[LINK] Re: Stolen Laptop [was Re: Consumer computer security]

Marghanita da Cruz marghanita at ramin.com.au
Tue Jan 30 08:29:38 AEDT 2007


Rick Welykochy wrote:
<snip>
> *IF* you can encrypt your home directory and then keep all
> your data in that home directory, I think that you are quite
> safe travelling with a PC.

Given the alternative is the Airport lounge/Public computer and we 
recall what could happen when you use those PCs.
<http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1641365.htm>

and just came across this
>  	
> Portable storage devices invite big problems
> By Elisabeth Horwitt, Contributor
> 10 Apr 2006 | SearchSMB.com
> Small storage devices are inexpensive, ubiquitous, easy to use -- and easy to lose. For business IT departments, that constitutes a potentially serious security problem. A $30 Universal Serial Bus Flash drive casually misplaced in a restaurant or airport lounge may contain sensitive data that can leave a company vulnerable to a rival, or a lawsuit. In one much-publicized case, a former employee of a major financial institution unwittingly sold on eBay a wireless handheld device containing an ex-employer's customer list.
> 
<http://searchsmb.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid44_gci1178350,00.html>

Though lugging a PC or laptop around is not particularly convenient.

Is anyone a convert to a PDA?

> 
> Here is one example that got me: I stored encrypted data on my
> iPod and went traveling. When I plugged the iPod into a friend's
> PC in Germany, the data could not be read. I forgot that the file
> system used  on the iPod was HFS for the Mac and that Windows
> cannot read such a file system. In this case there is no good
> solution since the Mac forces you to use the HFS file system
> when the iPod is connected to a Mac.
> 
> The same problem does not occur with memory sticks since they all
> use the FAT32 file system, even Macs.
> 
> cheers
> rickw
> 
> 
> 


-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au/
Telephone: 0414-869202
Ramin Communications Pty Ltd
ABN: 027-089-713-084






More information about the Link mailing list