Google Drive is go!

[Trafalger888]

Originally Posted by kona0197

Locks only keep honest people honest. If someone wants your data bad enough, they will get it.

True...but if they want it that bad might as well make them work for it

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[kona0197]

Does keeping the external hard drive in a fire proof safe count as encrypting my data?

[DBelton]

Originally Posted by kona0197

Does keeping the external hard drive in a fire proof safe count as encrypting my data?

That is probably more secure than most of the encryption algorithms in use are.

Seriously, most of the encryption algorithms in use can be broken in less than 5 minutes with the right equipment. (Most people wouldn't have access to it, though.. Unless they happen to work for the gooberment.)

[Gareth Jones]

Originally Posted by nonamedotc

I would be interested to know how many people actually use encrypted external storage devices actually. I would actually be surprised if 'general' users knew about encrypting HDDs ....

Personally I regard encryption as being as basic a security measure as having a login password, so I encrypt /home /var and swap even on my desktop. It should be the default for all OSes and devices.

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:12 PM ----------

Originally Posted by kona0197

Locks only keep honest people honest. If someone wants your data bad enough, they will get it.

I bet you still lock your front door when you're out though.

---------- Post added at 06:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DBelton

Seriously, most of the encryption algorithms in use can be broken in less than 5 minutes with the right equipment. (Most people wouldn't have access to it, though.. Unless they happen to work for the gooberment.)

Do you have any links about that – and how secure dmcrypt/LUKS is for example? A friend of mine did some work in criminal digital forensics, and regarded encryption as game-over in most cases if the machine was shut down – at least as far as recovering files from the encrypted disk.

That said, I don't really care if the police see my files (as long as traditional due legal process is followed!), so long as I don't need to worry if my computer is stolen. I'm generally sceptical of the idea that governments/military/intelligence agencies have access to amazing technology that the rest of us don't though! Usually it's just the same stuff built to specifications that aren't domestically economically viable.

[nonamedotc]

Originally Posted by Gareth Jones

Do you have any links about that – and how secure dmcrypt/LUKS is for example? A friend of mine did some work in criminal digital forensics, and regarded encryption as game-over in most cases if the machine was shut down – at least as far as recovering files from the encrypted disk.

That said, I don't really care if the police see my files (as long as traditional due legal process is followed!), so long as I don't need to worry if my computer is stolen. I'm generally sceptical of the idea that governments/military/intelligence agencies have access to amazing technology that the rest of us don't though! Usually it's just the same stuff built to specifications that aren't domestically economically viable.

That has been my impression too from what I have read in various places. It would really scary to have "open all key" whoever has it!

Wasn't this one of the things that came up and was discussed rather strongly with respect to Bitlocker encryption (potentially) having a backdoor in Windows Ultimate versions?

[StephenH]

Originally Posted by BBQdave

I agree.

Tested a few cloud services for possible collaboration project, and found the same, slow upload and download speed. And not sure why anyone would store personal data in the cloud. Not when it is so easy to back up data to an external drive or home computer (server).

Why? For one thing, think secure off-site storage. If I have an external drive or home computer (server) on which I do backups and something happens such as burglary, fire or tornado or other disaster, all my files may be lost. If I have off-site storage, even if something should happen to all of my current equipment, by important files are not lost as I can restore them to new hardware.

That is not to say that local backup isn't a good thing to have. Just that one should consider that it isn't just drive crashes that can cause one to lose data. However, one should take precautions such as making sure one is using a secure backup method. My personal choice is SpiderOak. It has support for Linux, Mac, and Windows, and it is not limited to one machine using it. It can also sync data between systems which is very handy. All file transfer and storage is encrypted with the keys maintained by me, not by the company. They store my data, but they can't access it.

[DBelton]

Originally Posted by Gareth Jones

Personally I regard encryption as being as basic a security measure as having a login password, so I encrypt /home /var and swap even on my desktop. It should be the default for all OSes and devices.

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:12 PM ----------



I bet you still lock your front door when you're out though.

---------- Post added at 06:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 PM ----------



Do you have any links about that – and how secure dmcrypt/LUKS is for example? A friend of mine did some work in criminal digital forensics, and regarded encryption as game-over in most cases if the machine was shut down – at least as far as recovering files from the encrypted disk.

That said, I don't really care if the police see my files (as long as traditional due legal process is followed!), so long as I don't need to worry if my computer is stolen. I'm generally sceptical of the idea that governments/military/intelligence agencies have access to amazing technology that the rest of us don't though! Usually it's just the same stuff built to specifications that aren't domestically economically viable.

For most people, (and most law enforcement agencies) it pretty much is game over if the machine is shut down if the encryption is done right.

