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Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

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Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#21
post #5

This might become a major trend in the EU if hosting/storage providers play their cards right. Sure the low prices, performance and flexibility of US providers are very tempting but surrendering your data to US intelligence agencies and god knows who else might no longer be a viable option, especially for government agencies and major corporations that might be targets of industrial espionage.

It is already a trend, but until last week it was the realm of huge companies, bureaucrats, weapon manufacturers and other security-industry types. Now there's potential for going mainstream.

This said, I wouldn't trust a French provider or an Italian provider with anything too sensitive: their police forces have a history of being incredibly heavy-handed when dealing with data. I remember one occasion in mid-00's when the Italian police investigating G8 riots (or something like that) raided a data centre, took home all disks they could find, cloned them all, then went through them with a fine comb, all because one mailing list hosted on one of those servers might have been tangentially related to whatever they were investigating. I'd be surprised if things were much better in other European countries, to be honest, but I guess Norway is one of the best bets (with UK/Ireland being among the worst, of course).

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#22

If you want to have data storage that's secure from the NSA then you are going to need to do client side encryption. Moving your data to a company/country that promises not to access it isn't going to cut it.

While I mostly agree I also think that having some legal/jurisdictional protection is a good thing. If nothing else for the case where there turn out to be an exploitable weakness in the client side encryption you are using.

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#23
post #17

"In Norway, privacy stands firm like the mighty mountains of Jotunheimen.". Let's not flatter ourselves too much: http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datalagringsdirektivet (in Norwegian, http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&pre... ), or the less detailed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Retention_Directive

[deleted]

[deleted]

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#24

If you want to have data storage that's secure from the NSA then you are going to need to do client side encryption. Moving your data to a company/country that promises not to access it isn't going to cut it.

Good suggestion, I've been using Amazon Glacier with the CloudBerry backup software which supports client-side AES encryption (http://www.cloudberrylab.com/amazon-glacier-backup-software....) and couldn't ask for more. Of course you will have to trust CloudBerry not to put a backdoor in their Software, but it seems there are no OSS alternatives right now that work as easily.

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#25
"Vi vil ikke overlevere brukerdata til myndighetene om vi ikke mottar en kjennelse fra norsk rettsvesen"

meaning

"We will not hand over user data to the government if we do not receive a ruling from the Norwegian judicial system"

which is pretty much the same thing as the Patriot Act in the US...

But as far as PRISM goes - that's a whole other matter!

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#26
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to agree. The user needs control over their encryption. Taking advantage of Norway's laws is fine, until the day that those laws go sour on you.

Don't you need a combination of encryption AND no law forcing you to reveal the key?

The law that might force you to reveal the key depends on where you are, not where your hoster is.

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#27
post #24

If you want to have data storage that's secure from the NSA then you are going to need to do client side encryption. Moving your data to a company/country that promises not to access it isn't going to cut it.

Good suggestion, I've been using Amazon Glacier with the CloudBerry backup software which supports client-side AES encryption ( http://www.cloudberrylab.com/amazon-glacier-backup-software.... ) and couldn't ask for more. Of course you will have to trust CloudBerry not to put a backdoor in their Software, but it seems there are no OSS alternatives right now that work as easily.

tarsnap

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#28
I thought that the NSA surveillance was at least partially illegal. Laws (Norwegian or US) don't stop TLAs doing what they want.

Also in a related note I find the following fairly unconvincing:

"We will not hand over user data to authorities unless a warrant issued by the Norwegian court of law is presented"

Warrants are in my view more about providing a paper trail than actually preventing abuse.

Ultimately I think the only protection against surveillance is well-employed cryptography. Especially if the law offers some protection for encryption keys and/or passwords.

Re: Norwegian backup provider promises NSA-free data storage using Norwegian laws

#29

"In Norway, privacy stands firm like the mighty mountains of Jotunheimen.". Let's not flatter ourselves too much: http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datalagringsdirektivet (in Norwegian, http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&pre... ), or the less detailed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Retention_Directive

As mentioned in a comment on the post, The EU Data Retention Directive does not apply to cloud storage providers. Not yet at least.
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