Disk encryption

[StringJunky]

If an encryption software becomes corrupt in an encrypted computer - that is encrypted in it's entirety - such that it becomes inaccessible, is it still straightforward to restore the computer with a fresh operating system?

 

I want to play with a few such softwares but don't want to render my laptop completely locked and unrestorable . I accept the data will be lost. I have a recovery usb stick prepared with Windows 10 on it for such an event but not sure it will work on an encrypted computer.

 

I'm looking at Veracrypt and DiskCryptor atm using AES 256.

Edited November 1, 2016 by StringJunky

[fiveworlds]

Yeah you can boot from usb in bios and format the hard drive.

[StringJunky]

Yeah you can boot from usb in bios and format the hard drive.

That's good.Thanks. Is it really that locked up when encrypted? So, it's encrypted at the point where the boot sequence hands over to the operating system?

[fiveworlds]

Boot sequence shouldn't be overwritten since it is on motherboard and not on the harddrive.

 

Ps malware can write to bios

Edited November 1, 2016 by fiveworlds

[StringJunky]

Ps malware can write to bios

Do they have enough capacity to hold malware?

[Sensei]

Do they have enough capacity to hold malware?

It could contains more than you expect from capacity, if it's compressed, and decompressed during startup to regular memory by decompressing routine.

[StringJunky]

It could contains more than you expect from capacity, if it's compressed, and decompressed during startup to regular memory by decompressing routine.

True. I suppose the only way to beat it is to flash the bios just as a routine precaution even if you don't know if it's been infected.

[Sensei]

True. I suppose the only way to beat it is to flash the bios just as a routine precaution even if you don't know if it's been infected.

 

If there is function reading BIOS content, then it could be used on the fresh mb (prior the first time turning wifi/network),

then calculate checksum (couple different methods), and keep copy of it.

Then read BIOS content periodically, let it be 1 per day, 1 per hour, 1 per minute, to find out whether there is change, and compare checksum with previously stored.

One guy argued with me that if BIOS is replaced, it could also replace routine responsible for reading current BIOS content, to return something which is original, instead of the real content.