Cryptkeeper : Create Encrypted / Password Folder Easier

Personal space is become important when we work with many people using public things like office computers, I figured it would be good to post something to help you keep your information safe. There is simple tips how to securing your folder using password and encrypted folder, this tips we pick from my friend blog Mr.Reza Ervani.

Today we will show you how some application named Cyptkeeper, Cryptkeeper is a GNOME applet for managing EncFS encrypted folders, this application is defaultly available in ubuntu 11.04 repository (and previous release i thing) so you can install easily trough apt-get or Ubuntu Software Center, read following step :

Install the Cyptkeeper through apt-get or Ubuntu Software Center.

sudo apt-get install cryptkeeper

your application will be available in Application > System Tools > Cryptkeeper, you can activate by click the icon.

Cryptkeeper Installed on Ubuntu 11.04

if the step you take right you will see such us "key icon" in your ubuntu deskbar, then you can start encrypt a folder from there.

Cryptkeeper Applet on Ubuntu Deskbar

Encrypt a folder using Cryptkeeper

to star encrypt the folder, click the New Encryption Folder then you will be asked for selected folder and the name of session.

• Add selected folder to encrypt and give a session name to remember. Click Forward when finish.

add selected folder to encrypt

• Give a password to secure the folder you had choose. Click Forward when finish.

Give password to folder

• If you read a message as shown below, congratulations you have personal private space now.

Cryptkeeper success message

To hide your encrypted folder, click the Cryptkeeper icon and uncheck the box next to it. To open your encrypted folder, click on the Cryptkeeper icon and check the box next to it. you will asked for password you have set before. I hope this will help ..

Updated via tanyarezaervani.wordpress.com

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Exploring exif data, how did it read and manipulated ?

Exchangeable image file format (Exif) is a specification for the image file format used (mostly) by digital cameras. Exif is metadata hidden behind an image/audio/video created by device while image being taken, exif data is introduced by the Japan Electronic Industries Development Association (JEIDA) with purpose to encourage interoperability between imaging devices. learning exif data is part of digital forensic studies, trough exif data we learn when was image is being taken, what device is use to take, and what is being manipulated.   

What information inside Exif data ?
Exif usually contain of supporting information of file, that information can be [1] Date and time information, digital cameras will record the current date and time and save this in the metadata.[2] Camera settings, the information of camera setting includes static information such as the camera model and make, and information that varies with each image such as orientation, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, metering mode, and ISO speed information. [3] A thumbnail for previewing the picture on the camera's LCD screen, in file managers, or in photo manipulation software, if a file was being manipulated the data will be shown here. And the last information of exif data is [4] Descriptions and copyright information, this case not created by imaging device but it created by application like a photo editor.

How to read exif data on Ubuntu Linux ?
Reading exif data is quiet simple in ubuntu, we have application called exiftool (also available in windows/machintos) which can help us to read, write, and edit metadata on exif data. to install exiftool we can use the synaptics package manager or go to official exiftool website to download and install. exiftool is command-line application which run on terminal, to running this application we can use this syntax synopsis.

exiftool [OPTIONS] FILE

as case studies, we will try to use this application to analyze image then see what hidden information behind them, we have two identic image and one which of them is has being edited by image editor application, let see what goes in their metadata :

raw_image

edit.jpg

Through a bare eyes we have same image above, did exif give a same explanation ?, notice the data below

Exif data of raw_image

Look, we can see hidden information behind the image, we have some particular information such us the image is being taken in 27 september 2009, using device Canon PowerShot A590 IS, using iso 400.

Exif data of edit.jpg

based on data above, 2nd image (edit.jpg) is not original, edit.jpg was being manipulated in 31 July 2010 using Adobe Photoshop. Some potential information can be found from exif data if we notice carefully, yes.., practice make perfect.

