Is it worth getting Windows 7 Ultimate for BitLocker?

[Jumpem]

I want to start encrypting my drives. Particularly, because I want to keep an external in a safe deposit box.

 

[Bateluer]

Truecrypt?

 

[NetGuySC]

I definitely recommend truecrypt. But in all honesty I am not that fimiliar with bitlocker. Truecrypt is still free.

But I will purchase windows 7 ultimate for the ability to change the language of the operating system. My wife prefers the korean language on the computer.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: Jumpem
I want to start encrypting my drives. Particularly, because I want to keep an external in a safe deposit box.

Why would you want to encrypt a drive that is stored in a safety deposit box?
Afraid the bank will find your pron?

 

[Jumpem]

Originally posted by: Billb2
Why would you want to encrypt a drive that is stored in a safety deposit box?
Afraid the bank will find your pron?

I don't like the idea of my data being outside of my physical control period. But I have to make some plan in case of house fire.

 

[soonerproud]

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: Billb2
Why would you want to encrypt a drive that is stored in a safety deposit box?
Afraid the bank will find your pron?

I don't like the idea of my data being outside of my physical control period. But I have to make some plan in case of house fire.

No need to encrypt the files if the spare drive is stored off site at a safety deposit box. The only way someone else is going to see the contents of the drive is with a warrant and that warrant will require the key to unencrypt the drive.

Stick with Home Premium unless you need a feature in W7 pro which I doubt is the case for the vast majority of people out there today.

 

[A5]

I'd just get Home Premium and then use TrueCrypt on it.

 

[Goosemaster]

I too had this question since I need it for my laptop.

Anyone have any idea what he cost would be to do the anytime upgrade from 7 pro ---> bitlocker, if that is even possible?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: A5
I'd just get Home Premium and then use TrueCrypt on it.

I'm seriously thinking about doing this with pro. I use TrueCrypt all the time but have never used it for the system partition.

That and the alternative (ultimate) is $100 more.


edit: typo

 

[Nothinman]

I'm seriously thinking about doing this with pro. I se TC all the time but have never used it for the system partition.

Why would you use it on the system partition? Just use a separate, encryped volume for all of your data.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

I'm seriously thinking about doing this with pro. I se TC all the time but have never used it for the system partition.

Why would you use it on the system partition? Just use a separate, encryped volume for all of your data.

\Application Data and \Local Settings among others, without having to customize every install

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Nothinman

I'm seriously thinking about doing this with pro. I se TC all the time but have never used it for the system partition.

Why would you use it on the system partition? Just use a separate, encryped volume for all of your data.

\Application Data and \Local Settings among others, without having to customize every install

You could mount a second drive at the c:\users location. Similar to how linux and home directories work.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Gooberlx2

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Nothinman

I'm seriously thinking about doing this with pro. I se TC all the time but have never used it for the system partition.

Why would you use it on the system partition? Just use a separate, encryped volume for all of your data.

\Application Data and \Local Settings among others, without having to customize every install

You could mount a second drive at the c:\users location. Similar to how linux and home directories work.

Not exactly Plug&Play

 

[Cheesetogo]

Originally posted by: soonerproud

Originally posted by: Jumpem

Originally posted by: Billb2
Why would you want to encrypt a drive that is stored in a safety deposit box?
Afraid the bank will find your pron?

I don't like the idea of my data being outside of my physical control period. But I have to make some plan in case of house fire.

No need to encrypt the files if the spare drive is stored off site at a safety deposit box. The only way someone else is going to see the contents of the drive is with a warrant and that warrant will require the key to unencrypt the drive.

Stick with Home Premium unless you need a feature in W7 pro which I doubt is the case for the vast majority of people out there today.

I recall reading about a case in which a person refused to give out the password and was protected by the 5th amendment. So, it could still be worthwhile.

 

[Nothinman]

I recall reading about a case in which a person refused to give out the password and was protected by the 5th amendment. So, it could still be worthwhile.

I'd call BS unless the authorities didn't have enough evidence to get a search warrant. If they've got a warrant then you're screwed.

 

[lxskllr]

I forgot the password. I think it was about 16 characters long, but I'm not sure. Sorry.... ;^)

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: lxskllr
I forgot the password. I think it was about 16 characters long, but I'm not sure. Sorry.... ;^)

What are the police going to do? In the case of laptop searches, Customs claims the right to confiscate the computer if you can't/won't give the password. Nothing else that they can do. Torture you and imprison you for eight years without trial? They'd have to get their evidence some other way.

