Access to keys (was: A rock and a hard place? Ministry of Defence | Defence News | MOD confirms loss of recruitment data)

[Roger Hird]

In article <6A9A3EC5-0B8C-4D48-ADD4-2BB06E230612@batten.eu.org>,
   Ian Batten <igb@batten.eu.org> wrote:

> On 18 Feb 08, at 1731, Nicholas Bohm wrote:

> > Ian Batten wrote:
> >
> >> ob.crypto: who controls your keys, when you can't?
> >
> > Access to my PC will die with me (or if I become unable to get into  
> > it myself) (unless there's been some very intrusive surveillance  
> > going on).

> Which is fine, for some cases, but less fine as time goes by and the  
> records end up on computers.  For example, I think it would be anti- 
> social to say that access to all the photographs I've taken between  
> about 2000 and when I die, including most of the `family'  
> photographs, would die with me.  And if someone had to deal with a  
> power of attorney for me, access to most of my billing is via the  
> computer and its keys.

> >
> > This may be a nuisance, but the alternatives seem to me worse.   
> > There's enough paper around to identify the third parties who know  
> > what the assets are; the liabilities will find their own way home.

> We've not had a paper bank statement for getting on for five years;  
> ditto most of the utility bills.

This is all extremely sensible to me.  I too download my bank and credit
card statements and indeed keep most of my personal data on my PC (or my
faithful old Acorn Risc PC).  Passwords and a decent mortice lock give me
the degree of security I feel necessary for my personal data.

For my plans to take over the world, however, I do feel the need for
additional precautions - so please take the "Beware of landmines" signs on
my front lawn seriously.

-- 
Roger Hird
roger.hird@argonet.co.uk

Running RISCOS 4.39 on an Acorn StrongARM RiscPC