Silk Road forums

Discussion => Security => Topic started by: BigPeyote on August 18, 2012, 04:19 am

Title: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: BigPeyote on August 18, 2012, 04:19 am
 ??? i get the encrypting email and everything but what exactly does crypting the hard drive do? encrypts all files and such on the computer?
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: justanotherrandomuser on August 18, 2012, 07:26 pm
It prevents people from accessing the files on your computer.  Like email only you are the one with the password.
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: angelkiller on August 18, 2012, 10:02 pm
Encrypting a hard drive prevents the data from being read without the password. Especially useful if police seize your hard drive.
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: rise_against on August 19, 2012, 12:42 am
yup. do it or learn how if you don't. may save your ass someday. 
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: superhippie on August 19, 2012, 05:09 am
how do u do it???
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: Snoopish on August 19, 2012, 06:12 am
Another question: a quick google yielded this clearnet article:

http://gizmodo.com/5878709/encrypting-your-hard-drive-no-longer-works-against-federal-prosecution

What good is encryption if LE bastards can force you to grant them access? I mean, sure you can still refuse but I imagine they can slap some charge on you for not cooperating.

Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: raelag on August 19, 2012, 06:15 am
There is few solutions, but since I'd guess windows is in use - go with http://www.truecrypt.org/ (clearweb alert)

For starters, create some small partition(file container->standart, if you aren't sure), about 10-50 mb, hashes/encryptions would do by default.

Mount it and play a bit to get a hang (move  some files there, delete them .. you know)

Wipe this toy partition, decide on size of new one, AES-Twofish-Serpent or Serpent-Twofish-AES for enc, RIPEMD-160 for hash.

Oh, and to be completely serious about having safe storage - 16 or more characters for password, a's, A's, 1's and #'s. (Small and big letters, numbers and characters)
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: raelag on August 19, 2012, 06:21 am
Another question: a quick google yielded this clearnet article:

http://gizmodo.com/5878709/encrypting-your-hard-drive-no-longer-works-against-federal-prosecution

What good is encryption if LE bastards can force you to grant them access? I mean, sure you can still refuse but I imagine they can slap some charge on you for not cooperating.


Another question: a quick google yielded this clearnet article:

http://gizmodo.com/5878709/encrypting-your-hard-drive-no-longer-works-against-federal-prosecution

What good is encryption if LE bastards can force you to grant them access? I mean, sure you can still refuse but I imagine they can slap some charge on you for not cooperating.



This one is rather easy imo. No need to refuse. Refuse is prosecutable, amnesia is not.

"Don't remember! F.Off!" Press-press-press-random-chars "You see! I totally want to cooperate, but unable"

Until proven that you lie, you are telling the truth. Or it is nobodys buisness.
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: gambino on August 19, 2012, 07:51 am
it prevents your mommy from finding your porn.
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: CharasBros on August 19, 2012, 08:16 am
it can get you finger nailed too
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: Snoopish on August 19, 2012, 03:20 pm
Nice thinking Raelag. I hadn't considered the alternative of faux helpfulness. Thanks.
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: justanotherrandomuser on August 20, 2012, 06:59 am
Another question: a quick google yielded this clearnet article:

http://gizmodo.com/5878709/encrypting-your-hard-drive-no-longer-works-against-federal-prosecution

What good is encryption if LE bastards can force you to grant them access? I mean, sure you can still refuse but I imagine they can slap some charge on you for not cooperating.

Well, I definitely don't agree with the judge's interpretation and there's been other courts that have ruled the other way.  So I would just say honestly, 5th amendment and let a higher court decide.  I'm not familiar with truecrypt, but I understand it has deniablity and hidden partitions but I can tell you that I encrypt every and all computers I have and if a judge wants to put me in jail for refusing to give up a password, than jail it is.  Stand up for your rights.
Title: Re: what exactly does encrypting your hard drive prevent?
Post by: club on August 20, 2012, 01:08 pm
I personally think whole HDD encryption, or only accessing SR via a portable OS is a bit overkill, especially if youre just a buyer. I keep Tor, PGP, and all my SR/BTC-related materials in a TrueCrypt volume on a usb flash drive. IMO thats plenty good enough. If I was ever forced to enter the password for it, I would use the password for the dummy outer volume which contains Viagra-related documents, which I could claim I was embarrassed about so I kept them encrypted.

But to each their own. Piling on further security measures is never a bad thing I suppose.