 

[Nothinman]

What are the police going to do? In the case of laptop searches, Customs claims the right to confiscate the computer if you can't/won't give the password. Nothing else that they can do. Torture you and imprison you for eight years without trial? They'd have to get their evidence some other way.

I'm sure Customs is stuck with just that action because they don't have a warrant, if a search warrant's already been issued that means they have probable cause to think you've commited a crime and if the data on your computer might be relevant to that crime you'll either produce the data or likely be put in jail for contempt of court, obstruction of justice, etc.

 

[Eureka]

Guilty until proven innocent... wait.

To the OP: if you're part of academia or large organization, you can probably get an OEM through them for cheap. I got Vista 64 Ultimate from my school for $30, even though its the "upgrade" (which installs fine on a clean drive).

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
I'm sure Customs is stuck with just that action because they don't have a warrant, if a search warrant's already been issued that means they have probable cause to think you've commited a crime and if the data on your computer might be relevant to that crime you'll either produce the data or likely be put in jail for contempt of court, obstruction of justice, etc.

I'm checking for some case history. While it might be unreasonable to forget the name of your partner in crime, it's entirely reasonable to forget a long password. I've forgotten my personal Domain password, even though I'd swear it's not possible. People forget passwords all the time and a judge would have to accept that at some point.

Federal Judge rules that prosecutors can't force a criminal defendent to divulge his PGP passphrase.

But Fifth-Amendment rights aside, at some point it'll have to be recognized that passwords can be forgotten. And divulging the name of an acquaintance is NOT the same as allowing the content of your memory to be probed for a key to evidence that might incriminate you.

"Michael Froomkin, a law professor at the University of Miami, has written that the government "would have a very hard time" trying to obtain a memorized passphrase. A similar argument, published in the University of Chicago Legal Forum in 1996, says:

The courts likely will find that compelling someone to reveal the steps necessary to decrypt a PGP-encrypted document violates the Fifth Amendment privilege against compulsory self-incrimination. Because most users protect their private keys by memorizing passwords to them and not writing them down, access to encrypted documents would almost definitely require an individual to disclose the contents of his mind. This bars the state from compelling its production. This would force law enforcement officials to grant some form of immunity to the owners of these documents to gain access to them."

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TrueCrypt discusses "Plausible Deniability".

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=plausible-deniability

"Plausible Deniability
In case an adversary forces you to reveal your password, TrueCrypt provides and supports two kinds of plausible deniability:

1) Hidden volumes (see the section Hidden Volume) and hidden operating systems (see the section Hidden Operating System).

2) Until decrypted, a TrueCrypt partition/device appears to consist of nothing more than random data (it does not contain any kind of "signature"). Therefore, it is impossible to prove that a partition or a device is a TrueCrypt volume or that it has been encrypted (provided that the security precautions mentioned in the chapter Security Precautions are followed). A possible plausible explanation for the existence of a partition/device containing solely random data is that you have wiped (securely erased) the content of the partition/device using one of the tools that erase data by overwriting it with random data (in fact, TrueCrypt can be used to securely erase a partition/device too, by creating an empty encrypted partition/device-hosted volume within it). However, note that for system encryption, the first drive track contains the (unencrypted) TrueCrypt Boot Loader, which can be easily identified as such (for more information, see the chapter System Encryption). In such cases, plausible deniability can be achieved by creating a hidden operating system (see the section Hidden Operating System)."

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For sure, there's going to be a LOT more encryption of PCs and servers over the next few years and there's going to be a lot more prosecutors demanding passwords.

 

[Nothinman]

And in Feb of this year he was ordered to provide the key:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10172866-38.html

"Michael Froomkin, a law professor at the University of Miami, has written that the government "would have a very hard time" trying to obtain a memorized passphrase. A similar argument, published in the University of Chicago Legal Forum in 1996, says:

At least in the UK I believe they treat an encryption key just like a physical key which they can force you to hand over.

In case an adversary forces you to reveal your password, TrueCrypt provides and supports two kinds of plausible deniability:

Which might work, although in the case you and I linked to the data is already known to be there so there's no plausible deniability for Boucher.