Microsoft Offers New Data-Security Scheme

bingly_beep writes "The BBC is reporting Microsoft's new user security measure, whereby users sensitive information is stored on their PC rather then online, as in their previous offerings, such as Passport. This sounds like a good idea, but any such system would surely require that the user definitely erases the HD on any machine they sell. Perhaps Microsoft should include an option, like 'Prepare this computer for resale,' which utterly destroys all data."

Comments

Erasing the HD?

[SiO2]

Erasing or otherwise formatting a hard drive doesn't do any good to eradicate personal information. I've used these guys on numerous occasions to successfully recover data from hard drives that have been formatted, imaged, etc.

If you're going to sell a computer, swap out the drive containing your data for a new one. They're cheap. Hold onto the drive that houses your data.

SiO2

Re:Aw hell...

[sqlrob]

The "Designed for XP" label requires the ability to run as a lower privileged user. I don't know how much more MS can really do to enforce it.

The problem with games is that they use low level access for copy protection tests, and need admin level to do that.

Re:windows XP filevault equivalent?

[TheAwfulTruth]

Yes and it has been for years.

But just like Mac (now) and Linux it is off by default.

One main reason is that in order to use it (on any OS) you have to use your brain. Basically you have to rememeber to properly handle your user data before mucking about with user accouts or you can permanetly lose everything. This problem has already been demonstrated repeatedly in the Mac user space WRT iTunes downloads which are pinned to used accounts. Destroy a user account before transferring ownership of the data and yo ulose your songs.

Of course, this is the point. But what happens is, 99 out of 100 people that lose everything do so in situations where they didn't really want to.

Thus, use of the systems by people that don't know how they work or what the drawbacks are are more likely to have problems with their data by using the system than by not using it. So, in all cases, the EFS remains turned off by default.