What is G.A.L.?

"Short in stature, tall in power, narrow of purpose and wide of vision." ~ Ergo the Magnificent - Krull

Short Answer: G.A.L. is a highly portable, personal full featured secure computing environment. It provides a bootable operating system, with application, Internet, collaborative, creativity, and secure communication suites. It provides secure file storage,secure file removal, and secure communication resources as well as protective technologies such as anti-spam and anti-phishing protection and firewall capability. It secures your files, your privacy, your anonymity, your surfing experience, and your communications.

Longer Answer: Guardian Angel Linux (G.A.L) provides a portable full featured operating system with a complete set of Applications including an office suite, web browser, email client, calendar/scheduler, secure instant messaging client, music player, anti-virus protection, VoIP clients, drawing applications, Personal Organizer Suite, Photo Viewing software all on a portable flash drive. To give you extra protection, G.A.L. also includes encryption applications and utilities that protects \ personal data and communications and maintains anonymity while surfing. In addition, Virtual Machine support is supplied. This allows for maximum flexibility since all resources may not be available at all times. Now you have G.A.L. to secure your digital life-style.

Back to Top

Why do I need G.A.L.?

You need G.A.L. if you:

1. Want complete Application, Internet, Collaborative, Creativity and Secure Communication Suites.
2. Want to be assured your files are encrypted and not viewable by prying eyes.
3. Want privacy and anonymity when you surf the Internet.
4. Do not want your Internet history or your Internet habits traced.
5. Need your files stored safely in a secure remote location.
6. Want all of this functionality on a portable device to be done automatically.

Back to Top

What does G.A.L. do?

When G.A.L. is being used:

1. Provides a complete Operating System Environment with a large selection of software such as an Office Suite, Collaboration Tools, Photo Organization, Media playing, etc.
2. Gives you access to your secured files - in your Crypto-Containers and your on-line storage Crypto-Vault.
3. Protects your privacy and anonymity on the Internet by hiding your identity when you surf the Internet.
4. Gives your privacy by providing Encryption Tools for file encryption, email, etc.
5. Protects your files by saving them at a secure on-line storage facility location.

When G.A.L. is not being used:

1. Closes access to your Crypto-Containers and your on-line storage Crypto-Vault so no one else can gain access to your protected files.
2. Removes or encrypts cookies, Internet history, browser cache, application preferences, and session information. Nothing is ever stored on the local PC and even the Computer's memory is purged to prevent digital forensics.
3. Leaves the Host PC as if was never used.

Back to Top

Do I need to be a computer expert to download and install G.A.L.?

G.A.L.'s is designed to be deployed as a "plug and go" solution. Due to the nature of encryption software and its legality throughout the world, the core of G.A.L. is shipped and its encryption modules are built for you with the click of a mouse. This assures maximum portability and flexibility no matter where you go anywhere in the world. It is designed to be recovered and restored from CD and DVD. It is even designed to be built from the Web if need be. Even though G.A.L. utilizes sophisticated technology, we have made many efforts to make its use extremely simple and we continue to do so.

Back to Top

Do I need to reconfigure my computer or install new software to gain the benefit of G.A.L.'s functionality?

No. G.A.L. is designed specifically to boot a computer directly and is self-contained. Everything you need is contained with the G.A.L. distribution. In the event that your computer does not boot directly off the USB port, you can use the included Bootloader CD or create a boot floppy.

For secure Internet surfing, all you need to do is select the level of protection you wish from the in the web browser proxy list and you will have secured your browsing experience.

Back to Top

Do I need to learn new software to gain the benefit of G.A.L.'s functionality?

That depends on the what software you are currently using. G.A.L. uses Open Source Software and we strive to use software that is cross-platform compatible with MS Windows and MacOS. For instance, if you use Open Office on either of those other 2 platforms, then there will be no learning to do for your Office Suite. Firefox is the main web browser that is used, so if you use that on the other 2 platforms, then there is no additional learning to do.

