Linux / UNIX: Encrypt Backup Tape Using Tar & OpenSSL

To encrypt a backup tape using tar and OpenSSL on a Linux or Unix system, you can use the following steps:

1. Create an encrypted tar archive of the files you want to backup. To do this, you can use the tar command with the -czf options, followed by the output file name and the files or directories you want to include in the archive. For example:

tar -czf /path/to/encrypted.tar.gz /path/to/file1 /path/to/file2

This will create an encrypted tar archive of /path/to/file1 and /path/to/file2, and save the result to /path/to/encrypted.tar.gz.

2. Encrypt the tar archive using OpenSSL. To do this, you can use the openssl command with the enc option, followed by the encryption algorithm, the output file name, and the input file name. For example:

openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -out /path/to/encrypted.tar.gz.enc -in /path/to/encrypted.tar.gz

This will encrypt the /path/to/encrypted.tar.gz file using the AES-256-CBC algorithm, and save the result to /path/to/encrypted.tar.gz.enc.

3. Write the encrypted tar archive to the backup tape. To do this, you can use the dd command with the of option, followed by the device name of the backup tape and the input file name. For example:

dd if=/path/to/encrypted.tar.gz.enc of=/dev/st0

This will write the /path/to/encrypted.tar.gz.enc file to the /dev/st0 device (assuming it is the device name of the backup tape).

You can also use the mt command to control the tape drive, such as to rewind the tape or move to a specific position. For example:

mt -f /dev/st0 rewind

This will rewind the tape to the beginning.

For more information about using tar, OpenSSL, and dd to create and write encrypted backups on a Linux or Unix system, you can consult the documentation for these utilities or seek assistance from a qualified Linux or Unix administrator.