How can I secure my OmniFocus data?
 

I'm guessing I'm not the only one concerned about this. It would give me some peace of mind to know that I'm not leaving my OmniFocus database there for someone else to find after I had left the company.

Especially the projects entitled "JOB HUNT," "HOW NOT TO RUN A COMPANY" and more.

Thoughts?

[quote]Thoughts?[/quote]

Not to sound flippant, but my thoughts are to never have that type of information on your employer's computer to begin with. Doing so will just increase the odds that you will be leaving on your employer's terms instead of on your own terms. Then again, if you are asked to leave does it really matter that anyone there knows you were job hunting or that you disagree with how they run the company?

Hmm...that wasn't very helpful Greg, but thanks for being my moral/professional cop.

I was being a bit facetious with my project examples. I don't have actual projects with those names on my computer, but I DO have a single OmniFocus database that I sync with my home Mac. I'd like to be able to keep my OmniFocus database singular and not have a separate one for each locale.

So...does anybody else have some relevant thoughts to managing the software? Is anybody else using ONE OmniFocus database for ALL contexts of their lives, and working for a company that is laying people off due to the economy? And so being, a bit concerned about how to prepare for the worst?

Well, I wasn't being a moral/professional cop, but rather attempting to inject some common sense into the discussion. Sorry that is something that is not helpful to you. It makes it more clear why you feel the need to ask your question in the first place.

Speaking specifically about your question, I have my doubts that you will get any help here on how to remotely delete the database from a company's system after you have lost your job. Discussions on how to hack a corporate client's system to delete data is usually discouraged on a software publisher's public discussion forum, and I'd expect that the Omni forum will be no different in that respect.

Wouldn't turning on FileVault effectively secure your data from any prying eyes? Or simply sync and delete your database before going home...

Greg...

I don't want to argue with you. But you're again, steering this legitimate question I've raised in a direction that not only leaves my concern unaddressed, but suggests it SHOULDN'T be addressed in this forum.

And I just don't see it that way, because Ken and company at OmniGroup have DESIGNED OmniFocus's synching features so that you WOULD be using it between multiple Apple devices you use, regardless of ownership. Seriously..."ownership" of the device that HAS to be a moot point in this day and age when it comes to (at least some of) the files residing locally on that machine.

I'm NOT asking for HOW to hack into my employer's network. I'm asking for a KILL SWITCH so that I can UNLINK the computer I no longer have access to.

Let me reframe it this way:

What if my MacBook was stolen? Among many other things in my user folder I'd want to delete, at LEAST through the wonders of WebDAV and the other synching technologies folded into OmniFocus, shouldn't I be able to UNPLUG the database on the distant computer to keep my privacy?

I use OmniFocus (which I paid for out of pocket) to manage my projects, GTD style, regardless of whether I'm "at the office" or on my own time. I don't silo my information, nor does anyone else practicing GTD. I'm GOING to have my work projects and my home projects in the same OmniFocus database which resides in ~/Library/Application Support.

I need to be able to pull the plug on that database, or I need to move it to my DropBox or elsewhere.

Is that a less reprehensible way to ask for the SAME outcome?

Anyone besides Greg have some insight or opinions on this?

obviously you will also also change the MobileMe pw when you get shown the door...

[QUOTE=enentrup;58164]
I'm NOT asking for HOW to hack into my employer's network. I'm asking for a KILL SWITCH so that I can UNLINK the computer I no longer have access to.
[/QUOTE]

Unlinking from the computer that you no longer have access to is understandable, and I can certainly appreciate why you would want to know how you might be able to do that. The title of this thread asks something entirely different-'What if you lose your job and need to remotely delete the OmniFocus Database?' That says to the casual reader that you are seeking a means to hack into the computer that you no longer have access to and delete the database. I hope you can understand how that might be interpreted as a question that might be inappropriate here. Good luck with a resolution to your question.

