Secure Coding mailing list archives
Best practices for encrypting client-side data
From: ljknews at mac.com (ljknews)
Date: Tue, 8 May 2007 10:11:05 -0400
At 10:09 PM +1200 5/8/07, Robin Sheat wrote:
Content-Type: multipart/signed; boundary="nextPart6783111.ysaAiqc79P"; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; micalg=pgp-sha1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I'm no security professional, just a programmer with a healthy interest in it, most of what I've gleaned has come from lists such as this, and the various securityfocus ones. A little while ago I was asked to implement something that I didn't have much of a low-level idea of, so I hope here is an appropriate place to ask. Basically, I needed to encrypt the on-disk format of some data that is accessed as a seekable file (it's actually a Lucene index, but the details aren't too relevant). The use case for this is to ensure the data is kept private, even if the disk or computer the data is on is taken (it's a network-aware client app, so they log in to the program using a username and password).
There should be concern that the computer might be temporarily stolen to install a keyboard sniffer and then returned for long enough to scarf up the password. What protections do you have to prevent the user from choosing the same password for some _other_ system ? The smart thief will obtain the user password before stealing the box. I would suggest two factor authentication, requiring some smart card (with built-in keypad, to prevent intercept of the pin) that actually provides the decryption. Make the user keep the smart card with them, such as by requiring it for entrance to the cafeteria or rest room. Obviously other smart card features are in order, such as going dead after N bad tries at the pin, and a duress code. -- Larry Kilgallen
Current thread:
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data Robin Sheat (May 08)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data ljknews (May 08)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data Robin Sheat (May 09)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data ljknews (May 10)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data Robin Sheat (May 09)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data Blue Boar (May 08)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data Robin Sheat (May 09)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data SC-L Subscriber Dave Aronson (May 08)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data Robin Sheat (May 09)
- Best practices for encrypting client-side data ljknews (May 08)