Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3605 mails)

[lerninlinux@xxxxxxxxxxx]

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Chaitanya Chalasani <chaitanya.chalasani@xxxxxxxxx>
> On Friday 16 June 2006 21:11, Roger Oberholtzer wrote:
> > I have been pondering laptop theft. Now, I know our company source code
> > is of limited interest to all but a few odd companies scattered around
> > the globe. But the idea of it getting away from me is not so very nice.
> > A couple of us here maintain a subversion checkout on our laptops. By
> > design, the laptop is complete and can be used to create the entire
> > product for four or five platforms, just by a few make commands.
> >
> > What is the best security? What are the reasonable options? For a
> > current Linux distro.
> >
> > I think it is a given that any Linux user security does not apply. Just
> > boot Knoppix and all is revealed. The proverbial double edged sword.
> >
> > One could encrypt the file system. This seems a bit much. Encrypting the
> > files themselves is not feasible. There are a gazillion of them. (I
> > counted.) Can you encrypt an existing file system? I suspect not.
> >
> > One could have a BIOS password. This sounds best. But I guess these are
> > easily gotten around? It sounds too simple a solution. Or one that leads
> > to other odd problems.
> >
> > Is anyone else protecting their laptops in some
> > unknown-in-these-parts-but-soon-to-replace-the-mudshark-in-your-mythology
> > way?
> >
Anyone who wants your data bad enough, will find a way; Kidnaping, torture, electron microscope, etc.  I have done various things for friends, and have had to dispose of media and older pc's for friends, I also have various connections with some law enforcement.  I am thinking in particular of a lawyers office that was broken into for various pc's.  This puts the lawyer at risk for breach in attorney client privilege and such (I was able to speak to both officers and some lawyers on this, unoffically). I have people who gett pc's to resell and have to get into them, and such, so I have seen some of the bios password breaks.  
If I were to buy a laptop, it would have to be multiple security measures.  Passwords of the bios, hardware encrypted harddrives (such as the Seagate line,momentus), software encryption, including the swap file (and still zeroing it out), the possiblity of biometrics, and when I ran Windows, there was a program called Angel(something) that connected to a central server whenever on the net.  
I know of some sucessfull recoveries with software as the last.
Also, only take your laptop with you, ONLY when you actually need it, and physically secure it.

This is just from someone who is paranoid after the stories I know.

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