[3262] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Netscape Online Backup
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (C. Harald Koch)
Thu Aug 27 17:35:40 1998
To: cryptography@c2.net
From: "C. Harald Koch" <chk@utcc.utoronto.ca>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 16:39:46 -0400
Netscape now has an Online Backup offering. It claims to offer secure backups,
over the Internet, to an offsite Data Recovery Center. Looking for details of
"secure", I tripped over:
File Encryption
How secure are the files you back up?
Files are encrypted before leaving your computer.
We use the most robust encryption method available
for international use. No one can ever read your
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
files, not even Atrieva Corporation personnel.
More specifically:
1. You use RSA encryption. How does this benefit me?
RSA, the leader in encryption products for the PC
industry, owns and monitors the patents on a number
of encryption technologies. Based on current export
laws, we chose their RC2 algorithm to secure your
files so that Netscape Online Backup by Atrieva
Corporation could be used throughout the world. RC2
is also two to three times faster than the
encryption algorithm that other online backup
services use (DES 56). Plus, unlike DES 56, RC2 has
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
never been broken.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
2. Does anyone else have access to my encryption key?
No. You choose your encryption key, and unless you
tell someone, you will be the only one that knows
it. Not even Atrieva Corporation personnel have
access to your key.
Netscape should really know better by now, shouldn't they?
--
C. Harald Koch <chk@utcc.utoronto.ca>
"It takes a child to raze a village."
-Michael T. Fry
