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Notes from Notchcode

11.28.2006

secure



I've been reading Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon over the holiday weekend, and it reminded me just how paranoid I can be sometimes. It's basically a sci-fi mysery thriller set in the late 1990s and World War II, and is about gold, codebreakers, nerds like Alan Turing, marines, and more nerds. But the thesis is this: encryption is a good idea.

So to that end, I've reviewed Notchcode's security practices, and made some improvements. All client data is now encrypted, as is all communication and data on our project management site. And all the backups and archives are encrypted. Never mind that they are already locked in a Fortress of Solitude-like structure, but now in addition to being physically secure, the bits are secure, too.

I've posted some queries up at Apple's Support Discussions database about this issue, too. The Mac has a mostly-useful feature called File Vault, which encrypts your "Home" directory, where, presumably, all of your documents are stored. Except when they're not. File Vault also has the added problem of being a bit slow, and buggy--at least in my experience. So there are a lot of people who have given me some other options to think about, including everything from general backup strategies, to specific products to use.

One thoughtful poster asked me what my industry's standard practices were regarding encryption and data security, so I checked: the AIGA, at least, has very little to say on the matter (this seems to be a theme with them: when it comes to some of the nitty gritty operative details of how to run a Creative Firm, they avoid all discussion, choosing instead to talk about the larger issues. Which is fine. But when you are getting pragmatic, it's a bit annoying for your professional organization to be so high-minded).

So, I solicit your opinions, gentle reader. Leave a comment for me using the Notchcode Contact Form, if you have any experiences to share or advice to give. Now excuse me, while I type in my new 4096-character password and get back to work!

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