Home / server / Questions / 381230
Accepted
Bryan Agee
Asked: 2012-04-20 09:31:43 +0800 CST

What are the options for storing encrypted data on FreeNAS?

  • 772

I'm looking at implementing a mirrored pair of FreeNAS servers as file repositories. The only question still to be answered is the physical security. I typically encrypt the underlying drives on all of my servers, but it looks like that is a legacy-only feature for FreeNAS, and ZFS doesn't have an open solution to that yet.

Are there other admins with this issue who have figured out acceptable ways to solve it?

security encryption truenas

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    FreeBSD's geom_bde or geom_eli modules allow transparent disk encryption, ZFS wouldn't even know that the underlying block storage is encrypted. Setting either up is not trivial however, there is a Handbook page describing the process. Both require the passphrase to be entered on every boot.

    I personally detest the idea of FDE for servers. Physical security always trumps logical. Extending that, your servers should either be physically secure at all times, or not contain sensitive information.

    • 3