5 ms·

Great. I feel that full-hard disk encryption is necessary for our own privacy safety. If I had problems with Cops I would probably be shutting down my PC always

by TMK 15y ago

Great. I feel that full-hard disk encryption is necessary for our own privacy safety. If I had problems with Cops I would probably be shutting down my PC always before letting anyone in, though I already have quick auto-shutdown system with my SD card. I unmount my SD card and the PC shuts down and can not be logged in without the card if the SD card is not mounted.

rexreed 15y ago
What did you use for the SD card solution?
- TMK 15y ago
  I wrote a small script to keep checking if the SD card is mounted and if a certain key file exists in the SD card. This script is auto-started before my gnome Login screen.
  - mbreese 15y ago
    Couldn't someone: a) physically remove your hard drive b) mount it in a different machine c) find your SD checking script d) figure out what key file you're checking for e) write that key file to a new SD card (or otherwise circumvent the check) This assumes that your HD isn't fully encrypted, in which case you'd be pretty well protected. It does sound like a nifty way to auto-logout quickly though...
    - TMK 15y ago
      The HD is fully encrypted and the system does not only check if a file exists, but if the file in the SD card contains specific key, which is not stored in the system, but it's my own encryption implementation for the key so I'm not certain how secure it is. a) Yes they can. b) Of course they can do that if the HD is not encrypted or the encryption is broken. c) Yes they can do that, but why would they do it if they already broke the hard drive encryption? They could just delete the script. d) Well yes surely they could do this. Anyway my only goal implementing the SD card shutdown was to secure the system from friends who want to invade my privacy and thief's. Basically I can do auto login to my admin account and if the SD card is not mounted it shut downs.
rohit89 15y ago
Couldn't they just force you to give the decryption keys ?
- troels 15y ago
  Not if you forgot it.
  - lucian1900 15y ago
    Actually in the UK you can be detained indefinitely even if you plead that you forgot it.
    - ja27 15y ago
      That scares me. I've forgotten half my Truecrypt passwords. I guess I should give up and delete those archives.
- mrsebastian 15y ago
  Plead the Fifth!
  - daeken 15y ago
    I think you're joking, but for what it's worth, that doesn't work. You can claim that the encryption key itself contains self-incriminating data, but then they'll simply say "ok, we completely understand. Go ahead and type it into your laptop and decrypt the data and you don't have to reveal the key."
    - VladRussian 15y ago
      right to remain silent. Orally, in writing, keyboard typing, or through any other means of communications.
    - tomjen3 15y ago
      Your honor, it has been more than six months since I was arrested and I can no longer remember the encryption key. All I can remember is that it twenty random letters/numbers. Even if you lie in court it is very difficult to prove it.
mrcharles 15y ago
I'm not sure what the benefit of the SD card is in this case -- something physical, you can be legally compelled to hand it over, since it's a physical object.
- ConstantineXVI 15y ago
  It's much easier to make a SD card unavailable (destroyed, "lost", etc.) vs. an entire laptop, and you wouldn't be as vulnerable if a third party got a hold of the laptop (since all the valuable data is sitting in your wallet (on your person) instead of the briefcase (in the seat next to you)).
  - TMK 15y ago
    Well In my case the data actually is in the laptop and encrypted, but the SD card only disables logging in on the PC, even if they crack my password.
    - ConstantineXVI 15y ago
      Unless your SD card contains something vital to access of your data (encryption key, etc), all that setup does is protect your data from people who try to use your laptop in a coffeeshop while you're in the john. Still nothing stopping one from taking the entire laptop, removing the drive, and mounting it in another system.
      - vladd 15y ago
        The encryption key could be a function of his login password and it could be stored in-memory after he is logged in. The issue is to have a trigger which wipes it from memory by logging out the current user when the police shows up, and unplugging the SD is a nice trigger for that. That's at least what I imagined, his setup might be completely different (a keyboard combination for logging out might also work better).
        TMK 15y ago

by TMK 15y ago

rexreed 15y ago

What did you use for the SD card solution?

TMK 15y ago
I wrote a small script to keep checking if the SD card is mounted and if a certain key file exists in the SD card. This script is auto-started before my gnome Login screen.
- mbreese 15y ago
  Couldn't someone: a) physically remove your hard drive b) mount it in a different machine c) find your SD checking script d) figure out what key file you're checking for e) write that key file to a new SD card (or otherwise circumvent the check) This assumes that your HD isn't fully encrypted, in which case you'd be pretty well protected. It does sound like a nifty way to auto-logout quickly though...
  - TMK 15y ago
    The HD is fully encrypted and the system does not only check if a file exists, but if the file in the SD card contains specific key, which is not stored in the system, but it's my own encryption implementation for the key so I'm not certain how secure it is. a) Yes they can. b) Of course they can do that if the HD is not encrypted or the encryption is broken. c) Yes they can do that, but why would they do it if they already broke the hard drive encryption? They could just delete the script. d) Well yes surely they could do this. Anyway my only goal implementing the SD card shutdown was to secure the system from friends who want to invade my privacy and thief's. Basically I can do auto login to my admin account and if the SD card is not mounted it shut downs.

rohit89 15y ago

Couldn't they just force you to give the decryption keys ?

troels 15y ago
Not if you forgot it.
- lucian1900 15y ago
  Actually in the UK you can be detained indefinitely even if you plead that you forgot it.
  - ja27 15y ago
    That scares me. I've forgotten half my Truecrypt passwords. I guess I should give up and delete those archives.
mrsebastian 15y ago
Plead the Fifth!
- daeken 15y ago
  I think you're joking, but for what it's worth, that doesn't work. You can claim that the encryption key itself contains self-incriminating data, but then they'll simply say "ok, we completely understand. Go ahead and type it into your laptop and decrypt the data and you don't have to reveal the key."
  - VladRussian 15y ago
    right to remain silent. Orally, in writing, keyboard typing, or through any other means of communications.
  - tomjen3 15y ago
    Your honor, it has been more than six months since I was arrested and I can no longer remember the encryption key. All I can remember is that it twenty random letters/numbers. Even if you lie in court it is very difficult to prove it.

mrcharles 15y ago

I'm not sure what the benefit of the SD card is in this case -- something physical, you can be legally compelled to hand it over, since it's a physical object.

ConstantineXVI 15y ago
It's much easier to make a SD card unavailable (destroyed, "lost", etc.) vs. an entire laptop, and you wouldn't be as vulnerable if a third party got a hold of the laptop (since all the valuable data is sitting in your wallet (on your person) instead of the briefcase (in the seat next to you)).
- TMK 15y ago
  Well In my case the data actually is in the laptop and encrypted, but the SD card only disables logging in on the PC, even if they crack my password.
  - ConstantineXVI 15y ago
    Unless your SD card contains something vital to access of your data (encryption key, etc), all that setup does is protect your data from people who try to use your laptop in a coffeeshop while you're in the john. Still nothing stopping one from taking the entire laptop, removing the drive, and mounting it in another system.
    - vladd 15y ago
      The encryption key could be a function of his login password and it could be stored in-memory after he is logged in. The issue is to have a trigger which wipes it from memory by logging out the current user when the police shows up, and unplugging the SD is a nice trigger for that. That's at least what I imagined, his setup might be completely different (a keyboard combination for logging out might also work better).
      - TMK 15y ago