Comments on: Nothing beats a good padlock http://michaelgracie.com/2006/05/03/nothing-beats-a-good-padlock/ Clever Tagline Unavailable At Publication Time Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:41:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Michael Gracie http://michaelgracie.com/2006/05/03/nothing-beats-a-good-padlock/#comment-172 Michael Gracie Wed, 03 May 2006 21:37:45 +0000 http://www.michaelgracie.com/nothing-beats-a-good-padlock/#comment-172 <p>James,</p> <p>I use "file/container" or virtual disk encryption exclusively. Why? Personal preference based on the tradeoff of convenience (full disk) versus flexibility and portability (virtual). </p> <p>With virtual, I can backup those entire containers to my external drive, periodically, and still know that getting the drive snatched will do me no harm. In addition, I periodically backup those dually stored containers to DVDs, and drop them in a safe deposit box. Yes, I could drop the entire drive there, but then I would need to rotate multiple external drives - and this way I am not exposed to gross mechnical failures either. Not to mention I have found the full disk deal (like FileVault) to be somewhat slow, and prone to failings upon hardware swaps.</p> <p>I have used the PGP disk product for years (starting on Windows and on the migration to OS X). Haven't looked at truecrypt, but these disk encryption technologies are pretty mature, and I suspect that solid offerings would exist in the free world.</p> <p>Cheers, michael</p> James,

I use “file/container” or virtual disk encryption exclusively. Why? Personal preference based on the tradeoff of convenience (full disk) versus flexibility and portability (virtual).

With virtual, I can backup those entire containers to my external drive, periodically, and still know that getting the drive snatched will do me no harm. In addition, I periodically backup those dually stored containers to DVDs, and drop them in a safe deposit box. Yes, I could drop the entire drive there, but then I would need to rotate multiple external drives - and this way I am not exposed to gross mechnical failures either. Not to mention I have found the full disk deal (like FileVault) to be somewhat slow, and prone to failings upon hardware swaps.

I have used the PGP disk product for years (starting on Windows and on the migration to OS X). Haven’t looked at truecrypt, but these disk encryption technologies are pretty mature, and I suspect that solid offerings would exist in the free world.

Cheers, michael

]]> By: James http://michaelgracie.com/2006/05/03/nothing-beats-a-good-padlock/#comment-171 James Wed, 03 May 2006 21:22:50 +0000 http://www.michaelgracie.com/nothing-beats-a-good-padlock/#comment-171 Curious what your thinking is in choosing file/container level encyrption over full disk encryption. Have you considered open source offerings such as truecrypt.org? Thanks for addressing in future blog entry. Curious what your thinking is in choosing file/container level encyrption over full disk encryption. Have you considered open source offerings such as truecrypt.org?

Thanks for addressing in future blog entry.

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