Ubuntu already featured by default security enhancements developed by the U.S. National Security Agency, but version 9.04 of the Linux distribution now brings seamless file encryption for added protection of critical data. When activated, the option automatically mounts the encrypted home folder without asking for a password, and the user can browse and work with files at normal speed. Should the encrypted folder need to be recovered, there is a hash passphrase.
This new feature could prove useful should the computer gets stolen: in case critical data was not already encrypted through Keepass or Truecrypt, the thief won’t be able to read anything from the home folder. File encryption is not virtually unbreakable, so for added security one should combine all those different layers of security.
This should be something mandatory for all government laptops, which are particularly at risk.
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