Back to Top

Can I use G.A.L. on other computers?

Absolutely. G.A.L. is designed to be portable and to work on other computers anywhere in the world. It even can work on Intel-based Macintoshes. We are even striving to make G.A.L. available on other CPU architectures so that its benefits can be realized on WebPad's, PDA's, cell phones, etc. If the architecture is not supported, it is possible to utilize a Virtual Machine to run G.A.L. Work is currently being done by Silicon Safari Inc, to run Virtual Machines on PowerPC, Sparc, and other architectures so that G.A.L. may run on those unsupported architectures. In the future, G.A.L. will run on non-Intel architectures natively. Also, where there is an Internet Connection, you should have access to your Crypto-Vault too.

Back to Top

Why is it advantageous that G.A.L. is portable?

Every persons needs are different and G.A.L. has been designed to be as flexible as possible to address as many needs as possible.

Whether you are at work, on travel, or a friend's house, you may want to access your e-mail or your financial information privately, without leaving any information on the computer you are using. Why take any chances that the next person using that computer can access your personal information or see where you surfed and what you did or even pose as you? Stay protected by using G.A.L. where ever you go.

Back to Top

Why do I want to secure my personal data and hide my on-line identity?

You have quite a bit of personal and valuable information that you keep and access. You have address book information, bank account and credit card information, documents, letters, email, photos, etc.

If you have ever lost your purse or wallet, you know what kind of hassle it is. Think of the hassle it would be if the information on your computer was stolen or compromised. The loss of data is bad enough, the misuse of your data can be a legal, credit and financial nightmare.

Secure your personal data when you leave it unattended. G.A.L. is not only about protecting safety of your data and identity, it is about the protecting the integrity of your data as well.

Buying G.A.L. is one of the best things you can do for the safety and integrity of your data, as well as the protecting your anonymity and privacy.

Back to Top

Why do I need secure Internet surfing?

Everything on the Internet can be monitored. Since the Internet is the infrastructure to communicate between computers, each computer has an address. This is much like the address to your house- to receive mail you must have an address to receive it. As it is possible for you to leave a trail for someone to get right to your house, the same goes for your computer after being on the Internet. Also, information can be collected by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) that can show what your surfing habits are, all the people you chat with, every email you send and receive, files you download, Blogs you comment on... EVERYTHING. This information can be seen by many people, even your neighbors can possibly see some of that information depending on your Internet configuration and home network setup.

Every time you connect to a website, the ISP can see that, any Service Provider or government network in between can see that, and of course the site you connect to, sees that. If precautions are not taken, your computer IP address is revealed and can lead someone almost instantly to your computer. The result is spam, phishing, pharming, viruses, identity theft, hacking attacks and a whole slew of Privacy and Anonymity Violations.

G.A.L. keeps your computer free from tracking information such as Web site history and cookies as well as cache files. When you unplug G.A.L., all tracking and cache files are automatically stored encrypted on the G.A.L. Flash Drive or deleted completely, whichever you prefer.

Web sites will not be able to identify you are unless you want them to. Since no information is left on the computer that you worked from, there is no information they can collect when you are gone. Even in the event of loss or theft of your G.A.L. Flash Drive, your data is protected.

Also G.A.L. uses encrypted anonymous surfing proxies to hide what sites you are surfing to and posting on. Your surfing habits and on-line experiences are protected from traffic sniffing and surfing data analysis that may be used to compromise your identity. G.A.L. also can encrypt all communication traffic such as Instant Messenger(IM), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), E-mail traffic and others as well. Your ISP (or anyone else) cannot see what you have sent or received.

With G.A.L. you have many levels of protection. Protect yourself from hackers, ID thieves, Phishers, and illegal domestic spying.... Secure your Internet surfing and your private data with G.A.L.

Back to Top

How does G.A.L. use encryption technology to protect me?

