I have some storage on a remote server that is not mine. I want to use encfs to store data there. Is encfs totally worthless if I don't dismount the folder?
If someone else has root privileges on that system, or if they have physical access and the ability to modify the system in a way to give themselves root privileges, then they will be able to access anything that is mounted.
Yes. If you don't unmount the folder, then the files are just as accessible as they would be on a normal file system.
If you're using the data for backup purposes, look into Duplicity, which will provide encryption while still allowing for fast transfers through binary diff'ing. If you want volume-level encryption, just use normal volume encryption on a file and unmount and copy the file.
If someone else has root privileges on that system, or if they have physical access and the ability to modify the system in a way to give themselves root privileges, then they will be able to access anything that is mounted.
Yes. If you don't unmount the folder, then the files are just as accessible as they would be on a normal file system.
If you're using the data for backup purposes, look into Duplicity, which will provide encryption while still allowing for fast transfers through binary diff'ing. If you want volume-level encryption, just use normal volume encryption on a file and unmount and copy the file.