Comments for Will hard disk encryption protect me from network attacks?

Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2008-04-13

2008-04-14T03:01:44Z

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In a sense that's true. A file isn't decrypted until it's
accessed. However the list of files - the directory - is
quite visible. The mounted volume just "looks like" any
other disk drive. Any malware that simple accesses files
will be able to access files from a mounted TrueCrypt
volume.

Leo

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A comment on: Will hard disk encryption protect me from network attacks?

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Comment from Doug Hagan on 2008-04-11

2008-04-12T01:29:01Z

I thought when you (we) mount a TrueCrypt volume, the files are only decrypted in RAM; the entire volume otherwise remains encrypted. Have I missed something in TrueCrypt's instruction set? Ciao!

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A comment on: Will hard disk encryption protect me from network attacks?

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Comment from Simon on 2008-04-08

2008-04-09T04:38:29Z

@Dan:

No, not really. If you use a strong enough password with Truecrypt (at *least* 10 characters, no dictionary words, mix of upper & lower case, a number or two thrown in), then using Windows Encrypted File System as well adds little to the security, but greatly increases the chance that you'll be inadvertantly locked out of your laptop.

As long as all the files you want to secure are in Truecrypt volumes with good passwords, the only thing that full disk encryption protects against is the possibility of someone stealing your laptop, extracting the platters from the hard drive, and scanning through them for swap traces, on the offchance that the files in your truecrypt volumes will have been loaded into the Windows Pagefile (virtual memory) at some point when you last viewed them.

I suggest that that the chances of that happening to you are probably quite low (unless, of course, you're habitually referred to as "Number Six"), and so one layer of encryption is probably enough.

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A comment on: Will hard disk encryption protect me from network attacks?

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Comment from Dan Warrener on 2008-04-07

2008-04-08T03:03:05Z

Hey Leo,

Great article!

Just wondering though, if I had a laptop with a full encrypted hard drive AND small TrueCrypt files to encrypt the REALLY important stuff I wouldn't want anyone to see when the computer was unencrypted that would be better than just having the TrueCrypt files on their own right?

Thanks,

Dan

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A comment on: Will hard disk encryption protect me from network attacks?

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