We here at TopTenREVIEWS are frequently reminded of the inherent risks in information storage. Stories of public data breaches resulting in the loss private information are in the media often enough that it’s entirely reasonable to take a moment to discuss the most significant aspect of your online security, which is you.
By some estimates, the total cost of data breaches and identity theft was over $21 billion in 2012. While much of these losses are from various network exploits and attacks, often enough it is also human error. Whether that error poor security or a just a bad password, it’s still human error. To help you minimize that risk, you would do well to know what happens after you click a button online, even within your Mac online backup service.
Mac Cloud Providers and Security
Until recently, cloud storage and online backup has been primarily geared to the world of business. A whole data storage industry has existed for years around ensuring data continuity for government, business and finance. Of course, each faces their own set of security challenges, but each has also come up with a set of standards to ensure their own security.
Many Mac cloud backup service companies speak of their government-level encryption strategies; some boast they are NSA proof or provide the equivalent of an FDA standard for security. In truth, the most common type of secure online encryption is the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and that one was only authorized by the NSA for Top Secret communications in 2003. That government standard, with additional protocols, actually creates another standard called SSAE 16, which is the FDA compliance requirement for medical data. Various groups within the financial industry are obligated to this standard as well.
Encryption and Passwords
On the most basic level, the Advanced Encryption Standard takes its strength in two parts. First there is the 256-bit or 128-bit block size of the AES cipher. Different ciphers have different block sizes and AES is the bigger one. Why this is important is because the larger 128-bit block reduces the chance of the cipher repeating itself and leaking information that would expose the contents of an encrypted file. Think of it as using a 128-inch square piece of wood to cover a 128-inch square hole in the side of your house. You could use several smaller sized blocks, say four 64-inch squares, to cover the hole. It would still provide coverage, but it would be 50 percent less stable and you could see daylight through the cracks.
The second part of the AES encryption strength is the key length. When you see 256-bit AES as an encryption type on a site, that prefix is the length of the key and by extension, the length of the password. Key length is important. A 256-AES password can be up to 64 characters long, but the minimum for a reasonable expectation of security is 43 random characters consisting upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. The cost in time and money to launch a password attack on such encryption would be prohibitive. To date though there has only been one successful attack on the code underlying a 128-bit encryption. There have been no documented successful attacks on a 256-bit key length.
Your Greatest Vulnerability Is You
Without realizing it, you’re likely more familiar with the 128-bit AES. This encryption level is popular with social network and email service providers, mostly because it demands less of you, the user. The minimum password size can be set for as little as six characters, making this the most indirectly referenced encryption standard in the news. Short password requirements mean it’s easier for you to make poor password decisions. A typical attack on such accounts can normally crack a password in seconds instead of years.
In fact, an October 2013 hack of the Adobe Creative Cloud exposed that the most common user password was 123456. The second most common was 123456789. After that, the most common password was the word password. Most often, a little guesswork and some social engineering is all that’s required for a hacker to discern a password. Clearly, even if your cloud backup service offers top-notch security features, you still need a good password.
Safeguard Your Strong Password
Clearly your security doesn’t end at selecting a Mac online backup solution. Many companies will provide you with the tools that you need to keep your data secure, but those tools are only as effective as the person using them. There is still risk associated with cloud data storage, and creating a strong password can mitigate that risk.
Strong passwords can be hard to make up and are easily forgotten, but there are solutions. Password generators can create a strong password for you, and password managers can store and recall them from a USB flash drive. Of course it is wise to make a duplicate of your passwords that you can keep in a safe or with someone you trust who can access your data in case of emergency.
Summary
Understanding that the greatest flaw in data security is the human element is the first step towards protecting your data and ultimately, your identity. Knowing how to control who has access to your data and when is the second. Plenty of Mac online backup services are willing to shoulder that responsibility for you, but if given the option to create your own key, you would do well to take it.
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