Keeping confidential data safe?

  • Thread starter Thread starter AN O'Nymous
  • Start date Start date
AN said:
I will be away from home for a while. Just a few days ago there was a
break in in a house down the street from my place.

<snip>
Click to expand...

Along with my weekly, full system backups, I send my most important data
to an off-site, online storage facility.

Have a look at http://www.ibackup.com.

Notan
 
Well, in the end I think I'll settle on a Compusec-encrypted HDD and
taking a backup CD/DVD with my critical files with me.

I've got neighbours above and below me, both will be informed I'm gone
and I will tell both to call the police immediately if anything goes
wrong, so it should be OK.
Click to expand...

Sorry, you're not out of the woods yet.

With Compusec, as with any full HD encryption program, it is *absolutely
essential* that you back up *all* your data before using it. Anything
less is playing Russian roulette.

In fact, I recommend "ghosting" your entire drive, OS, programs, data and
all. That'll take either a heap of CDs/DVDs or another drive.

And you then have the problem of where to store your backup :-) Catch-22

Regards,

PS. In fact, I recommend ghosting your drive "plaintext" before installing
Compusec (using Ghost, Acronis, etc.) and ghosting it again "ciphertext"
after you install Compusec (and regularly thereafter). Only once you have
demonstrated to your complete and utter satisfaction that you can
successfully restore a ciphertext backup can you get rid of the plaintext
backup. (Unless you have a secure offsite storage location, encrypted
backups are preferable to plaintext ones - but thet're tricky to do right.)

PPS Ghosting of ciphertext drives is a little tricky. With Ghost it means
using the command-line version with switches like -ir Some also make a
separate backup of the MBR.
 
Thanks. I've decided to take all my 6 hard drives with me in my hand
luggage. :-|

Happy New Year, btw :-)
 
Well, in the end I think I'll settle on a Compusec-encrypted HDD and
taking a backup CD/DVD with my critical files with me.

I've got neighbours above and below me, both will be informed I'm gone
and I will tell both to call the police immediately if anything goes
wrong, so it should be OK.
Click to expand...


If you're really that worried, just take the drive out of
the system and put it in a location that is uninteresting to
thieves... like in a couple plastic bags, inside the toilet
reservoir. Oops, now that I've mentioned that, you wouldn't
want to do it, they might know.
 
AN said:
Thanks. I've decided to take all my 6 hard drives with me in my hand
luggage. :-|
Click to expand...

That's going to *have* to trigger some sort of full body cavity search or
something. <grin>

Seriously though, You're apparently UK based, and I don't know how
things are over there right now, but that much electronic gear in your
carryon will look suspicious. I've even had cell phones with exhausted
batteries questioned, I assume because they might have been little
mini-bombs. And you'll be carrying enough non-working little black boxes
to blow the wings off a couple aircraft.

Be prepared to answer some questions, or maybe even provide proof that
you're in a position that requires you safeguard a large quantity of
sensitive data. Some paperwork from your job or something might help.

So would finding a safe place to stash them on the ground. ;)
 
AN O'Nymouswrote
I will be away from home for a while. Just a few days ago there wa
break in in a house down the street from my place

My hard disks at home contain confidential research work. It i
unlikely a thief would be able to make heads or tails of it but
simply can not bear the thought of it ending up in a third party.
also have quite a few CD/DVD backups -- about 1000+ discs, but can'
be bothered to go through all of them to find the ones whic contai
the most sensitive files, maybe 25 or so discs

I was thinking about bringing my 6 (internal) hard disks with me o m
flight, but I am unsure whether X-rays or rough handling ma corrup
the data. Will it? Would wrapping the hard disks in towels be OK i
terms of shock protection

As for the CD/DVDs, does anyone know whether it is likely a
opportunistic thief would steal a stack of them sitting in th corner
When thieves break into a house of an absent owner, do they clea ou
everything or just the expensive looking items

Lastly, should I strip all key files from a WWW-connected server us
for my numerical calculations? I am solely responsible for tha
computer's security (even signed a form saying I was) and it use SuS
9.2. I keep a constant watch on it and being unable to do so for fe
weeks makes me jittery
Click to expand...

The best thing to do, if they're as valuable as you say, is get a bo
at the bank and leave them there

Your odds are much greater that something will happen to them i
they're with you

Even a locker at the bus station would be better then that
 
AN O'Nymous said:
Thanks. I've decided to take all my 6 hard drives with me in my hand
luggage. :-|

Happy New Year, btw :-)
Click to expand...
##################################
I will gladly keep them here until you return.
donnie
 
kony said:
Oops, now that I've mentioned that, you wouldn't
want to do it, they might know.
Click to expand...

