Phantom Hard Drive

DrVirus · Post by **DrVirus** » 23 Feb 2009, 08:49

I have been reading about the best ways to make your data invisible. And I stumbled across many things. Many types of encryption. But this one caught my eye the most. The Phantom Hard Drive. There is this Phantom Total Security software which when installed dematerializes the data into bits scattered over the entire hard drive. And when you give a password it lets you access the data.
So it got me thinking, is there anyway to create a phantom hard drive ? I mean a partition that can only be accessed one way and will be invisible the rest of the time ? I am not exactly an expert so I have no idea. What do you guys think ?

Post by **floodhound2** » 23 Feb 2009, 09:05

Well this is concept is great but practically impossible. With enough time and money any data can be retrieved. With the new supercomputers like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLujLtgBJC0
encryption will be broken.

I guess for an average user like us there mat be ways to secure the partition.

DrVirus · Post by **DrVirus** » 23 Feb 2009, 09:29

Well floodhound i was thinking about just that. I mean no encryption is impossible to break with supercomputers and stuff. I mean like they say "Everything is possible, impossible just takes longer."
Unless, unless there isn't any to break ? What I mean by that is, and the point I was trying impress with my previous post was that, Say you open a file which is supposed to contain sesitive data and there is a encryption say a 8 bit. You crack it. You look through it and guess what you don't get what you want.
The thing I was thinking about was what if there is an encryption under an encryption. It's not like you hash the data and then password protect it. You first password protect the data with say a 128 bit key containing symbols like this ♦. THen you put that 8 bit normal code over it.
Now that can be cracked too. But what if, (i don't know whether this is possible I'm just talking theory) the program asks for the 8 bit code. You crack it and it shows not so important stuff. Like say you favourite soccer team and your Highschool Grades. And it doesn't ask for 128 bit password. There is no prompt. The user only knows where to go or rather what to do in order to make the program ask for it.
THe 8 bit code works as an eye wash. The cracker runs through it gets the data. Realises that since the data is not that sensitive the code was weak. You what eyes sees mind belives. And he goes to work on the next file.
WHat do you think about that ?

Post by **computathug** » 23 Feb 2009, 10:06

Very interesting concept DrVirus.

I see your point that once the encryption has been cracked the user will move on and check the file system thats has been found. The only problem would in my view as well would be the size of the hidden file that is still remaining. You may get away with something small but if the user who is doing the investigation notices that the size of the drive to the size of the partition found doesn't match they will probably keep on searching.

This is a good idea for concept but not sure how this would fare in RL.

DrVirus · Post by **DrVirus** » 23 Feb 2009, 10:35

Right. Right . You are right. That completely skipped my mind. THe size. Of course. Sorry guys. Sorry to waste your time. Guess I have to go back to square one

. Thanks for pointing out the flaws though.

Post by **DNR** » 23 Feb 2009, 10:47

how about the internet version of this idea.

person #1 writes and encrypts a file. The Security program then breaks down the file, and distributes it over the internet to several host. Each host would have one part of the file. Person #2 would receive an application to allow the file to be decrypted. The Security application would accept the password, perform an algorithm to create the IP numbers of the hosts holding the actual parts of the file. The hosts are contacted, the file reassembled, and then decrypted.

I guess I liked this idea mainly because the payload - the actual file will still not be stored on the HDD. Also, on the internet, each host only holds a part of your file - useless unless reassembled.

DNR

DrVirus · Post by **DrVirus** » 23 Feb 2009, 10:53

But DNR, if some how a part of the file is lost then the whole operation must be performed all over again. I mean it's not like packets where you can just clone that particular bit and send it again. #1 person must then again encrypt the entire file and break it down and resend.
IT might be very insufficient for big files. Will take ages.

Post by **computathug** » 23 Feb 2009, 10:58

I wouldn't call it a waste of our time. Any question which makes the mind wonder if something is possible is never a waste of time.

Now if it was possible to confuse the person conducting the tests into thinking a 250gig hd was really a 200gig hd then you would be onto a good thing.

Any way keep thinking and you never know what you may come up with!!

good luck

*edit*

Now we are thinking! Great idea DNR.
Yes this will take time DrVirus especially if part of the file is lost as you said but if it is important enough to want to hide then the work factor shouldn't really come into consideration unless this will take years....

If something is worth doing then it is worth doing right!!

Just a little motto

Post by **floodhound2** » 23 Feb 2009, 12:19

Well I did read somewhere that thy are making/ made hard disk that use light instead of magnetic properties. Where the light stores the data. This would prevent recovery of data after a format. Otherwise as I mentioned data can always be recovered from the current hardware.

s0lid_sn4k3 · Post by **s0lid_sn4k3** » 16 Mar 2009, 10:11

use TrueCrypt, you can create a virtual encrypted OS, encapsulated in a "decoy" OS.
can't find something if you dont know it's hidden.