Encryption is scrambling your data, so only the people you want to see the data can see the data. To protect your privacy G.A.L. uses encryption to provide the following:

1. Encrypted and Plausibly Deniable File Storage - protects your data from prying eyes.
2. Encrypted Email - Allows email to be sent without anyone else seeing its contents, altering its contents covertly, and digital signatures to verify the sends identity.
3. Encrypted Web Browsing - Allows for encrypted communication to websites on the Internet such as e-commerce sites.
4. Encrypted Tunnels - Allows for encrypted communication for general applications and specific ones like Voice Over IP (VoIP).
5. Encrypted and Plausibly Deniable IM communication- Allows for encrypted IM communication that cannot be proven to be your communique in the event that one of the computers is compromised. G.A.L. can keep your IM logs in a plausibly deniable encrypted container as well or if you choose, not save them at all.

Back to Top

There are many file and disk level encryption solutions available. What is the difference between that software and G.A.L.?

Simply stated, G.A.L. does more than supply file and disk level encryption. It is a secure work environment - securing your files, your privacy, your anonymity, your surfing experience, and your communications.

From the standpoint of file encryption, it is true that file encryption software has existed for many years, it is a resource that many people haven't purchased or had integrated into their daily lives. In the past, encryption software has been difficult to use and it hasn't been transparently integrated into your work environment. G.A.L. provides encrypted file containers so you can seamlessly encrypt your files without needing to encrypt them one at a time. This process was designed so everyone can easily protect themselves with military grade security encryption. With G.A.L., simply it plug it in and work. When it is unplugged, the files in your encrypted container stay protected and away from prying eyes.

Your files are protected with sophisticated encryption with Guardian Angel Linux. With G.A.L., all your computer activities stay private.

Back to Top

There are many secure surfing software solutions available. What is the difference between that software and G.A.L.?

Simply stated, G.A.L. does more than secure surfing. It is a secure work environment- securing your files, your privacy, your anonymity, your surfing experience, and your communications.

G.A.L. is a portable solution that you can use on any computer*, anywhere in the world. Other software on the market is limited to the computer on which it was installed.

From the standpoint of safe Internet surfing, G.A.L. stores all your Internet cookies, history, and web cache on the flash drive in an encrypted container or you can choose not to save them at all. It never stores any information or files on the host computer. Without G.A.L., if you want to keep your surfing habits private, you would need to buy, install and manage software to clean all the files off the computer when you are done. This situation becomes very complex when you don't control the computer you are using, such as at a cyber-cafe, a work computer or a friend's computer. With G.A.L., you just reboot the computer with the G.A.L. flash drive and you are ready to go.

Also G.A.L. uses encrypted anonymous surfing proxies to hide what sites you are surfing to and posting on. Your surfing habits and on-line experiences are protected from traffic sniffing and surfing data analysis that may be used to compromise your identity. G.A.L. also can encrypt all communication traffic such as Instant Messenger(IM), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), E-mail traffic and others as well. Your ISP (or anyone else) cannot see what you have sent or received.

Your surfing experience and your communications are protected with G.A.L.. With G.A.L., all your computer activities stay private.

Back to Top

What is the "G.A.L. Advantage?"

G.A.L. is Engineered Specifically for Protection and provides a suite of Protection Technologies:

1. Problem Notification and Education
2. Notification of Updates and Problems
3. Forums, Blogs, and a Security Center is accessible for keeping apprised of security related information.
4. Encryption - scrambling your data so only the people you want to see it can:
   1. Encrypted and Plausibly Deniable File Storage
   2. Digital Signature technology
   3. Encrypted Email
   4. Encrypted Web Browsing
   5. Encrypted Communication Channels
   6. Encrypted, Perfect Forward Secrecy and Plausibly Deniable IM communication.
   7. Secure scrambling and erasure of files to prevent file recovery when desired.
   8. Anonymous Networks Access - Allows anonymous web browsing and Protects and Increases Anonymity while using the Internet
5. Grants access to Anonymous services such as file transfers, Blogs, etc.
6. Provides Shielding Technology
7. Anti-Phishing Technology - Automatically detect suspicious (Fraud Scams, etc.) emails and content and provides tools to report them.
8. Anti-Virus Technology
   1. Detect harmful viruses, Trojan horses, and worms.
   2. History Purge and Cookie Blocking Technology - history can be purged or encrypted.
9. Remote Encrypted Storage

   Provides a remote Crypto-Vault feature that automatically backs up any data you choose such as personal documents or pictures, to a secure virtual safety deposit box. This Crypto-Vault should be NOT be on your home computer to help prevent against disasters. Silicon Safari Incorporated will be providing multiple secure sites to host your Crypto-Vaults.

