- Dec 27, 2011
- 27
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Before I ask my questions, let me say right up front that I could not even qualify as an encryption n00b and thus my questions may seem pretty dumb to the people who are capable of answering them. For that I am sorry, but we all have to start somewhere.
When I read SSD reviews quite often they talk about opal this and encryption that, of which I don't understand a single bit of other than I know what encryption means. I also have seen something about opal in the Samsung Magician software. So I guess my first question is.
1. What is this opal something or other?
Next up, this whole encryption idea makes no sense to me at all. If you encrypt the data, then how can you or your operating system access it? And in reverse, if you or your OS can access it, then why can't someone else who has physical access to your computer? Do you have to type in a password or something every single time you or your OS try to access the drive? That would be a lot of typing! I just don't get how you and your OS can access the data but nobody else can. So I guess my next real question would be.
2. How does this encryption work, I must be missing something here?
Encryption sounds to me like it would take some serious processing. This processing has to be done by something somewhere. So the next question is.
3. How much of a performance hit (and it what areas, cpu, memory, ssd access speed, etc) does encryption cause?
An old joke between some of my friends and I (relating to data security and viruses, etc etc) was that the only way your computer would ever be secure would be to first disconnect it from the internet, then you would have to bury it in the back yard surrounded by concrete. Even then, it would only be 99% secure. Who is to say the encryption software/hardware doesn't have back doors built right into it for say the government, law enforcement, the company who makes the software/hardware, etc. Who cares about government or law enforcement access or maybe even the company who made it you ask? Well, nothing, and I mean nothing in this world ever stays secret. If they have that access, someone else will get it. But even if they don't, things can be hacked. So my next question is.
4. So how secure is this stuff really?
To be honest, I don't think I have or do anything on my computer that would ever justify needing to be encrypted, but this seems to be an important enough subject in general I really probable should learn at least the basics about it. So my last question, at least for now is.
5. Is there a really good primer (encrypting your computer for dummies I guess) out there that is accurate and you would recommend?
TYIA
When I read SSD reviews quite often they talk about opal this and encryption that, of which I don't understand a single bit of other than I know what encryption means. I also have seen something about opal in the Samsung Magician software. So I guess my first question is.
1. What is this opal something or other?
Next up, this whole encryption idea makes no sense to me at all. If you encrypt the data, then how can you or your operating system access it? And in reverse, if you or your OS can access it, then why can't someone else who has physical access to your computer? Do you have to type in a password or something every single time you or your OS try to access the drive? That would be a lot of typing! I just don't get how you and your OS can access the data but nobody else can. So I guess my next real question would be.
2. How does this encryption work, I must be missing something here?
Encryption sounds to me like it would take some serious processing. This processing has to be done by something somewhere. So the next question is.
3. How much of a performance hit (and it what areas, cpu, memory, ssd access speed, etc) does encryption cause?
An old joke between some of my friends and I (relating to data security and viruses, etc etc) was that the only way your computer would ever be secure would be to first disconnect it from the internet, then you would have to bury it in the back yard surrounded by concrete. Even then, it would only be 99% secure. Who is to say the encryption software/hardware doesn't have back doors built right into it for say the government, law enforcement, the company who makes the software/hardware, etc. Who cares about government or law enforcement access or maybe even the company who made it you ask? Well, nothing, and I mean nothing in this world ever stays secret. If they have that access, someone else will get it. But even if they don't, things can be hacked. So my next question is.
4. So how secure is this stuff really?
To be honest, I don't think I have or do anything on my computer that would ever justify needing to be encrypted, but this seems to be an important enough subject in general I really probable should learn at least the basics about it. So my last question, at least for now is.
5. Is there a really good primer (encrypting your computer for dummies I guess) out there that is accurate and you would recommend?
TYIA
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