How secure is FileVault?

It really depends on (1) how secure a password you have and (2) how much the people who have your drive want your data, but if you have a very secure password, it is pretty mucn unfeasable to crack.

 

That has to be the most dodgy question I've seen on here in a while!

If the information is THAT important, they may simply beat the password out of you instead.

 

If you are in the UK, let's hope the FBI is not trying crack your Mac.

 

This is a true story!!!

I thought this was a very neat story and very true. I met someone who works at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and was having an issue with his Powerbook and was asking me for some help.
I asked if he used it for work, and he said, that Macs are all they are allowed to use and LANL. He said Windows is banned from the Lab due to security issues.

How awesome is that?

 

You're awake at 4am... that has to be suspicious!

 

It the FBI/US Government were unable to break your security and unable to get into your computer it wouldn't matter. A judge would force you to give up your password. Until you did you would be in contempt of court and be in jail.

 

How secure is file vault,
well it depends on three things; How secure is your password, how much they want the file, and how long it takes for the file vault disk image to get corrupted.

 

What country do you live in?

I know currently the United States has **** on its own constitution, but the 5th amendment would allow you to not incriminate yourself in any matter... including providing a password which would help the government in prosecuting you.

If your secure your data well enough, its the governments job to get to it... whether that means they hack the hell out of it or do some sort of forensics on it.

Now, the one thing you have to remember is even though you do not have to give up your password, they would probably end up keeping the laptop as evidence or something of that sort. But hey, if your data is that precious, it may be worth it.

Some people jump to the conclusion that anyone wanting to hide data from the US government must be a pedophile or terrorist or something to that extreme... I argue that in this day and age and the current lack of rights we (including myself) as americans have means no chances should be taken on what might be illegal tomorrow, or what might become illegal at the moment (if a laptop is looked through, they want information from you, so they make some BS case against you based on some 18th century goat farmer law that they can pull from the books.

Liberty favors the prepared.

 

From apple.com

FileVault uses the latest government security standard to safeguard your hard work.


Hmmm.... if they use government security...i guess the government may have a crack for it!

I have never used FileVault , but seriously what are its advantages?

 

Just because something is used by the government doesn't mean there is a back door... if it was software, then I could see it happening, but a method that (as far as I know) wasn't created by the government? I don't think so...


As for the benefits:

http://securosis.com/2006/08/26/experiences-with-filevault-mac-encryption/

 

I'm not sure I believe that since most codes they write are for windows. I know some are for Unix and such but I have a hard time believing that. Maybe that is the case in his certain dept. but probably not true for all depts.

Nuc

 

yep...he is telling the truth...I live in Albuquerque( few miles away from Los Alamos ) , and my dad is stationed at Kirtland Air Force base ( where the nukes are ) , and so i got tons of my dads scientist friends tell me there are NO windows station used in secure working areas because of the lack of adequate security in Windows machines/laptops. I toured the area( only certain areas with an armed military escort even in the bathrooms) and noticed them using Unix or some type of derivative of it. I am not sure of the fact that only OS X is allowed.

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Btw , Jackmack thanks for the link. I just needed a reason to encrypt my hdd and ill put a thought into it.