10. Open Source Software

    G.A.L. uses Open Source Software (OSS) so that every aspect can be scrutinized. Many developers around the world continuously improve and secure Open Source Software so that everyone can benefit from the most secure and featured software. No single company can keep everything bug free, but with hundreds of Open Source based companies and thousands of worldwide developers, OSS can be checked for bugs, vulnerabilities, and exploits. Also, fixes can be submitted and distributed worldwide rapidly using the Internet.

G.A.L. is THE superior security product that helps protect your privacy, anonymity and helps to protect against identity theft.

Back to Top

How secure are my Crypto-Vault and the Crypto-Containers?

G.A.L. gives you the most secure protection available. All the file storage technology allows for an extremely high level of military grade encryption. No one else will ever be able to get to your files without knowing your passwords (and in the future your security token) or even know what files exist in your Crypto-Container or in your Crypto-Vault. Without your G.A.L. security token plugged in, your password and you logged into the system, your Crypto-Container or Crypto-Vault cannot be accessed.

Back to Top

What is the difference between Non-Repudiation (using Digital Signatures), Plausible Deniablity technology and Perfect Forward Secrecy (such as Off-the-Record)? Does G.A.L. provide them?

One feature of a Digital Signature allows the author ("signer") of a message to prove his identity. Non-repudiation allows you to prove later who participated in a transaction - a signer of a document of one end of a transmission cannot deny having sent the message nor can the recipient deny having received it. Simply stated, non-repudiation means that information cannot be disclaimed, similar to a witnessed handwritten signature on a paper document. [http://www.digitalsignature.be/what.cfm#1] Simply stated, non-Repudiation can prove you were involved with a transaction- this is very important if you need to prove your participation in a legal or banking procedure.

In case an adversary forces you to reveal the password, plausible deniablity technology allows bogus information to be revealed without the adversary knowing that the real data is still there. So if you are forced to give the password to your secure container under threat of death or worse, you can give them a password that opens the container but gives no private information and most likely satisfying them that you are not holding out giving them "the" password. This technology is very important in that is attempts to thwart the use of strong arm techniques to make you give up your secrets. Conceptually, plausible deniability is somewhat the opposite of non-repudiation.

Perfect forward secrecy is a technique used to prevent previous transmissions from being compromised in the event that you lose control of your private keys. For instance, if perfect forward secrecy is used for Instant Messaging conversations, even if one computer is compromised then the conversation is not compromised. Both computers need to be compromised for the potential of conversation compromise to happen. Conceptually, perfect forward secrecy is somewhat the opposite of non-repudiation.

Plausible deniablity coupled together with Perfect forward secrecy is the opposite of non-repudiation. When encryption, authentication, plausible deniability and perfect forward secrecy are used together, personal conversations have the highest level of privacy protection.

G.A.L. provides different technologies that utilize each of the 3 concepts above.

1. For IM, G.A.L. provides GAIM/Off-the-Record, which uses encryption, authentication, plausible deniability and perfect forward secrecy to provide very high privacy for instant messages.
2. For Crypo-Containers G.A.L uses TrueCrypt, which uses military grade encryption and multiple techniques of plausible deniability to keep encrypted data highly secure and private.
3. For Digital Signatures, message & file encryption, and message integrity, G.A.L. supplies both S/Mime and GNU Privacy Guard.

Back to Top

What are Encrypted Communication Channels and does G.A.L. provide tools to use them?

