I am okay with disk encryption if the owner of the device enables it themselves and understands at least a little bit about it.

Microsoft enabling it on people's computers without their knowledge is really scummy.

I have full disk encryption on my ThinkPad laptop with Linux and I'm okay with that... because I set it up and I know about it.

#microsoft #encryption #linux #thinkpad

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in reply to feld

Yes, but a bit of nuance.

I don't use a mobile phone or tablet (not regularly, at least). I do not "every day carry" a mobile phone, but use my Linux laptop with mobile access point.

I understand that phones and tablets are mobile and more likely to be lost or stolen. Also data recovery off a phone by taking out the internal storage is not the same as with a laptop or desktop computer (physically not possible to remove internal storage).

Those devices are still personal computers, though, and I think the user should be in control of whether the data is encrypted or not and they should be the holders of the decryption keys.

in reply to Gabriel

@gabriel fundamentally, the issue is that the data requires code execution to access, and that code will require the key material.

A drive that allowed you to approve access levels/modes, and used bio-metric to confirm your identity, I think would be closer to the ideal.

I had the chance to talk with an Offensive Security penetration team, and they more or less told me that, their time in Africa made them realize that, in a physical environment, the person will always be the weak link. (aka rubber hose attack)

And, personally, if I sit down and think about it, I buy very little privacy or protection from encrypting. But, I lose performance, and make the possibility of losing access to my own data much higher.