Time machine encryption

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Jo_ann77
Jo_ann77
Community Member

Goodmorning,
After using the search method I couldn't find a good answer to my q'n about encrypting my TM backup for my Mac (high Sierra).

Now I have a open dock with 2 Hdd drives
http://www.ewent-online.com/connectivity/docking-station/ew7014-dual-docking-station-usb-3-1-gen1-usb3-0-for-2-5-and-3-5-inch-sata-hddssd.html
that can be plugged in and taken out in a second so not very handy regarding safety knowing that I'm trying to create a workable Fort Knox so than it can't be that my TM drives can be taken out by thieves and the rest speaks for itself.
So here is the q'n.
What can I do (or use software) to encrypt my TM HDD drives in order to prevent the above.
I only do a backup once a week so it's not running constantly and when I have to wait for a while to de crypt no problem make the backup and encrypt again put it somewhere safe and next week all over again.
Thats a bit my situation.
Hope this gives you the valuable information for a good answer.
Thanks a lot.
Best regards,
Jo
PS I just read on the blog about 1PW X and it's supporting browsers.
Theres no safari I noticed ?
Is that coming soon
I have still the trail period, but I have made the payment already for a full membership


1Password Version: 6,8,8
Extension Version: 4,7,0
OS Version: os x 10,13,3
Sync Type: iCloud
Referrer: forum-search:encrypting software for time machine

Comments

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni
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    After using the search method I couldn't find a good answer to my q'n about encrypting my TM backup for my Mac (high Sierra).

    @Jo_ann77: As far as I knew, the only way to encrypt a Time Machine backup is to check the box when creating it in the first place. But it appears there is a way to encrypt them later on.

    PS I just read on the blog about 1PW X and it's supporting browsers. Theres no safari I noticed ? Is that coming soon

    Unless Apple announcing some pretty huge changes to Safari's capabilities at WWDC in a few months, it will not be possible for 1Password X to work in Safari. Its extension frameworks are simply far too underpowered compared to other modern browsers.

    I have still the trail period, but I have made the payment already for a full membership

    That's great! Thanks for your support! I hope you're enjoying 1Password.com, and be sure to let us know if you have any questions about it. Cheers! :)

  • danco
    danco
    Volunteer Moderator
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    There is a problem with encryption in High Sierra, though.

    As far as I can remember (I may be wrong, it may be a slightly different situation) a drive encrypted under High Sierra gets reset(without losing data) from HFS+ Core Storage to APFS - this does not happen if an empty partition is formatted as as encrypted. APFS drives CANNOT be set back to HFS+ except by erasing and reformatting the drive, so losing data. And APFS drives cannot at present be used for Time Machine backups.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni
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    @danco: Thanks for jumping in. You may not know the answer, but now what you've made me paranoid (and I don't have my Time Machine drive with me to check this), do you mean that Time Machine drives are being converted to APFS? Or do you have a link to more info on this? I haven't encountered issues on High Sierra...but now I wonder if I've just been blissfully ignorant. :scream:

  • danco
    danco
    Volunteer Moderator
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    They definitely aren't being converted automatically.

    I think my problem occurred when I decided to take an unencrypted partition on an external drive and then decided to encrypt it. That was what changed it to APFS.

    If the partition isn't being used for Time Machine, there should be no problem. APFS works well enough in general (after all, startup drives get converted). The only issue is that APFS drives can't currently be used for Time Machine, and there isn't a revert option.

  • Ben
    Ben
    edited March 2018
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    That seems like a strange limitation... one of Apple’s core features doesn’t work on it’s new Apple-built file system. Hopefully they’ll get that straightened out with an update. Thanks for the info, danco.

    Ben

    P.S. I found further info on this situation here:

    Time Machine and APFS: What You Need to Know - The Mac Observer

  • Ben
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    :+1: :)

    Ben

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni
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    @danco: Aha. I think I understand why this seemingly hasn't affected me: the drive itself is not encrypted, but the Time Machine .sparsebundle is (because I checked the box when creating it). Cheers! :)

This discussion has been closed.