Microsoft has it’s marketing juggernaught in full swing. They’re claiming that businesses that use their encryption technology will be able to safely dispose of hard drives. No need to worry about data being compromised? Hmmm, let’s see. Well it didn’t work out so well with the EFS implementation. That method tied the encryption keys to the users password credentials. So, if you were able to crack the users password, you would be able to recover all of their files. Further to that end, EFS has a rather nasty habit of leaving remnants behind. Especially when multiple files were encrypted there are artifacts left behind, clear text copies of the originals. Now, Microsoft wants you to believe that they have got it right this time.
However, McGrath rejected suggestions that Bitlocker would have backdoors in its encryption that will allow police forces to decrypt information stored on suspect systems. “The technology itself is 100 percent secure–we will not be producing any backdoors,” said McGrath. “There are no backdoors in Bitlocker technology.”
So, it would stand to reason that criminals could use this to hide their nefarious goings on, no?
Microsoft denied that the encryption technology would enable criminals to store data so securely that it would be out of reach of the police.
While I know the guys at Guidance Software are working feverishly to find a way around this crypto I’m hesistant. So if criminals can’t be safe what’s to say that corporations, or even the average guy on the street, can be assured they’re data will be safe. How many times has Microsoft let us down? Well, have a look at the ElseNot project for idea. Afterall, the Redmond crowd touted the security wonders of Windows 2000 once.
[tags]Bitlocker, Encryption, Windows Vista, Microsoft, Data Security[/tags]