I'm not an expert on syncing, so I don't know if there's a way to remotely delete data. I expect that "Unregistering" a client, or changing a password for the WebDAV server would only mean that the remote copy of OmniFocus would be unable to [I]continue[/I] to sync. The local copy of the database and software would still be there. Can you force a sync on your remote computer? (Showing my ignorance.) If you could, then you might backup your database, clear it, sync the remote computer (so the database would be empty), and then Unregister the remote computer. Then restore the database on your own Mac to the backup....

The best thing that I can think of to protect your data is encryption. (I [I]do[/I] have experience with this - company policy, in case of theft, snoopy people, etc.) If you do have FileVault enabled at work, then all of the data in your home folder would be encrypted, and therefore inaccessible. If you don't like FileVault (wouldn't blame you!), or aren't allowed to use it on office computers, or are concerned that people may try to exploit FileVault's vulnerabilities to access your OmniFocus database, could you put your database in an encrypted disk image? Just don't put the password in your keychain.

Another possibility - has anyone been running OmniFocus with their data on a flash drive?

And another question: If this is about laying people off because of the economy, is your employer so mean-spirited as to say "Leave right now and never come back", or might they give people a little bit of time to collect personal items (your Starbucks Amsterdam mug) and personal data (your OmniFocus database) before going? Perhaps you should start making an OmniFocus project that will remind you of all the details you need to take care of at the office in the event of being laid off.

[QUOTE=Hope;58170]I'm not an expert on syncing, so I don't know if there's a way to remotely delete data. I expect that "Unregistering" a client, or changing a password for the WebDAV server would only mean that the remote copy of OmniFocus would be unable to [I]continue[/I] to sync. The local copy of the database and software would still be there. Can you force a sync on your remote computer? (Showing my ignorance.) If you could, then you might backup your database, clear it, sync the remote computer (so the database would be empty), and then Unregister the remote computer. Then restore the database on your own Mac to the backup....
[/quote]
Yes, if you could be sure that OmniFocus was going to run on your former work machine for a few hours, you could zap your database (after backing it up) so that it reverted to the default "welcome to OmniFocus" version and hope it gets synced over. The problem is that I think OmniFocus would detect that the two are no longer related and toss up the "uh oh, what should I do?" dialog instead of overwriting the work copy, so you would want to erase the data by actually deleting the sensitive information from the database instead of deleting the database. Even then, you are gambling that it will get a chance to sync. That's the problem with any sort of remote deletion scheme -- you don't know that it will ever get a chance to do its work. Better to keep the data off the disk entirely, or encrypted.
[quote]

The best thing that I can think of to protect your data is encryption. (I [I]do[/I] have experience with this - company policy, in case of theft, snoopy people, etc.) If you do have FileVault enabled at work, then all of the data in your home folder would be encrypted, and therefore inaccessible. If you don't like FileVault (wouldn't blame you!), or aren't allowed to use it on office computers, or are concerned that people may try to exploit FileVault's vulnerabilities to access your OmniFocus database, could you put your database in an encrypted disk image? Just don't put the password in your keychain.

Another possibility - has anyone been running OmniFocus with their data on a flash drive?
[/quote]
OmniFocus doesn't really seem to support keeping your only copy of the data externally. It leaves a cached version of the data on your disk so you'd have to make sure that didn't get written out to the local disk, not to mention any backup files it makes. If you really don't want your employer to have access to that data after you leave (or while you are there!) encrypting your home directory or not using their hardware to run OmniFocus are your best bets (the latter would be my choice). Or run a separate OmniFocus database at work and keep your personal stuff out of it. You could always take a copy of it home and shift any items you want to work from home into it, just don't pollute the work database with your personal stuff.

[QUOTE=enentrup;58164]I'm NOT asking for HOW to hack into my employer's network. I'm asking for a KILL SWITCH so that I can UNLINK the computer I no longer have access to.[/QUOTE]

There is no kill switch in OmniFocus; storing your data on an encrypted disk image is your best bet. You can either do this by turning on FileVault for your account (as others have suggested), or by creating an encrypted disk image and putting your data there. (If you need assistance relocating your database to an encrypted disk image, our OmniFocus support ninjas can help.)

Ken the man!
 

Ken...

Thanks for your response about the encrypted disk image. