Secure Coding mailing list archives

Best practices for encrypting client-side data


From: ljknews at mac.com (ljknews)
Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 07:01:14 -0400

At 12:01 PM +1200 5/10/07, Robin Sheat wrote:
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On Wednesday 09 May 2007 02:11:05 ljknews wrote:
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.
That's not possible in this case. Mostly because it would involve more 
investment on our part than the customers would be willing to pay for.

However, I'm interested in generalising the ideas in this thread to go beyond 
my particular situation; "if you were storing data in an application on a 
laptop, how would you keep it as safe as is feasible?"

The tension between "as safe as is feasible" and "not willing to pay for"
is not susceptible to generalization.
-- 
Larry Kilgallen


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