[liberationtech] Fw: Biometrically locked external hard drive!

[Nick M. Daly]

I received this email earlier today and thought the list might enjoy the
references.  Taken together, they make a good warning.  I'd appreciate
it if folks could provide other suggestions for keeping data safe.

D. writes:

> This has you written all over it.
>
> http://www.macworld.com/article/2035461/review-aegis-bio-3-0-hard-drive-ideal-for-security-conscious-users.html
>
>> The pocket-sized hard drive comes with a built-in fingerprint scanner
>> than helps alleviates any worries of unapproved access to the
>> drive. Fingerprint access might sound like a bit of a novelty, but
>> from a security standpoint it actually makes sense; passwords can be
>> cracked—fingerprints, not so much.

Thank Pete fingerprints are so hard to acquire that not even law
enforcement can pull them from crime scenes, make copies, and scan them
into some kind of giant national database:

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/fingerprints_biometrics/iafis/iafis

Thank Pete it's so difficult to copy a fingerprint that three amateurs
can't do it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_%282006_season%29#Fingerprint_Lock

Thank Pete most materials, especially glass, plastic, or any smooth
surface, like those found on our electronics, or even paper, can't
record a fingerprint for later retrieval:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/30/german_interior_minister_fingerprint_appropriated/

Keep in mind who you're protecting yourself from.  I'd rely on
passwords or, if I was really concerned, some sort of encryption key
kept on some sort of external drive with a password:

http://johnsonyip.com/wordpress/2010/05/01/make-a-key-file-for-truecrypt-volume-for-better-file-encryption-video/

Sorry, but I had to.

:)