[FDE] FDE Digest, Vol 20, Issue 10

Wed May 14 11:53:10 MDT 2008

Simson,

Thanks so much for the helpful information. Could you be more specific how
you use File Vault in conjunction with a bootable backup?

"The backup is accessible if you boot from a backup drive; you just need to
mount
it and enter your FV password."

I assume you meant that FV is accessible if you boot from a background
drive, correct?  In other words, if I run FV on my main computer, and if I
create a bootable clone of the main computer on an external drive, then I
can boot that clone using any other mac, and I would be able to access the
data in FV the same way I would as if it were on my main computer. Correct?

"You can also create an encrypted image on your external bootable drive
using Disk Utility."

I am not sure what you mean by this.  If FV has already encrypted the
contents of my User Folder, then why would I need to encrypt anything else?

Thanks again for your help.  Much appreciated.

On Wed, May 14, 2008 at 11:00 AM, <fde-request at www.xml-dev.com> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Traveler's User Case: Backup vs. Security? (Carta Diem)
>   2. Re: Traveler's User Case: Backup vs. Security? (Simson Garfinkel)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 18:58:08 -0700
> From: "Carta Diem" <cartadiem at gmail.com>
> Subject: [FDE] Traveler's User Case: Backup vs. Security?
> To: fde at www.xml-dev.com
> Message-ID:
>        <6818991f0805131858h54710b0x5bc5b29532367ff at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
>
> I've been doing a lot of traveling, and I've been looking for a storage
> solution that suits my needs.  I don't seem to be able to find an ideal
> solution, and I don't think I'm in the minority ? although I could be
> wrong.
>
> Here is what I need:
>
> I travel with a notebook computer.
> That is also my main computer.
> Everything on it is critical.
> Everything on it needs to be secure.
> If the notebook fails for any reason, I need immediate, secure access to
> that information.
>
> Luckily, I use a Macbook Pro, so I can create a bootable clone on an
> external 2.5" drive that I can boot any Mac from, wherever I may be.  All I
> need to do is carry a small 2.5" firewire drive with me.
>
> The problems are:
> (1) The MacBook Pro is not really secure.  I don't use FileVault (their
> internal encryption solution), even though it elegantly only encrypts the
> contents of my Home folder, because it creates a separate disk image that
> could become corrupt during backup and that, apparently, you cannot access
> from a backup drive.
>
> (2) The external bootable drive has no security at all.  None.  So although
> it is bootable from any Mac (and I would have to authenticate at boot,
> using
> any Mac), to my knowledge it is still completely readable from any  PC or
> Mac, should I simply connect it using a firewire or USB. That is
> unacceptable.
>
> Am I missing something? Do you guys have a solution in the works?  It would
> seem to me that many travelers have the same needs as me, but maybe in the
> corporate world they use thin clients or don't travel around with critical
> information.  (And the truth is, I'm not carrying any state secrets. I just
> don't want my personal information to fall into anyone's hands, full stop!)
>
> Thanks in advance...
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 21:13:55 -0700
> From: Simson Garfinkel <simsong at acm.org>
> Subject: Re: [FDE] Traveler's User Case: Backup vs. Security?
> To: fde at www.xml-dev.com
> Message-ID: <FF52BC50-B5D2-4C4F-9628-3CA9793B2B82 at acm.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed;
>        delsp=yes
>
> I travel with a MacBook Pro using FileValut.  FV is great. The backup
> is accessible if you boot from a backup drive; you just need to mount
> it and enter your FV password. Normally that is the same as your login
> password.
>
> You can also create an encrypted image on your external bootable drive
> using Disk Utility.
>
>
>
> On May 13, 2008, at 6:58 PM, Carta Diem wrote:
>
> > I've been doing a lot of traveling, and I've been looking for a
> > storage solution that suits my needs.  I don't seem to be able to
> > find an ideal solution, and I don't think I'm in the minority ?
> > although I could be wrong.
> >
> > Here is what I need:
> >
> > I travel with a notebook computer.
> > That is also my main computer.
> > Everything on it is critical.
> > Everything on it needs to be secure.
> > If the notebook fails for any reason, I need immediate, secure
> > access to that information.
> >
> > Luckily, I use a Macbook Pro, so I can create a bootable clone on an
> > external 2.5" drive that I can boot any Mac from, wherever I may
> > be.  All I need to do is carry a small 2.5" firewire drive with me.
> >
> > The problems are:
> > (1) The MacBook Pro is not really secure.  I don't use FileVault
> > (their internal encryption solution), even though it elegantly only
> > encrypts the contents of my Home folder, because it creates a
> > separate disk image that could become corrupt during backup and
> > that, apparently, you cannot access from a backup drive.
> >
> > (2) The external bootable drive has no security at all.  None.  So
> > although it is bootable from any Mac (and I would have to
> > authenticate at boot, using any Mac), to my knowledge it is still
> > completely readable from any  PC or Mac, should I simply connect it
> > using a firewire or USB. That is unacceptable.
> >
> > Am I missing something? Do you guys have a solution in the works?
> > It would seem to me that many travelers have the same needs as me,
> > but maybe in the corporate world they use thin clients or don't
> > travel around with critical information.  (And the truth is, I'm not
> > carrying any state secrets. I just don't want my personal
> > information to fall into anyone's hands, full stop!)
> >
> > Thanks in advance...
> > _______________________________________________
> > FDE mailing list
> > FDE at www.xml-dev.com
> > http://www.xml-dev.com/mailman/listinfo/fde
>
>
>
>
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> End of FDE Digest, Vol 20, Issue 10
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