Best security solution for notebooks?

Let's say I want to have a system in such a way that if it's stolen, there is little to no liklihood that the thieves could get onto my operating system or otherwise get to the data.

It looks like Truecrypt and MS' Bitlocker are options but they do hamper performance, so is it viable to partition the drive and only have part of it encrypted by Truecrypt? I'm hopelessly addicted to Battlefield, so I need to think about gaming performance

In terms of locating stolen property, what are the options in terms of "Lojack" type functionality?

 

Im pretty sure they have lojack for Notebooks.
http://www.google.com/search?q=loja...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

Do you want to encrypt the whole hard disc or only some folders? You can try TrueCrypt or if you have some extra cash you can try GoldKey but both only work on specific folders and files, not the entire HDD.

If you want to proof your computer against theft then LoJack is the thing.

 

Take a look at Prey. It's an open source project that is actively developed. Prey will send reports with all kinds of detailed information regarding network information, geolocation, running programs, desktop screenshots and even pics from the webcam when requested. It is controlled through a web portal, so you can use your phone to report the laptop missing and starting reviewing reports right away.

Another option is LocatePC. LocatePC is simpler: it emails you with the IP address and few other bits of info every time your laptop starts. I believe you can set the trigger to notify on IP change, rather than every startup.

--L.

 

a) bitlocker was cracked a few weeks back, it's an obscure crack, but it is repeatable

b) truecrypt has a miniscule impact on performance, far less than other solutions, TC is the gold standard for whole disk/boot disk encryption

c) don't loose the machine

 

As careful as I can be about not ever leaving it in the car and always keeping it close to me, there's always a possibility of getting robbed when in transit. In a situation like that I'd like to have some sort of peace-of-mind.

 

Are you referring to the TPM crack? BitLocker has been cracked for several years. (I believe this attack even affects TrueCrypt). There is now a commerical product for cracking BitLocker.

--L.

 

Oh wow, bitlocker can be cracked pretty easily? So is it not worth using as a security measure?

 

A locked door is harder to open than an unlocked door. An encrypted system (BitLocker, TrueCrypt, PGP, EFS, etc) is harder to access than an unencrypted system.

Unless you are transporting state secrets or the like, I really wouldn't worry about it much. Stick with the encryption scheme you feel most comfortable using.

--L.

 

Oh ok! I just didn't want to tout this as a nice feature of Windows 7 if it could just be cracked in 2 minutes. I get it now.