How to manipulate information on exif data ?
yes, we make right statement when we decide that exif could be a potential evidence of computer crime, but one point must be remember is exif data "can be manipulated", simple example below would describe it. We use application named jhead, jhead  is  used  to  display  and manipulate data contained in the Exif header of JPEG images from digital cameras. By default jhead displays the  more  usefull camera  settings  from  the  file in a user-friendly format. We have conclusion that jhead have ability to delete exif or make 'fake' exif data. To get complate information and option of jhead you can visit this link. We try to remove exif information of Edit.jpg above using option [-purejpg] in jhead, then see what different : 

Edited exif data

we look pretty different of exif data now, some information is 'disappear', simple example above prove that exif data could be a potential evidance but not 'Absolute' because exif data can be manipulate (remove or edit). Jhead is strong application, they can do much with exif data, if you interesting with this application i suggest you to visit this website.

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How to build reliable backup and restore system using rsync

Data is an important asset owned by company, data which is the raw of information require a necessary method how keep and preserve well, to reduce the impact of damage and data loss which possibility occur. Backup and restore procedure that a part of disaster recovery planning is one of the way that can be perform to reduce the impact of data disaster. From statement above we can conclude that  all of us need to ensure all important data of us or our company must be backup well. And now the answer is, how to design a reliable backup and restore system which can run on linux ?
To design or build backup and restore system we must have reliable tool to move data from source to destination via network, lucky we have rsync running in linux operating system. Rsync is such application which can move data (use incremental method) from one computer to another through ftp, scp, and ssh, rsync is small and multi perform application which can be use as server or client.  

Step 1
First time before you start build a system we must describe what system we want to build otherwords describe fungsional and non fungsional sytem requirement then design the layout of application.

Step 2
Step 2 we must prepare our system and install all required application, for this section for required application we can install ssh-server, mysql5.0-server, and rsync as main application. with no less important  don't forget to describe supporting factors such database design, working directory, and previllages user to run.

Step 3
Important part of backup and restore system is script to copy/move data form one computer to another, for this section i have provide some script write in bash language that found in internet then modified it then you can download by following this link. Maybe you can't use script given directly, you can modified that script and fit to your system.  I will give explanation to have clear illustration, you can open the script while read this.

• This script is running by cron, work valid by parameter save in file (/var/www/LIBT/exec/. That file configuration contain of  backup parameter such us name of session, rsync parameter, source and destination mechines. this file writen by application interface (you can build by your self) which help user to descibe backup session they want to build.

• This script work to manage/colaborate supported application like rsync, mv, cp, mysql, chmod, chown, etc.
• Plot of backup procedure of this script is  -- [read configuration file] -- [check input parameter given] -- [decide local/remote backup] -- [perform backup/rotate backup] -- [write log/give feedback]-- .This script can due incremental backup so if you have running the same backup before, system will save previous data backup and make a new copy of data backup, this important procedure can be use to implemented restore point.
  
  
  

Step 4
Test the script you build, the only way to test the script is try to implemented backup betwen two computer. Rsync is wells work with SSH, so i suggest that you chose SSH as media backup. Before start to backup you must consider  both of computer is free to access one to another, use ssh-key to make it happend, here step to make ssh-key between two computers. 

• First log in on A as user a and generate a pair of authentication keys. command : ssh-keygen -t rsa.

• Now use ssh to create a directory ~/.ssh as user b on B. (The directory may already exist, which is fine) command : ssh b_user@ | mkdir -p .ssh. 
• Finally append a's new public key to b@B:.ssh/authorized_keys and enter b's password one last time, command : cat .ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh b@B 'cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys'
• Try to log on to computer B from computer A, if the machines not ask any password you have success implemented ssh-key and your system is ready to test. 

Step 5 
If all testing has complate, Verify data of backup you have got. if all data is identic (similar) to source data we assume that we have successfull reaserch and ready to the next step (restore). 

Step 6
Restore procedure is desperately needed backup information of previous procedure (backup), if you consider to add restore tool as additional feature of your system, you must write down all action, time execution, and all additional information needed to the database so you can use it then. Some infomation you have to record when doing backup is source and destination mechines (ip address), time of backup (to get restore point), path folder where you have save the data backup, user and password or ssh-key.

Step 7
If all step is clear and successfully tested, i think you have build a reliable backup and restore system under linux. please fell free to contact us if you get any problem. 

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