Very funny. I'm not paranoid. My work is simply irreplaceable to me and
I am also responsible should anything untoward occur.

What's the deal with paranoids about paranoids? You should be careful
you don't end up being paranoid, trying to point fingers at paranoids
:-)

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does
not become a monster.
- Friedrich Nietzche
 
AN said:
Thanks. I've decided to take all my 6 hard drives with me in my hand
luggage. :-|
Click to expand...

What happens when you get to where you're going?

What will you do with 6 hard drives, then?

Notan
 
AN said:
It has less to do with paranoia, than me signing multiple documents
explicitly saying that I am liable if anything goes wrong.

A safe-deposit box was the first thing I thought of, but the ones I've
seen won't hold 6 HDDs and 1000+ discs (like I said, checking 1000+
discs for the files in question is too big a hassle).
Click to expand...
I would be most concerned about the 1000+ CDs. If one disappeared would
you miss it? That would scare me as much as the hdd theft. Especially
since you have no idea which ones "might" have the sensitive data that
could cause various issues.

Personally I would review your handling of sensitive data, and ensure
that everything sensitive was encrypted using any number of methods.
Moving HDDs around through airports etc probably not the best solution.

I would take the time to go through the 1000 cd's and manage that data
properly if the cost of compromise is more than the effort is worth.
You need to know where your critical data is and ensure its properly
protected, anything else is gross negligence especially since you have
committed in writing. There are several cd indexing programs available
on the web that should make CD inventory process easier for review.
Then you might even find something when you want to.

Winged
 
AN said:
I'd like to see how someone can track down my physical address via
Usenet.

Only my neighbours know.
Click to expand...

Wonders how many recent breakins occurred in Orpington.

Winged
 
It shouldn't make a difference because you could encrypt files or the
entire drive, which in that case would encrypt whatever drives are part
of the RAID1
 
Lars said:
It shouldn't make a difference because you could encrypt files or the
entire drive, which in that case would encrypt whatever drives are part
of the RAID1
Click to expand...

Most of the companies, supplying complete disk encryption, say they
haven't tested their software on RAID configurations.

Apparently, for the user, it's currently a crap shoot as to whether,
or not, the software will function as expected.

Notan
 
Winged wrote:

I would be most concerned about the 1000+ CDs. If one disappeared would
you miss it? That would scare me as much as the hdd theft. Especially
since you have no idea which ones "might" have the sensitive data that
could cause various issues.
Click to expand...

Good job pointing that out. Didn't think of that! I just had those
CD/DVDs burnt as personal backups...I randomly insert "extra" files in
it to make use of the limit.
Personally I would review your handling of sensitive data, and ensure
that everything sensitive was encrypted using any number of methods.
Moving HDDs around through airports etc probably not the best solution.
Click to expand...

I was not expecting to be flying around so much until my work was
finished...hence there was no anticipated issue of me being away from
my work for long. (I'm one of those strange people who actually enjoy
my work enough to think of it as a "hobby" and I work weekends happily!)
 
Winged wrote:

I would be most concerned about the 1000+ CDs. If one disappeared would
you miss it? That would scare me as much as the hdd theft. Especially
since you have no idea which ones "might" have the sensitive data that
could cause various issues.
Click to expand...

Good job pointing that out. Didn't think of that! I just had those
CD/DVDs burnt as personal backups...I randomly insert "extra" files in
it to make use of the limit.
Personally I would review your handling of sensitive data, and ensure
that everything sensitive was encrypted using any number of methods.
Moving HDDs around through airports etc probably not the best solution.
Click to expand...

I was not expecting to be flying around so much until my work was
finished...hence there was no anticipated issue of me being away from
my work for long. (I'm one of those strange people who actually enjoy
my work enough to think of it as a "hobby" and I work weekends happily!)
 
AN said:
Good job pointing that out. Didn't think of that! I just had those
CD/DVDs burnt as personal backups...I randomly insert "extra" files in
it to make use of the limit.


I was not expecting to be flying around so much until my work was
finished...hence there was no anticipated issue of me being away from
my work for long. (I'm one of those strange people who actually enjoy
my work enough to think of it as a "hobby" and I work weekends happily!)
Click to expand...


If you want to see what's really lurking hidden on your Hard Disk then
try this freeware program:

http://www3.telus.net/mikebike/RESTORATION.html

It'll show you what's left behind after a file is supposedly deleted.
You may be in for some surprises!

BTW the version number is newer than indicated

Peter//
 
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