But, for the folks in building 5300 at oak ridge (and not the DOE folks that have the slow jaguar system in the building) it's not quite game over.

[StephenH]

Originally Posted by DBelton

For most people, (and most law enforcement agencies) it pretty much is game over if the machine is shut down if the encryption is done right.

But, for the folks in building 5300 at oak ridge (and not the DOE folks that have the slow jaguar system in the building) it's not quite game over.

However, one must remember that average Joe is not a target for this type of analysis. If you are storing nuclear secrets on your home computer and the government finds out about it, then the expenditure of time and effort might be worth it. However, I am sure the government has easier ways of finding out your bank account information.

In reality, encryption serves to keep the average thief from being able to access your files. The same applies if to a laptop left somewhere by accident.

Perhaps one ought to say that encryption provides adequate security, not absolute security for all cases.

[DBelton]

That is true.

Encryption is more than adequate for most normal users as it does take some heavy duty hardware to break it in a reasonable amount of time. (For most hardware available to the public sector (including law enforcement) you are still looking at weeks just to break some of the weaker encryption algorithms unless they have intercepted enough communications to give themselves a good starting point on the key)

And yes, the government does have easier ways to find just about all of the information it could possibly be looking for on an individuals computer than spending the effort to break encryption algorithms. They would probably only go through the effort to break encryption after they already had enough information to give them probable cause to look deeper. In those cases, they probably already have enough evidence to put you in jail anyway.

[Gareth Jones]

Originally Posted by DBelton

For most hardware available to the public sector (including law enforcement) you are still looking at weeks just to break some of the weaker encryption algorithms unless they have intercepted enough communications to give themselves a good starting point on the key

I'd bet even with a dedicated super-computer, strong algorithms with full-length random keys are still pretty much impossible to crack without extra clues or damn good luck.

Most domestic encrypted devices are probably using pass-phrases as keys, or keys themselves encrypted with pass-phrases, sometimes with multiple copies encrypted with different pass-phrases (this is how LUKS works I think). I expect that those are easier to crack with enough grunt and/or knowledge of the suspect. I'm confident enough that thieves won't have the hardware/know-how/patience for it though, so I'll settle for the convenience of a pass-phrase.

They would probably only go through the effort to break encryption after they already had enough information to give them probable cause to look deeper. In those cases, they probably already have enough evidence to put you in jail anyway.

Yes, by that point if you haven't started co-operating and handed over the key yourself, you're probably not going to be walking free for a very long time either way.

[nonamedotc]

It is interesting that we are discussion encryption here with regard to "general" users when people are still losing money on phishing emails and spewing malwares and/or viruses acorss the internet simply by not applying OS updates!

Long way to go to encrypting sensitive information, I say!

[llobach]

Originally Posted by nonamedotc

I do not think anyone would want to Dropbox or Google drive for backing up their tax returns (for example) though!

Try using Spideroak. Client side encryption? - if that's what "zero-knowledge privacy policy" means.. Works very well on F16 and is cross platform. 2GB free - enough for your accounts possibly.

FWIW

[tokyojoe]

Originally Posted by BBQdave

I agree.

Tested a few cloud services for possible collaboration project, and found the same, slow upload and download speed. And not sure why anyone would store personal data in the cloud. Not when it is so easy to back up data to an external drive or home computer (server).

Do you use a online mail service (gmail, hotmail) ? Then your personal data is already in the cloud.
The cloud come in handy when you use different computers, with different OS and different office suites,
you can access your files from everywhere and you no need to convert from one format to another.
Concerning the speed, I think it take more time to start a program and to locate the document than to
click a few link in Google Chrome.

Now that would be great to be able to encrypt documents and easily be able to see what files are accessible by others.

[ElderSnake]

Originally Posted by StephenH

My personal choice is SpiderOak. It has support for Linux, Mac, and Windows, and it is not limited to one machine using it. It can also sync data between systems which is very handy. All file transfer and storage is encrypted with the keys maintained by me, not by the company. They store my data, but they can't access it.

Had a look at the SpiderOak website and I must say I'm impressed with what I've read.

Whilst I generally really appreciate Google and love the intergration of many of their tools which I do use, their small print can be a bit scary in regards to the cloud stuff. They can pretty much take anything you upload and use it at their discretion if they so desire.

Not to say they would, but that the legal power is there to do so. Still for rudementary notes/docs and other misc files it wouldnt matter.

[kona0197]

Do you use a online mail service (gmail, hotmail) ? Then your personal data is already in the cloud.

Yes my personal data that is in my email is in the cloud because I use Gmail. My personal files, like my Word and Excel documents, I'll keep off the cloud. Those are some of the types of files I am talking about.