G.A.L. uses encrypted communication channels to protect the information transfer to specific sites on the Internet. Most likely, you are familiar with one of these technologies used in Web Browsing and e-commerce transactions- Secure Socket Layer (SSL aka https). SSL also powers the featured Virtual Private Network technology, OpenVPN. Other technologies based on OpenSSH, provide encrypted tunnels and Virtual Private Networks as well. G.A.L. allows the use of Zfone, from Phil Zimmerman Labs, to protect VoIP communications.

Using ScatterChat or GAIM/Off-the-Record (OTR) your Instant Messages create encrypted channels to prevent outside viewing of your IM conversations while using G.A.L.

Back to Top

Are all hackers, crackers, etc. bad people?

Of course not. Be thankful there are nice hackers and crackers that wish to continuously test and try to break the security tools available for your protection. Do you think bad people who find exploits, want those exploits to be widely known or to be fixed? No, they want to use such things to their benefit. "White Hats" WANT to find vulnerabilities so fixes can be created. Privacy advocates wish to ensure that their privacy is ALWAYS protected so they are also working all the time to ensure any vulnerabilities are found and fixed. Security is like a chess game... move/counter move. Hopefully the "White Hats" can always counter every harmful gambit that "Black Hats" can use against you.

Back to Top

Why are we Open Source and insist upon it?

G.A.L. uses Open Source Software (OSS) so that every aspect can be scrutinized. Many developers around the world continuously improve and secure Open Source Software so that everyone can benefit from the most secure and featured software. No single company can keep everything bug free, but with hundreds of Open Source based companies and thousands of worldwide developers, OSS can be checked for bugs, vulnerabilities, and exploits. Also, fixes can be submitted and distributed worldwide rapidly using the Internet. Common sense would tell you not to invite a stranger into your house because there is a potential for problems to occur. The same applies to unknown software, installing unknown software into your work environment is not a good idea.

Back to Top

What is the difference between a Vulnerability and an Exploit?

A vulnerability is a weakness. For software services, a vulnerability may or may not lead to a compromise. An exploit is a successful implementation or attack using a vulnerability. For software services, an exploit will lead to a compromise, it's just a matter of time before someone takes advantage of that exploit. You may have a vulnerability but no known implementation has been created to leverage that vulnerability against you. Some vulnerabilities are easy to create exploits for while other have no known exploits.

Back to Top

Can I be protected 100% of the time?

There is no such thing as 100% protection all of the time. Security is an ever changing business that involves multiple technologies and techniques. G.A.L. provides many levels of protection using many technologies to greatly reduce the chance of compromise. The playing field in the security area is ever changing in size, complexity and terrain. The concept is to try and always stay ahead of the vulnerabilities and exploits as well as staying educated and informed about the threats and risks that may affect you.

Since there are many utilities and services that you use in your computing experience, vulnerabilities are always a possibility. For instance, no matter how strong your password is, if there is a service that is running on your computer that intentionally or unintentionally allows access into your computer without a password, your computer can be compromised. If the front door on your house has the best security mechanisms in place but you leave the window unlocked, your house can be compromised. This illustrates how important it is to have security bulletins to inform you that certain services may be vulnerable and reminders not to leave certain services open. This example also shows that applying all updates are also important. It also shows the importance of using shielding technology (such as a firewall) while accessing a network. Every way into your computer should have so restricted and logged process to go though (like a firewall and anti-phishing "scam" filters) as well as a series of mechanisms to check for compromise (such as files integrity tools and scanners).

Even the most securely designed system can have an implementation flaw which could lead to a vulnerability and an exploit. If the problem is known and fixed, you are again protected. If an exploit is NOT known by many, and is NOT fixed, you can have a vulnerability and not even know. This is the importance of having "White Hat" hackers and crackers on your side. They continuously try to find weaknesses and create fixes for them.

