Concerned About the Safety of Laptops

This guide covers concerned about the safety of laptops with practical context and easy-to-follow details. Use it to understand the subject and apply the information confidently.

US researchers have just said that encrypted information stored on laptops is much more unsafe than people think. Many people assume that data in variable memory is retained for only a few seconds after the computer is turned off. The Princeton University team found that data including encryption keys do not disappear after a power outage that can be accessed over a period of up to several minutes. Variable memory is often used in RAM for temporary storage of programs and Disk encryption is the main method that companies and governments use to protect sensitive information. The main problem is keeping the encryption key secret.

According to Professor Felten, recent coding has become a hot topic after some laptops contain lost or stolen personal files. The reason is that the encryption key needed to retrieve encrypted files still in laptop memory in seconds or minutes. In theory, this time is enough for a lock access hacker from memory chips. Professor Felten said the real concern is that the laptop is taken away while it is open or in sleep or hibernation mode. In these modes, the device is not running, but the information is still stored in RAM to allow it to function quickly again. If someone stole a laptop, disconnected the power and then re-attached it, they would be able to access the contents of the memory, including important encryption keys.

Professor Felten and his research team found that laptop cooling will support the ability to store data in memory chips. Under normal conditions, the information is stored in memory for about 15 seconds, a laptop cooled at -50 degrees C will keep the information in memory for about 10 minutes or more. He thinks the best way is to turn off the computer completely for a few minutes before switching to another protection. Professor Felten also hopes that encrypted products will use new methods to better protect information.