Security Basics mailing list archives
RE: Hard Drive Encrypting
From: "Steve Wilson" <S.Wilson () eris qinetiq com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2003 12:36:13 +0100
-----Original Message----- From: Allan Foster [mailto:AllanF () lpa state ks us] I have found EFS to be effective only as long as the encrypted file is on a Windows 2000/XP machine. As soon as you copy it to a computer with a different operating system, the file is decrypted. Allan Foster, CISA, CISSP Principal IS Auditor Legislative Post Audit
Erm, am I missing something here? Surely a file system (in the sense it's being discussed here) is only concerned with the local storage of data. You yourself are decrypting the file when you copy it the other machine (or decrypting/re-encrypting if you're copying it to another 2K/XP box with EFS). Would you expect the particularities of a file under any given file system to be the same if you copied the file to a differing file system? It's like saying "I always wondered why my NTFS compressed files started taking up more room when I copied them onto floppy disk, then off onto a FAT hard disk." ;-p You're limited by the functionality of the file system you're copying the file to, not the file system you're copying it from. Are you perhaps more conversant with file crypto software (which, obviously would stay the same regardless of OS and FS) rather than low level disk crypto? Don't forget - EFS is intended to protect the entire hard disk from unauthorised access - not to specifically encrypt files for safe transmission. Just my ?0.02, Cheers, Steve. -- Stephen Wilson Senior Security Consultant Security Health Check L305/9, QinetiQ, St Andrews Rd, Malvern, Worcs, WR14 3PS Tel: 01684 894153 Fax: 01684 897417 "The Information contained in this E-Mail and any subsequent correspondence is private and is intended solely for the intended recipient(s). For those other than the recipient any disclosure, copying, distribution, or any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on such information is prohibited and may be unlawful." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evaluating SSL VPNs' Consider NEOTERIS, chosen as leader by top analysts! The Gartner Group just put Neoteris in the top of its Magic Quadrant, while InStat has confirmed Neoteris as the leader in marketshare. Find out why, and see how you can get plug-n-play secure remote access in about an hour, with no client, server changes, or ongoing maintenance. Visit us at: http://www.neoteris.com/promos/sf-6-9.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current thread:
- Re: Hard Drive Encrypting, (continued)
- Re: Hard Drive Encrypting Birl (Jun 18)
- Re: Hard Drive Encrypting Jason Stout (Jun 18)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Roger A. Grimes (Jun 18)
- Re: Hard Drive Encrypting jeremy (Jun 19)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Alejandro Salgado (Jun 19)
- MPLS PayLoad Encryption Hussein Ghazy (Jun 19)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Dean Mulley (Jun 19)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting security (Jun 19)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Naveed Ahmed (Jun 19)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Allan Foster (Jun 19)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Steve Wilson (Jun 20)
- Re: Hard Drive Encrypting Ian (Jun 20)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Ng, Edward B (Jun 20)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Birl (Jun 21)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Daniel (Jun 23)
- RE: Hard Drive Encrypting Erica Steeve (Jun 23)
- Re: Hard Drive Encrypting Olivier DEBRE (Jun 26)