[Discuss] Revisiting VMWare ESX backup options

[Richard Pieri]

On 11/3/2014 1:53 PM, Rich Braun wrote:
> Additional layers of security, whether "necessary" or not, are worthy of
> discussion.  Encryption is pretty darned easy to use, doesn't add burdensome
> complexity (depending on the tool you select),

Backing up encrypted desktops and notebooks is a pain in the ass. Bare 
metal restores are impossible or damned near.

> and is very often necessary for cloud deployment.

My opinion of this should be well known around these parts by now. :)

> (I happen to work in an enterprise-software team deploying
> to AWS, so there's no choice: we encrypt. Everything.)

By choosing to use AWS you have chosen to accept the risks associated 
with handing over your stuff to a third party. By relinquishing physical 
control you have made it easier for a bad actor to gain access. All the 
encryption in the world won't stop an attacker who gains access to your 
AWS control panel.

> For home/small-business
> users, the odds of theft or human-error are considerably higher than in an
> enterprise situation, depending on your location and other variables.

That's no excuse for carelessness. See previous discussion about dog 
cages. If your data is that important to you then you should put 
commensurate effort into physically securing it. If you refuse to do so, 
well, no sympathy from me.

-- 
Rich P.