4 ms·
The problem in using multiple services is split between pricing, limitations, and to a certain extent attack surface area. If you start using lesser and lesser
by Shank 15y ago
The problem in using multiple services is split between pricing, limitations, and to a certain extent attack surface area.
If you start using lesser and lesser known services, the greater the potential threat of odd limitations (SkyDrive's 2gb file size limit, for instance), and especially apparent, a greater surface area for compromising someone's stuff. Trusting 7 companies with data, each secured with a (hopefully different) password is just too big of a risk to practically take. I'm slowly switching to Google Drive for most of my important stuff (I have my eclipse workspace in Dropbox) as a result of two factor and a proven track record of not being compromised. I keep raising the point, but Dropbox has already made this mistake once (http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20072755-281/dropbox-confirms-security-glitch-no-password-required/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20072755-281/dropbox-confi...). Though they're very likely more secure as a result, I'd be hesitant to trust any company lesser known than them for security.
When it comes down to it, a lot more goes into choosing a space provider than just the amounts offered free - making a decision on that alone is bound to lead down troublesome paths.
- mceachen 15y agoI don't see why you'd trust any company with your unencrypted data. Use encrypted disk images. TrueCrypt is free and cross-platform: http://www.truecrypt.org/ http://www.truecrypt.org/ If you're only on Mac, encrypted disk images are very easy to make and use: http://matthew.mceachen.us/blog/free-easy-encrypted-storage-for-mac-142.html http://matthew.mceachen.us/blog/free-easy-encrypted-storage-...
- kijin 15y agoYes, you can put a TrueCrypt volume in your Dropbox, and Dropbox is even smart enough to upload only those bits that you change. But it means you lose the benefits of syncing individual files between multiple devices. Good luck trying to mount the same TrueCrypt volume in two devices at the same time. Instant conflict! The same problem happens with every encryption solution that uses a large container. The only viable solution is filesystem-based encryption schemes that work with individual files, like EncFS or eCryptFS. By the way, SpiderOak has client-side encryption and two-factor authentication. But it's slow as molasses.
- replax 15y agoSeeing as dropbox stores the file local, you will not have any problem with mounting it simultaneously. You couldn't merge the changes, though. The bigger problem would be to access it e.g. on your iphone/from the web. For that reason, the webservice should be able to serve an unencrypted part if you enable that functionality. upon providing the passphrase, of course and waiting for the decryption. that could be a special feature which costs more, but would definitely add something special, which others do not provide as of now.
- kijin 15y agoIn most cases, merely mounting a filesystem causes a few bits to change, unless you take special care with your mount options. I'm not even sure if you can tweak mount options with TrueCrypt. So I still think that per-file encryption systems like EncFS work better with cloud storage than container-based systems like TrueCrypt.
- briandon 15y agoPutting encrypted files into a "cloud" service seems more likely to lead to a situation where the file owner is placed in a windowless, soundproofed room somewhere and offered a choice between decrypting those files or being sodomized with a mop handle by an employee of a nameless government agency than if the file owner kept those files on their own devices rather than advertising their existence to the world at large.