a file system that can be read by all 3 and decrypted by all 3? If so, which software would I use and how would I do it?
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Can confirm - I was using veracrypt ~18 months ago (and again ~12 months ago) - and it worked everywhere - you can encrypt whole storage medium - or - create veracrypt files and mount / read from MacOS and Linux and Windows… I don’t use it now - 'cause I’m happy to rely on Apple’s native encryption of my MacBook M1’s SSD, and LUKS on laptops running Linux (and don’t currently have a Windows device).
Sorry - I didn’t try and use it on iOS - even though I had 2 iPads at the time… I don’t generally do file access i/o on my iPads (back then I only had a 2017 2nd gen iPad Pro 12.9", and a 2013 Ipad 3 [barely ever powered on] - I’ve now also got a 5th gen iPad mini which I use as an e-book reader).
I guess I could try this out - I do have a lightning thumb drive which I almost never use… But may not as it looks overly complex - and from a brief casual search, it appears iOS (iPadOS) solutions (apps) are not free…
Just re-read your post again - filesystems? That’s tricky - I used exfat to format the encrypted storage - and could read and write that on MacOS and Linux (I kinda hate exfat, as it doesn’t support symlinks - but it worked). I stupidly paid for “extFS” for Mac product from Paragon Software (the people who make Parallels) - and it was a waste of time and money - the worst thing about my EXHORBITANTLY priced license for this product? I could ONLY use it / install it on one Mac at anyone time - that’s OUTRAGEOUS! Anyway - I did try ext3 or 4 in a veracrypt archive “file” (on a thumb drive) - but it was unwieldy and exfat worked better…
What they’re saying/suggest is summarized " The iOS filesystem is encrypted, so it might make more sense to use Airdrop if you’re on a Mac to transfer the VeraCrypt file to your iPhone." :
Not sure I’d rely on that myself - I’m not very good at locking / securing either of my iPads - but I guess I’ve probably get better at it if I was on the road a lot - carrying my iOS devices with me… But if you are (more security focussed than me) - then maybe try the Airdrop solution above? I don’t use Airdrop myself, but I have enabled 'cause I think Sidecar needs it enabled (Sidecar where I can use my iPad Pro 12.9" as a 2nd screen for my MacBook Pro M1).
What I am saying is that I’d like to use a USB that supports drag and drop/plug and play of files on it, that can be encrypted. I would not like to have to encrypt and decrypt manually. Who would want such a retarded thing.
Are we really at a stage in 2022 where there is no file system that supports encryption in this fashion?
100% - vendors don’t want that…
I think the Sandisk 128 GB thumb drive with lightning and USB A (USB 3) has some kinda encryption on it - but - you wouldn’t be able to read it in Linux - and - it’s proprietary…
I am fine using an adapter to physically connect but damn this is fucking stoopid!
The problem from the beginning with what you are saying is, that your initial post is incomprehensible. I just guessed, you needed some sort of media encryption, so I posted the Veracrypt link. However, it’s not clear what you are saying, because it’s obviously tough for you to articulate things properly.
So, you want something encrypted, that is never encrypted. Great.
That said, you again said “I’d like to use a USB”, which does not make sense. Humans don’t use “a USB”. Computers do. You may use a thumbdrive and connect it to a USB slot, but you cannot “use a USB”.
That is retarded, by the way.
Your knowledge of IT security is on that level, indeed.
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Just dug out my 128 GB Sandisk lightning / USB 3 (A connector) thumb drive.
I haven’t ever reformatted it… It comes as exfat by default - hence why I can open in on Mac and Linux (and probably Windows too I guess).
It has some software on it “SanDiskSecureAccessV3_win.exe” and “SanDiskSecureAccessV3_mac.pkg” - and there’s an app in the app store for iPad - pretty sure the vendor still maintains it…
But seems there’s no resource for Linux… the device uses some internal mechanism to encrypt it…
Note : I haven’t implemented encryption on there using those apps, it’s just exfat and I can see it from Linux - I always install exfat - as I have a few thumb drives using that shonky extension for FAT - it’s still pure garbage compared to Apple’s HFS and ext2/3/4 - as it doesn’t support (refuses point blank) to allow symlinks - any such system is garbage far as I’m concerned - as I ONLY use (currently) Mac and Linux - I do use my iPads - but never directly need to access storage on them (I bought the thumb drive to backup my iPad Pro - as the 64 GB iPad Pro was heaps cheaper than the 256 GB model).
There’s some solutions / options here - but - I have no idea if any of them would also work with iOS :
I’m about to embark on this :
- Windows (bitlocker probably - but not 100% sure) encrypted USB drive (that I will encrypt tomorrow)
- open it and read it from Android, write to it from Android even
- open it again in Windows and verify stuff copied from Android is visible
- open it on my Linux system at home…
- open it on my MacBook…
But - I don’t / won’t, have any need, or desire, to open that on either of my iPads…
Why bitlocker you may ask? BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT MY EMPLOYER dictates…
Dang - ALL I want to do is have my music that I bought and paid for - playable from work using their SHITE Windows 10 crippleware-disabled piece of crap…
How did I do it last week? Well - fortunately I buy 95% of my music from Bandcamp, so I was able to connect to bandcamp’s website, and play (i.e. stream) my albums using Google Chrome… another alternative might be to not do that at all, and just listen to music on my phone - but it’s a PITA, as it would mean swapping pairs of headphones in and out - i.e. bluetooth Sony to listen to music on my phone, USB Jabra to do VOIP stuff (no desktop phones - telephony is 100% VOIP).