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

Both sides of the coin

[00 Agent Kid]

This could be good or bad. The data, stored on the computer, would not be on the Internet all the time and thus be safer. On the other hand, .Net has great security. A user with little computer knowledge would not protect his/her computer well enough from hackers, etc., which would leave the data "out there." I think that the latter is safer, however.

And, as stated in the article, there had better be a way to destroy all sensitive data if the user wishes to sell the computer.

The assumption being

[popo]

MSFT's assumption is apparently that data stored on personal computers is more secure than on servers.

I'm not sure that this is necessarily true.

When you consider that the vast majority of computer users have no idea what a "firewall" is, and that MSFT's track record for security is poor to say the least -- its not obvious that storing sensitive data in designated locations on PC's is the safer route at all.

Some might say this is MSFT's way of passing the buck of responsibility to the end user rather than fixing the problem. Now if data is compromised fault could arguably lie with mom and pop rather than a Microsoft server.

just shred it

[budgenator]

One little linux command is all it takes, insert linux live CD and su -c"shred /dev/hda" and even the NSA would have trouble getting any data off the harddisk, windows license isn't transferable anyways. Fight software piracy, shred used Windows hard disks!