[ale] little math

[Brian MacLeod]

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On 2/11/10 10:05 AM, Geoffrey wrote:
> 
> The randomness of such a solution is, a, not random?  You'd simply be 
> repeating that same data, hence not random.  Which returns me to my 
> original question, why is random data necessary?  Why not just write nulls?


- From what I have gleaned from the thread:

Because nulls aren't random either.  The idea is that there shouldn't be
ANY pattern to the data on the drive because to create an encrypted
store on the drive mean to create random looking data on the drive.  If
"someone" were to inspect the drive, and see patterns (repeated "random"
patterns or strings of 1s, 0s, or even nulls) then "someone" could
determine there's encrypted data there (and it's approximate size,
volume-wise), whereas if the whole thing has been randomized beforehand,
then an attacker would have to work harder just to get that information,
let alone anything else.

A form of security by obscurity, but in this case, a "reasonable" one in
that it's not a critical to the functioning of the operations at hand or
the security itself.

Brian
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