2. Why doesn't data encryption work?
Good encryption programs assume that once a user is granted access
to the computer, then decryption of data will take place automatically behind
the scenes so as not to interfere with the user's work flow. By simply guessing
or finding the logon password, someone will always have access to encrypted
data, unless time is taken to create a unique encryption key for each data file.
Creating these individual encryption keys can be more costly than the creation
of the data, and in general is so time consuming and confusing that it simply
isn't done. What's more, not all encryption systems are created equal. Bad encryption
programs provide encryption that can be easily decrypted with utilities found
all over the Internet. So, the result is that data encryption - even good encryption
- doesn't protect you within the context of the security problems of password-based
access control.