[kwlug-disc] Why Encrypt? [Was: Re: OT - degauss/wipe a dead hard drive/LTO tapes]

[Chris Frey]

On Mon, May 03, 2010 at 04:25:18PM -0400, Chris Irwin wrote:
> So the better question is: Why not use encryption?

The one problem with encryption that I haven't "cracked" yet, is what
to do when I die?

Sometimes relatives are barely capable of booting into a linux system
and retrieving the data without having the root password.  That's
a technical mountain for them.  Encryption puts that into the
stratosphere.

There's the option of putting your GPG passphrase and login / root passwords
in a safe with your lawyer, but that is just not geeky enough for my
tastes.  And I feel better with my GPG passphrase only in my own head.

If you're concerned about posterity, the digital world is not a good
place to bet, and encryption makes it even less so.

- Chris