SD card encryption

[Marybeth Burns]

Hey there. I am searching for a reliable SD card encryption app so that I may protect my files on my SD card. Could you please suggest a good app to do so or could you please explain how to encrypt my SD card? Also, will encrypted my SD card protect the information from hackers and viruses? Honestly, I would rather not have to go through an app to do that, because that would mean that the app would have access to my files! Do you agree? Thank so much.

 

[electricpete]

no app needed.

on my at&t s9+ running pie, it is done as follows: settings / biometrics & security / encrypt sd card

 

[svim]

As @electricpete stated, you should be able to do that already without having to install anything. Just look in your Settings menu.

Regarding if encrypting your microSD card will protect you from hackers and viruses, conditionally yes to the first and no to the second. Once you encrypt your card, its encryption key is stored in your S9 and it's tied directly and only to your S9. If you take your card out and try to mount it in a computer, you won't have access to its content because you don't have access to that encryption key -- you can only get to your files stored on it when it's in your phone. The same goes for a 'hacker' trying to get to your card. He/she doesn't have access to your data stored on the card either. But if your phone gets stolen or for some situation where the 'hacker' does get physical access to your phone, then at that point they also have access to the card's contents. A good argument to always have some kind of lock screen implemented. As for 'viruses', keep in mind that you're incorrectly using a defined word as a generic term. I'm being pedantic and only pointing this out because in the unfortunate event something should infect your phone, in order to diagnose and fix the problem you do need to be very specific when you're searching for a solution, as different exploits uses a different attack vectors, and solutions are only occasionally common ones. Getting back to if encryption prevents this though, an infected file or a malicious app stored on your card, whether it's encrypted or not, will still be a problem.
So encrypting your microSD card will prevent someone from being able to copy your files off the card if you actually lose possession of it. But if you inadvertently store compromised files or some kind of malware app, they will still be able to do mischief. Encryption applies to file systems and file storage, it does not act as any kind of anti-virus/anti-malware utility nor will it act as a process manager.