Microsoft forecasting clouds - for everyone.

[andrew129260]

Lets see,

Heartbleed. That was a vulnerability for how many years and was just discovered now. Heartbleed leaves no logs so no one could ever be sure what was taken.

Wep, Wpa, Wpa2, True crypt, bitlocker, tor. All of those have been cracked. Some in less then 15 minutes.

https://hurricanelabs.com/blog/encryption-is-still-not-security/

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security

Encrypted email companies have now shut down, as they realized they themselves are no longer secure:

http://www.dailydot.com/news/email-anonymous-hushmail-lavabit-nsa/

If there is a backdoor, hackers can use it too, and have.

I am not saying to be scared of the internet, or wear a tin foil hat.

I am saying don't think security is ever 100%.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I am stunned to think that people actually believe encryption is 100% safe.

Nothing is ever 100% safe. There is no such thing as perfect security ever. There will never be uncrackable encryption. Humans made it, Humans are not perfect. As long as Humans make the encryption, it can be cracked by humans. Even if the company you give your data to cares about it and tries to protect it, it does not stop others on the internet from getting it. Encryption is a deterrent, (like locking your car, having an alarm) not a complete solution. It does not stop them as they can break a window.
If you have offline data, you do not need to worry about any of that. Why take the risk?

That is like saying (since you guys seem to like car analogies) I will lock my car and set the alarm. But I am parking it in a dangerous neighborhood (the internet). But because of my alarm, I will be safe. (encryption, backup company)

Anyone who knows a thing or two finds that hilarious.

Why not park it in a good area of town, - (offline-external hard drive) or better yet in front of a police station if its easily available? - (external backup in fireproof safe)

True, nothing is 100% safe, including the car parked in front of a police station. However one can be reasonably safe. There are encryption standards, such as 128-bit Blowfish (as long as one uses a strong key), that haven't been cracked yet and new ones come out all the time. Nesting encryption makes it even more secure (such encrypting your data yourself prior to the encryption applied by a cloud service and, despite what so many people in this thread may mistakenly believe, there are reasonably safe ones). Eventually all encryption will be cracked (although it may take a monster computer, such as a Cray or a net bot, to do so). Remember WEP for Wi-Fi? At one time, it was state of the art. Now, all it can do is keep honest folks honest. Even the various flavors of WPA will be cracked eventually and will have to be replaced with something else.

Keeping your data at home is dangerous because a single, local disaster can take it out. And, except for monster vaults like a bank or really large business would use, there is no such thing as a fireproof safe. Home safes are typically rated for up to 350°F for up to 30 minutes (most are for much less). Paper will survive temperatures like that (remember Fahrenheit 451?) but electronics will not.

 

[andrew129260]

http://www.sevenforums.com/security...ay-not-so-secure-study-finds.html#post2786335

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

http://www.sevenforums.com/security...ay-not-so-secure-study-finds.html#post2786335

Read the article. That's only if the data is shared without downloading and decrypting it first.

The cloud isn't for everyone, which is contrary to what Microsoft is claiming due to its desire for total control of its software (understandable, considering the pirating issue, but certainly not laudable). The paranoia over the cloud stems from not understanding just what the cloud actually is and not knowing how to reasonably safely use it.

 

[andrew129260]

I just posted the article cause I thought you would be interested. Wasn't trying to say anything with it.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I just posted the article cause I thought you would be interested. Wasn't trying to say anything with it.

Ok. Sorry.

 

[andrew129260]

No problem I should have been more clear, considering the title and all. ha.

 

[Boozad]

The paranoia over the cloud stems from not understanding just what the cloud actually is and not knowing how to reasonably safely use it.

It's not just paranoia, the company I work for know exactly what the cloud is but with hundreds of thousands of documents in their system, many of which are for military products and need ITAR clearance to even get near, they'll never find their way to the cloud. If Microsoft thinks 'there's a cloud for every business' they're miles wide of the mark because in some cases there isn't.

I won't use it simply because I don't want to. No paranoia, just personal preference.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

The paranoia over the cloud stems from not understanding just what the cloud actually is and not knowing how to reasonably safely use it.

It's not just paranoia, the company I work for know exactly what the cloud is but with hundreds of thousands of documents in their system, many of which are for military products and need ITAR clearance to even get near, they'll never find their way to the cloud. If Microsoft thinks 'there's a cloud for every business' they're miles wide of the mark because in some cases there isn't.

