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Slides from the FileVault 2 Session at Penn State MacAdmins 2014
For those who wanted a copy of my FileVault 2 talk at Penn State MacAdmins, here are links to the slides in PDF and Keynote format. PDF: http://tinyurl.com/PSUMac2014PDF Keynote slides:...
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Session videos available from Penn State MacAdmins Conference 2014
The good folks at Penn State have posted the session videos from the Penn State MacAdmins Conference 2013. The sessions slides and videos are all accessible from the Penn State MacAdmins’ Resources...
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Problems decrypting FileVault 2 encrypted drives while booted from Mavericks’...
While working with a colleague to prepare a FileVault 2 rollout at his institution, he reported that in his testing, the decryption process did not appear to be working correctly when he was booted...
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FileVault 2 Institutional Recovery Keys – Creation, Deployment and Use
As part of Apple’s FileVault 2 encryption, Apple has provided for the use of recovery keys. These keys are a backup method to unlock FileVault 2’s encryption in the event that the usual method of...
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Scripted decryption when using a FileVault 2 institutional recovery key with...
Something that has usually been a manually-driven process for me has been FileVault 2 decryption when using an institutional recovery key. In large part, this is because you need to boot to either...
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FileVault 2 decryption can be initiated but will not complete while booted...
To address this issue that caused problems for folks decrypting from Mavericks’ Recovery HD and Internet Recovery, Apple has made a change to Yosemite’s Recovery HD and Apple Internet Recovery with...
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New FileVault 2 enablement option in Yosemite’s Setup Assistant
One new window that appears in Apple’s Setup Assistant application for Yosemite is one that encourages new users of Yosemite to enable FileVault 2 encryption. However, this Setup Assistant window...
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Resetting an account’s ability to log into a FileVault 2-encrypted Mac by...
Apple’s release of Yosemite has brought with it the ability to use an Apple ID to unlock and reset a forgotten account password to log into a FileVault 2-encrypted Mac. You can use this ability in a...
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“FileVault 2 For Mac OS X Decoded” training video now available from Peachpit
I’ve been working with the folks at Peachpit to create a FileVault 2 training video, geared towards Mac admins that want to learn more about FileVault 2. I’m happy to say that they’ve let me know that...
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Using OS X 10.8′s fdesetup tool and non-enabled admin accounts to enable...
Back in OS X 10.8.x, one of the newly-created fdesetup tool’s functions was to enable users for FileVault 2. To do so, you needed to provide both the username and password of either a previously...
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Yosemite System Preferences issue when enabling FileVault 2 with an...
In 10.10.0 and 10.10.1, I’ve noticed an issue when enabling FileVault 2 via System Preferences when using an institutional recovery key. In Mavericks and earlier versions of OS X, the behavior of...
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Ten Things You Might Not Know about FileVault 2
One of the changes that Steve Jobs briefly mentioned in the course of the WWDC 2011 keynote address was that Apple had revamped its FileVault encryption solution for Mac OS X 10.7.x, changing it from...
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fdesetup sync – fdesetup’s misunderstood command
Apple’s fdesetup tool includes a number of commands, including fdesetup sync. In the fdesetup manpage, sync is listed with the following description: Synchronizes information from Open Directory to...
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Yosemite’s FileVault 2 pre-boot recovery options
One of the changes that Apple has introduced with Yosemite is a more straightforward way to recover from login problems at the FileVault 2 pre-boot login screen. When a FileVault 2-encrypted Mac sits...
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FileVault 2 deferred enablement in Yosemite
One of the requirements when enabling an account for FileVault 2 is that the account’s own password must be provided in order for the account to be enabled. This is because the account’s password is...
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Managing Yosemite’s FileVault 2 with fdesetup
With the release of Yosemite, Apple has continued to add functionality to fdesetup, a valuable command-line tool for enabling, administering and disabling Apple’s FileVault 2 encryption. This tool...
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Accessing the FileVault 2 Reset Password wizard via Yosemite’s Recovery HD
I’d previously written a post about Yosemite’s FileVault 2 pre-boot recovery options and how they can be accessed via the FileVault 2 pre-boot login screen. This process uses a Reset Password wizard to...
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Stopping your Mac from booting to the FileVault 2 Reset Password wizard
When a FileVault 2-encrypted Mac sits for more than a minute with an account selected at the FileVault 2 pre-boot login screen, a message like the one below should appear: If you’re having a problem...
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Yosemite’s paused encryption problem fixed in 10.10.3
When Yosemite was released in October 2014, one of the changes it introduced was including a new FileVault 2 enablement option in Apple’s Setup Assistant. This option encouraged new users of Yosemite...
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FileVault 2 on Yosemite is now FIPS 140-2 Compliant
Apple announced on Saturday, August 8th that the FIPS 140-2 validations for the cryptographic modules used by iOS 8 and OS X 10.10.x have now been completed. This is significant news for folks who want...
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