KMail and smartcard

[Oskar L.]

"=k3Rn=" <kernone at gmx.de> wrote:

> What is the real advantage of a smartcard? I have stored my
> secret-keyring on an usb-stick at the moment. How could i improve
> security further more? I am just reading about encrypting the filesystem
>   on the stick using 'truecrypt' - is that a good idea / nice solution?

It's hard to say what is the best solution for someone, without knowing in
what kind of situation that person is. The more security you have, the
more inconvenience it will cause you. You need to find a balance that is
right for you.

The secret key is already encrypted, that's why it needs to be decrypted
(using the passphrase) whenever it is needed. I would think that this is
enough security for most people. To encrypt it once more is really only
necessary if a person want to hide the fact that it is a secret key.

Personally I keep my secret key on my hard disk, because I find it more
likely that I will be arrested and have my USB-stick confiscated, than
that my computer will be hacked.

Oskar