I won't use it simply because I don't want to. No paranoia, just personal preference.

There's nothing wrong with eschewing the cloud due to personal preference. I also agree that M$'s claim that "there's a cloud for every business" is a hot, steaming pile. Someday, long after I've turned to dust, everyone will be utilizing the cloud, but not necessarily the way M$ envisions (methinks M$ has been getting their "visions" from magic mushrooms) and certainly not the present infrastructure has dramatically improved! Until everyone, including the crazy hermit in the boondocks, has access to an affordable, reliable, unlimited broadband internet connection, it will not happen. And, until M$ wakes up from their dream trip and realizes that, M$ will drive away customers in droves.

 

[msgerbs]

I agree, cloud is not for everyone and everything, and a lot of their cloud stuff (google too!) is driving me nuts (Having to register a microsoft account to out domain-joined Windows 8 laptops, and Office 365 accounts don't count!). But the sheer paranoia in regards to the cloud, as well the complete and utter confidence in a hard drive sitting in their house, is borderline amusing. If somebody is going to devote an entire server farm for half a year to cracking your encryption, what makes you think they couldn't find a way into your network or computer directly? Up to and including breaking and entering, in which case you'd REALLY be glad you had backups to restore from.

I'll say it again. If you're condemning cloud backups, you'd better have some other form of offsite storage that's more reliable and secure, or you're no different than somebody telling us not to leave our house because it's a dangerous world. Not having offsite backups, at least for a business, is utterly unacceptable. (If you want to take that risk for your own data, be my guest) The risk of losing it all forever is far more severe than the risk of some hackers first compromising your host and then devoting untold resources to cracking your very long encryption key (Paranoia is good, when it's put to work keeping things safe, rather than just avoiding things entirely). Most businesses will never have their encrypted backups stolen and decrypted. Many business will lose their building. If your strongly encrypted backup is stolen and decrypted, no sane person will blame you, just like they wouldn't blame you if Iron Mountain was broken into and your data stolen. If your business shuts down because you had no offsite backups out of pure paranoia, you'll never work in IT again, or at least you shouldn't.

I don't condemn people who chose to have their own in-house distributed datacenters doing backups, nor those who use physical off-site storage. I only condemn the people who are in here saying that some hard drives on the shelf is a sufficient alternative.

 

[Layback Bear]

If one takes a long read this forms Security News

Security News - Windows 7 Help Forums

Then think that Clouds can't be hacked.

I appears the only thing that isn't hacked is Grandmas Nickers and I'm not real sure of that.

I will say again. If you need cloud storage or you want cloud storage use the cloud.
As of now I believe it is still a choice one can make.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

If one takes a long read this forms Security News

Security News - Windows 7 Help Forums

Then think that Clouds can't be hacked.

I appears the only thing that isn't hacked is Grandmas Nickers and I'm not real sure of that.

I will say again. If you need cloud storage or you want cloud storage use the cloud.
As of now I believe it is still a choice one can make.

Of course the cloud can be hacked, just like the internet can be hacked. But there are ways to mitigate the danger, same as there are ways to mitigate the dangers of using the internet.

 

[Fantail]

Large Garlic Pizza with Broccoli Spinach Mushrooms & Banana Peppers.

I'm thinking that's what Microsoft was talking about.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Ewwww! I like spinach but not on pizza. Broccoli is just evilly nasty.

 

[Ranger4]

Ewwww! I like spinach but not on pizza. Broccoli is just evilly nasty.

I don't like pizzas, but I like spinach & broccoli, Brussels sprouts & cauliflower as they are very good for you.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Ewwww! I like spinach but not on pizza. Broccoli is just evilly nasty.

I don't like pizzas, but I like spinach & broccoli, Brussels sprouts & cauliflower as they are very good for you.

Not if they (broccoli and cauliflower) taste so disgusting they make me throw up.

 

[msgerbs]

If one takes a long read this forms Security News

Security News - Windows 7 Help Forums

Then think that Clouds can't be hacked.

I appears the only thing that isn't hacked is Grandmas Nickers and I'm not real sure of that.

I will say again. If you need cloud storage or you want cloud storage use the cloud.
As of now I believe it is still a choice one can make.

None of which involve magically descrypting data that you encrypted yourself. Most of the security reports regarding cloud storage revolves around sharing it with other users.