Re: RFE: Transparent encryption on all fields

Tomas Zerolo wrote:
>
>> If there were a way to prompt the user for the password to an encrypted
>> drive on startup for all OS, with an equivalent for headless machines...
>
> There definitely is. We even need more flexibility: prompt for
> credentials at the time of *mounting* a secured partition (this might be
> the time you put in a thumb drive, or the time where you take this
> particular secured database on-line).
>

There is a difference between "it's possible" and "there is". I know of no
such standard support of either of the standard OSes.

Tomas Zerolo wrote:
>
>> then perhaps encrypted drives would be practical enough to be used by
>> psql.
>> At the moment, the bootup sequence and requirements of psql mean its only
>> really an option for user-started servers. An alternative is necessary.
>
> There would be two steps: unlock database (starting the server), connect
> to it. If that's unpractical, remember: client-side decryption. The
> server _never_ sees the decrypted data (and more important: the
> decryption key). The only point of failure is the client (and the client
> is a point of failure in any case).
>

Ignore client side issues... that's a separate problem. The threat case here
is a stolen desktop/laptop/server where the attacker rips out the hard drive
to peak inside.
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