Based on the recommendation you received from the DCC or on what you would like to have for your encryption level, you can follow the instructions in the sections below to set up your VeraCrypt volume.

IMPORTANT: Please keep in mind when deciding on your Protection level that higher encryption does not always mean higher data safety. Depending on the encryption you choose, you might need to follow certain guidelines to secure your data. If you're uncertain, please contact the DCC (dcc@rug.nl).

VeraCrypt Volume with single encryption (password)

This is the lowest level of data protection that you will get by using VeraCrypt. Please keep in mind that if you are using a strong password (as defined by VeraCrypt in the volume set up), this level of protection is already extremely hard to crack with brute force methods.

ADVANTAGES

  • Hard to brute force.
  • Low probability of losing access to your data.

RISKS

  • Your data is lost if you lose your password.

Click to display step-by-step guide

VeraCrypt Volume with cascade encryption (password)

This second level of protection is similar to Lvl 1, but adds multiple encryption algorithms to the volume. This makes it even harder to use brute force methods to gain access to the data. Because multiple encryptions are used to secure the data, setting up or mounting Lvl 2 protection is slower than Lvl 1.

ADVANTAGES:

  • Harder to brute force than Lvl 1.
  • Low probability of losing access to your data.

RISKS:

  • Your data is lost if you lose your password.

Click to display step-by-step guide

VeraCrypt Volume with cascade/single encryption (password + keyfile)

This third level of protection adds a keyfile or multiple keyfiles to the cascade encryption of Lvl 2 to make it even harder for brute force attacks to crack the encryption. With Lvl 3 protection, the volume can be mounted only if you can provide the location of the keyfile along with the correct password. The keyfile can be copied and/or moved to a different location, but cannot be modified in any way, otherwise VeraCrypt will be unable to mount the volume.

ADVANTAGES:

  • Hard to brute force (like Lvl 2).
  • Low-to-Medium probability of losing access to your data.
  • The volume is impossible to open without the keyfile(s).

RISKS:

  • Your data is lost if you lose your password.
  • Your data is lost if you lose your keyfile(s).
  • Your data is lost if you modify your keyfile(s).

IMPORTANT: To reduce the risk of data loss, please consider having a copy or backup of your keyfile(s) available somewhere safe.

Click to display step-by-step guide

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