How to encrypt existing hard drives

Question

Hello
I have readyNAS 316 and want to know how I can encrypt my hard drives? They have been in use for last couple of years so have lots of data. I need to do this to be GDPR compliant.
Thanks
Richard

StephenB · Answer

As far as I know, there is no way to do this in-place.&nbsp; You'll need to destroy the current volume and create a new encrypted one (and then restore the data from backup).

richard6495 · Answer

Thank you very much for your super quick reply
Do you know if I have to do this to be GDPR compliant?
Richard

richard6495 · Answer

Do you think I can just create another encrypted volume and then move the data from current volume to this one and then delete the old volume? Or do I have to backup to other external hard drive and then restore it later?
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Thanks
Richard

StephenB · Answer

richard6495&nbsp;wrote:
Do you know if I have to do this to be GDPR compliant?
&nbsp;

That's really a legal question, and I don't know.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The GDPR regs do mention encryption, but I haven't seen anything that clarifies whether network controls (insisting on SMB encryption and authentication) are sufficient, or whether on-disk encryption is also needed.&nbsp; Physical security of the NAS (and the USB key if you do use volume encryption) might factor into this too.
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StephenB · Answer

richard6495&nbsp;wrote:
Do you think I can just create another encrypted volume and then move the data from current volume to this one and then delete the old volume?

If you have enough empty slots in the NAS, you could create a new encrypted volume (on new disks), and migrate the files you want to protect to it.&nbsp; Then delete the files on the old volume (or destroy the volume).
&nbsp;
Since you mention backups, you will also need to encrypt (or at least physically secure) those.&nbsp; AFAIK there is no way to encrypt an USB backup drive, unless you purchase drives that support hardware encryption with a PIN/passcode.
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If there's only one user who needs to access the personal data, you can create an encrypted iSCSI LUN on the NAS that holds that information.&nbsp; In that case, the NAS doesn't know the encryption key (it's only on the client PC).&nbsp; So protecting that information just requires keeping the client PC secure (and of course making sure anyone who uses that PC is being responsible with the data).&nbsp; Any USB backups of the LUN on the NAS be copying the encrypted files.

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How to encrypt existing hard drives

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