If you are sitting in your house and looking at private data, but someone has installed a camera behind you without your knowledge (ala spyware), your financial data can be compromised as you work with it at your desk. This is the same for your computing environment. If someone installs spyware on your system this would be similar to the camera in the example above. This highlights the need for detection technologies such as virus scanners and spyware scanners.

You may very well, read an email, open the attachment from a known person who is sending something you requested, and inadvertently compromise your own system from a virus that is embedded within the message unbeknownst to them. This highlights the need for detection technologies such as virus scanners and spyware scanners.

You may go to a search engine looking for information, click on a website link, and embedded in a PICTURE is malicious code that can execute on your system using an exploit within a graphics library vulnerability! This highlights the need for updating G.A.L. as to supply you with the latest available packages.

You may download and install a proprietary or closed source software package. The problem with doing so is that you have NO idea what is included within that software. You have to trust the people who create the software not to do evil things. You also may have to trust the "packagers" of the software not to bundle in some hidden "ugly" that can also be used for evil deeds. For the truly paranoid, G.A.L. provides access to ALL software source code and tools to build, bundle and install every module.

Back to Top

Is encryption breakable?

Yes. All encryption theoretically is breakable. Some have no known weaknesses and must be "brute force attacked" to achieve compromise. The important thing to remember is that many algorithms take an extremely long time to compromise (thousands, millions, billions, trillions of years). For instance, if an algorithm will take 1000 years to compromise using estimated speeds of technology 100 years from now, you can feel comfortable knowing that your bank pin number information will be of no use, by the time the encryption on the file that stores your pin number is cracked. In otherwords it would be 1100 years before your information is viewable. If a weakness is found in an encryption algorithm you are using, immediately copy your data from the weak encryption used to a container with a known strong encryption.

Relative Strength Comparisons of Encryption Algorithms [http://security.resist.ca/crypt.shtml]

SSL [Quoted from the online report "Securing Your Web Site for Business" available from http://www.verisign.com]

According to VeriSign, one of the leading issuers of digital certificates, "128-bit SSL encryption has never been broken: according to RSA Labs, it would take two trillion years to crack using today's technology."

Advanced Encryption Standard [http://csrc.nist.gov/CryptoToolkit/aes/aesfact.html]

Assuming that one could build a machine that could recover a DES key in a second (i.e., try 2⁵⁵ keys per second), then it would take that machine approximately 149 thousand-billion (149 trillion) years to crack a 128-bit AES key. To put that into perspective, the universe is believed to be less than 20 billion years old.

Back to Top

Do spyware, rootkits, key loggers, and hypervisors pose a threat to G.A.L.?

Any software that can monitor your activity that is installed under G.A.L. is to be AVOIDED! That is why we insist on open source software and frequent security updates. It is ALWAYS a good idea to check the security bulletins for issues related to G.A.L.

There is no known spyware that installs under G.A.L. on the sly but that can always change. If you install a package that performs spying and key logging, this will compromise your privacy. If you "invite" a closed source application into your work environment, the potential for compromise increases. There has been at least one company that offer services such as a search tool bar for your browser (under MS Windows but NOT G.A.L.), that when installed TAKES YOUR OUTLOOK ADDRESS BOOK, SENDS IT TO SPONSERING COMPANY AND THEY PUT THE DATA INTO A DATABASE- WHICH THEY SELL! This is BAD BAD BAD EVIL BAD!!! Education and notification are extremely important tools that help lessen privacy compromise in these instances. Be warned, if you install products in your work environment that are not certified, problems like this can occur. The importance of encryption is shown here since the privacy compromise would have not been an issue if the address book was encrypted.

Key loggers and hypervisors that are (in particular hardware based) pose a very serious threats to your work environment. Since G.A.L. is self contained, software key loggers are not much of a threat. If you use your own portable keyboard, the hardware key logger threat is almost non-existent. Also, included with G.A.L. is an on screen virtual keyboard that is not vulnerable to a hardware key logger.

