Protecting Confidential Information: How to Securely Store Sensitive Data

By Slava Gomzin

Booklet for anyone who wants to know how to keep secrets on home computer, or prevent sensitive data from disclosure on office workstation. Topics include: how to break Windows and steal data from computer, pros and cons of using standard Windows data protection mechanisms, several steps to follow in order to keep information secured, using cryptographic solutions for secure storage, and more (Article: ~3,000 words).

Table of Contents includes:

Introduction
How Data is Stolen from Computers
Extensive Security Permissions
Administrators and Users
Administrative Default Network Share - "C$"
Default/Weak Password of Local Administrator Account
Windows XP Repair
Rootkits
Cached Domain Passwords
Trojans and Spyware
Social Engineering Attacks
Stolen Computer or Hard Drive
How to Prevent Confidential Data from Being Stolen
Windows Disk Encryption
Solution
Using TrueCrypt
Resources
About the Author

Slava Gomzin, CISSP, ECSP, Security+ has more than 15 years of professional experience in software development and application security. He is Security Architect at Retalix USA.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Slava Gomzin
• Release date: Apr 25, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476432601

Slava Gomzin

Slava Gomzin is a Security and Payments Technologist at Hewlett-Packard, where he helps create products that are integrated into modern payment processing ecosystems using the latest security and payments technologies. Prior to joining Hewlett-Packard, Slava was a security architect, corporate product security officer, R&D and application security manager, and development team leader at Retalix, a Division of NCR Retail. As PCI ISA, he focused on security and PA-DSS, PCI DSS, and PCI P2PE compliance of POS systems, payment applications, and gateways. Before moving into security, Slava worked in R&D on design and implementation of new products including next-generation POS systems and various interfaces to payment gateways and processors. Slava currently holds CISSP, PCIP, ECSP, and Security+ certifications. He blogs about payment security at www.gomzin.com.

Book preview

Protecting Confidential Information

How to Securely Store Sensitive Data

Cyber Privacy Series

Slava Gomzin

Cover Photo and Design: Alisa Levy

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 Slava Gomzin

Table of Contents

Introduction

How Data is Stolen from Computers

Extensive Security Permissions

Administrators and Users

Administrative Default Network Share - C$ 

Default/Weak Password of Local Administrator Account

Windows XP Repair

Rootkits

Remote Desktop

Cached Domain Passwords

Trojans and Spyware

Social Engineering Attacks

Stolen Computer or Hard Drive

How to Prevent Confidential Data from Being Stolen

Windows Disk Encryption

Solution

Using TrueCrypt

Resources

About the Author

Introduction

Every user is storing some kind of confidential information on computer. You may have some data that must be kept secret from strangers, other employees as well as network administrators and IT helpdesk personnel. Also, you might have information that is stored temporarily on laptops that must remain confidential even if the