On 11/13/06, Jonathan H <jonathan7@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
As far as disk encryption goes, Seagate should be releasing there FDE
notebook harddrives soon:
http://www.seagate.com/docs/pdf/marketing/po_momentus_5400_fde.pdf
I can't seem to get a good, solid technical description of exactly
what Seagate's FDE technology does, but I always see it mentioned
along with the Trusted Computing Group and Trusted Platform Modules.
Trusted Platform Modules lock your data away from you. You cannot get
access to the decryption keys. Only a properly verified operating
system on properly verified hardware can use the decryption keys to
access your data. This is the SECOND MOST harmful way that Trusted
Computing takes away your freedom.
Also, a small BS alert:
Seagate claims that when their FDE technology is in use, drives can be
"instantly erased." I assume they mean that you can effectively erase
your drive by encrypting your data and throwing away the key. Well,
that key may be accidentally divulged, so a hard drive full of
encrypted data is not the same as a hard drive full of no data.
FWIW, exactly the same claims were made about ATA Security: just use
ATA Security all the time and forget the password when you're done
using the drive. Now we know that circumventing ATA Security is
laughably easy (although a bit pricey).
But don't forget about the main message: Trusted Computing = The End of Free.
I absolutely guarantee you that if Trusted Computing gains a foothold
in PCs, Linux with either disappear for good or be effectively
converted into software as proprietary as Microsoft Windows.
Eric
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