At 12:05 PM -0500 12/23/2008, Dan wrote:
>At 9:33 AM -0500 12/23/2008, Tom Coradeschi wrote:
>>   >And yet their FAQ also describes getting access to your data even
>>>after your computer has been destroyed.  They even have you call
>>>Support to have them manually give you access...
>>
>>Correct. However, as I stated, if you lose or forget your decrypt key
>>(assuming that you don't use the default, which is the same as your
>>login password), you are totally out of luck.
>>
>>http://support.mozy.com/docs/en-user-home-mac/faq/concepts/commissue_lost_key_c.html
>
>"Unfortunately, your data is inaccessible without
>the correct encryption key. Since you chose to
>use your own private key, we do not have access
>to your data [...] Remember to choose a private
>encryption key that you will not forget, or use
>Mozy?s own encryption key."
>
>Ok... So *by default* the data is encrypted with
>THEIR key.  So it is only secure *IF* *every* one
>of their employees is to be trusted AND they
>don't screw up and release their private key.
>Likewise, if you chose your own key, it is still
>only secure IF they don't screw up and let your
>data be grabbed by someone willing to spend the
>computer power to brute force it.

Brute force cracking for 256-bit AES is non-trivial. And someone 
wants to spend those kind of resources decrypting pictures of my kids 
and a bunch of excel spreadsheets depicting the pitiful state of my 
bank account?

>
>...Don't fall into the "but brute force takes
>years" trap: it doesn't. If the data is worth
>having the cracker will do his homework to create
>a characterized attack, thus greatly reducing the
>possible key set.

Agreed. See above.

>
>>   >It may be that there is some magic secure way of doing all this, that
>>>they're just not talking about.  But ... still, they're an unknown
>>>3rd party...
>>
>>A pretty well known 3rd party, actually. And, as noted, review the above FAQ.
>
>Well known if you follow the historica a bit, I
>guess.  EMC begot Decho in November 2008, and
>took over Mozy.  That puts two layers of
>abstraction between the customer liability and
>EMC (a publicly traded company).  Mozy is based
>in Utah -- so BE CAREFUL as to the type of data
>you put there.  hum.  Their domain registration
>address doesn't match their business address.

Neither does my employer's.

>  I
>don't see any bonding information posted for them
>- not necessarily a bad thing; some companies buy
>the bond but don't post its details public.)
>
>Sorry.  My original opinion still stands:
>Trusting a 3rd party with your data is an
>unnecessary security risk.  It is far less safe
>than a trusted friend/relative's sock drawer.

My original opinion still stands as well. I think, at this point, 
that we can agree to disagree. The user makes the final decision in 
any case.
-- 

tom coradeschi
[email protected]

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