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Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

windowscentral.com

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Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#231

Post by Zak »

Retric wrote: post #227
Zak wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect businesses to spend money fighting court orders for customer data, especially if the orders are more or less reasonable. They do seem to be reasonable in the case that brought about this reporting, with substantial evidence that the suspects committed fraud and that evidence is on the devices in question.

Never means the specifics are irrelevant, you’re making the sad argument on the worst possible case and the best one. So why should customers entrust their data to the company? It’s a transactional relationship and the less you do the less reason someone has to pay you. Further, our legal system is adversarial it assumes someone is going to defend you. Without that there’s effectively zero protection for individuals.

People shouldn't entrust highly sensitive data to third parties who aren't highly motivated to protect it. That means different things in different situations, but if you're likely to be investigated by the FBI, don't give Microsoft the encryption keys to your laptop.

Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#232

Post by anonymousiam »

It's already established that your disk encryption keys are in the Microsoft cloud whether you want them there or not. It's just a small step from there to your local government having the key too. Some governments claim to respect the privacy of their citizens, but there are always exceptions. Most governments likely have direct access to the keys, and don't even need to make the request.

Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#234

Post by b00ty4breakfast »

it is perhaps mildly surprising that they have access to user encryption keys, but anyone surprised, over 20 years post-Patriot Act, that an American corporation is willing to cooperate with American federal law enforcement has maybe not been paying attention.

Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#235

Post by tosti »

pregnenolone wrote: post #222
hinkley wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don’t think Intel put back doors into that then I fear for the future.

> If you don’t think Intel put back doors into that then I fear for the future. If that’s what you’re worried about, you shouldn’t be using computers at all. I can pretty much guarantee that Linux will adopt SoC based hardware acceleration because the benefits – both in performance and security – outweigh the theoretical risks.

Good luck modifying my .config

And if it's not there, a patch is pretty easy to write.

It's not like there's no source code ;)

Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#236

Post by sudonem »

morshu9001 wrote: post #129
bdavbdav wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Use 1Password or similar instead. They’re keyed against a key they don’t have access to.

How do you avoid losing that key?

As stated you can generate backup keys, but you can also associate more than one hardware token to your account. Which is what I do. I keep a separate yibikey in a lockbox off site as a break glass option.

Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#237

Post by daneel_w »

Intermernet wrote: post #115
ExoticPearTree wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Encrypt the BL key with the user's password? I mean there are a lot of technical solutions besides "we're gonna keep the BL keys in the clear and readily available for anyone".

This is a bit tricky as it couples the user's password with the disk encryption key. If a user changes the password they would then need to change the encryption key, or remember the previous (possibly compromised) password. A better option is to force the user to record a complex hash, but that's never going to be user friendly when it comes to the average computer user. Basically, we need better education about the…

The encryption key for the drive never changes. The key is just re-encrypted when you change your password.

Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#238

Post by smileybarry »

mossTechnician wrote: post #174
Zak wrote: post #140

The headline is misleading. It says that Microsoft will provide the key if asked , but the linked statement to Forbes says Microsoft will provide the key if it receives a valid legal order . These have different meanings. Microsoft is legally entitled to refuse a request from law enforcement, and subject to criminal penalties if it refuses a valid legal order. It does illustrate a significant vulnerability in that Mi…

Crucially, the headline says Microsoft will provide the key if asked by the FBI , which implies a state entity with legal power that extends beyond a typical person's assumptions of "rule of law" and "due process," let alone ethics.

This is all paraphrasing. The closest paraphrase of the original statement to Forbes, from Forbes' article, is:

> Microsoft confirmed to Forbes that it does provide BitLocker recovery keys if it receives a valid legal order.

I suspect the FBI part was added editorially since this specific legal order came from the FBI.

Re: Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered

#239

Post by lqstuart »

Forgeties79 wrote: post #186
Zak wrote: post #140

The headline is misleading. It says that Microsoft will provide the key if asked , but the linked statement to Forbes says Microsoft will provide the key if it receives a valid legal order . These have different meanings. Microsoft is legally entitled to refuse a request from law enforcement, and subject to criminal penalties if it refuses a valid legal order. It does illustrate a significant vulnerability in that Mi…

> The headline is misleading. It says that Microsoft will provide the key if asked , but the linked statement to Forbes says Microsoft will provide the key if it receives a valid legal order . This is an odd thing to split hairs over IMO. Warrants or subpoenas or just asking nicely, whatever bar you want to set, is a secondary concern. The main issue is they can and will hand the keys to LEO’s at all.

If you don’t like the behavior of a company voluntarily doing something, your problem is with that company. If you don’t like a company complying with the law, your problem is with the law. It is unreasonable to expect anyone or any company to break the law or violate a court order to protect you.

If you don’t trust the institutions issuing those court orders, that is an entirely reasonable stance but it should be addressed at its root cause using our democratic process, however rapidly eroding that process may seem to be.

The fourth amendment protects against warrantless search and seizure, it is not carte blanche to fill up your hard drive with child porn and expect Microsoft to fall on their swords to protect you.

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