Hardware hypervisors that install on a computer before an operating system installs, pose a tremendous threat to privacy. A known Hypervisor exploit called Blue Pill, developed by Joanna Rutkowska, shows the gravity of such an exploit. Currently, there are some interesting discussions about what is called Level 1 Blue Pill exploits. Of grave concern is Blue Pill Level 2 exploits. Level 2 exploits won't be possible until technologies such as the AMD-backed IOMMU standard or Intel VT-d I/O virtualization become common sometime in 2007 or later and it will also require the support of nested paging. AVOID RUNNING ON THESE PLATFORMS. Such platforms include AMD SVM/Pacifica enabled CPUs such as all AMD AM2 desktop or revision F server socket based CPUs. In Rutkowska's presentation on Blue Pill she states, "I would like to make it clear, that the Blue Pill technology does not rely on any bug of the underlying operating system. I have implemented a working prototype for Vista x64, but I see no reasons why it should not be possible to port it to other operating systems, like Linux or BSD which can be run on x64 platform."

Blue Pill Reference: http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2006/06/introducing-blue-pill.html

Back to Top

Why do I need to save my computer files in an Crypto-Vault somewhere if my files are already available on my Computer? ***COMING SOON***

Your computer data is susceptible to harm from many different sources- accidental file deletion, hardware failure, crashes, natural disasters, fires, theft, viruses, even simple computer maintenance. Files that you want to keep safe, such as legal documents, tax information, financial information, school work, address book information, pictures, etc. you should duplicate them in a separate secured location. Crypto-Vault is the digital equivalent to a bank's safety deposit box. Lessons from the disaster at New Orleans shows that an alternate location for information is always a good idea because not only can something happen to your computer but the entire area where you live can be destroyed. For protection against permanent data loss, every computer user needs to have a back up of their files. Backing up to a CDRom or Tape is great, but if the building in which the CD or tape is stored is destroyed, the precautions you painstakingly took are for naught. By using a Crypto-Vault, you can have better peace of mind, knowing your important data is protected in a highly available redundant data center. As an added feature, you can set G.A.L. up to do this automatically.

For protection against permanent loss, everyone needs to have an off-site backup. You can set G.A.L. up to do this automatically.

Back to Top

What is the difference between currently available backup software solutions and and G.A.L. Crypto-Vault's solution?

*** This is a future service... required is a crypto-key such as RSA's security token. ***

What makes Silicon-Safari's file storage service better than many companies that offer file storage is that we treat your data as safe and secure financial institutions keep money and safety deposit box contents. As with highly secure safety deposit boxes, you need a key and a password to gain access to your SSI Crypto-Vault. We store your data at multiple highly available secure data center facilities to protect your data with the highest level of protection. You have end-to-end protection when using G.A.L. Your data is encrypted on the local computer, the connection to the facility is encrypted, and the disk storage that the data is being saved on is encrypted. Even Silicon Safari employees cannot see your data since they do not have the key AND the password to unlock the encrypted files.

*** Using G.A.L. to make sure your files are frequently backed up to your Crypto-Vault is an excellent way to protect your files. Feel safe knowing that our Crypto-Vault technology is one of the safest places that you can store your data. ***

Back to Top

What happens if I lose my G.A.L. flash drive?

If you lose your G.A.L. flash drive and you have saved all your data to the Crypto-Containers, you should not worry about data compromise. Your data is protected with Military Level encryption.

If you have recently synchronized your data to your Crypto-Vault (*coming soon*) then you have the data up to then available to you. You can purchase another Flash Drive and using the Emergency recovery CD's, build a new G.A.L. Key. After synchronizing from your Crypto-Vault, you are back to where you were when you last saved your data. You are back in action!

*If you lose your Safari Authentication Token, you will need to use your backup Safari Authentication Token which you have kept at a local bank's safety deposit box. If you have lost all your Safari Authentication Tokens, you will need to contact us to furnish you with another Safari Authentication Token and help you access your Crypto-Vault as to recover your data.

When using G.A.L.'s protective technologies, you are secure.

Back to Top