Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 15:32:13 -0500 From: David Karapetyan <dkarapet@nd.edu> To: Bill Moran <wmoran@potentialtech.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Server encryption Message-ID: <20090303203213.GC363@vagrant.nomad.nd.edu> In-Reply-To: <20090303151857.3624e24b.wmoran@potentialtech.com> References: <49AD8623.6050007@eskk.nu> <20090303200239.GA363@vagrant.nomad.nd.edu> <20090303151857.3624e24b.wmoran@potentialtech.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Yes, having to enter the password in after reboot is a bit of a pain. That is not all; the encrypted drive must be fsck'd as well, which is a bit annoying. At present, I encrypt secure documents on my laptop, and leave my server unencrypted; thanks to your input, I will continue to do so. Thank you. On Tue, Mar 03, 2009 at 03:18:57PM -0500, Bill Moran wrote: > In response to David Karapetyan <dkarapet@nd.edu>: > > > Hello, I was wondering if it was a worthwhile endeavor to encrypt a > > backup hard drive on a server that I currently have in my office at > > school (I am a graduate student). I do have sensitive data on it > > (backups of my mail, as well as an msmtprc file that contains the > > password to a gmail account of mine). I am not particularly worried > > about theft of my server, but you never know. Am I simply being > > paranoid, or is there a considerable risk when one does not encrypt? > > If you don't encrypt the data and the server is stolen, the thief > has your data if he wants it. > > If you do encrypt it, the thief has to go to considerable length to > steal the system without powering it down, and even then it's difficult > to get the actual data. > > Most thieves don't care about your data. The value of the hardware is > enough, and they'll probably reformat the HDD with a bootleg Windows > Vista install anyway. > > You have to decide for yourself whether you feel the risk justifies > the effort. Keep in mind that if you encrypt the drive, you'll have > to enter the password any time the system is rebooted (such as after > a power outage). > > Hope this helps. > > -- > Bill Moran > http://www.potentialtech.com > http://people.collaborativefusion.com/~wmoran/ -- -- Best, David Karapetyan http://davidkarapetyan.com University of Notre Dame Department of Mathematics 255 Hurley Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-4618 Phone: 574-631-5706 Cell: 202-460-5173 Fax: 574-631-6579
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?20090303203213.GC363>