I'm trying to get a better understanding of encrypted file containers, specifically with Veracrypt. From what I gather, when I create a file container, it's secured by a password, and without that password, no one's getting in, right? This container can hold multiple files, so I can't access its contents without knowing the password. However, I want to back up some large file containers, and I was thinking I would need to decrypt them first, then transfer the files to a new container for backup. When I tried copying an encrypted file without decrypting it, it worked fine, so I'm a bit confused. How can the contents of an encrypted container be copied if you need the password to access them in the first place? This is all new to me, so I appreciate any help on this!
4 Answers
Put simply, when you encrypt a file and then copy it, you're just moving around a bunch of scrambled data. Think of it as similar to a locked box; when you copy the box, you still have the box itself, just locked and secure. Once you have the right key (password), you can open it and see what’s inside. Until then, you're just dealing with unreadable data.
Thanks for the replies! It’s starting to make a bit more sense now. So if I understand correctly, copying the container doesn't require unlocking it; the system simply duplicates the data as is.
It's a lot like working with zip files! Just because they're compressed and wrapped up doesn't mean you can't copy them. An encrypted file is just a big chunk of data, and as long as you move that chunk, it retains all the information. When you decrypt it later with your password, then you can access everything contained in it.
Correct! The encryption doesn’t prevent copying; it just protects the contents. Just think of it like sending an encrypted message – the message can be sent and received without revealing its content until the right key is applied.
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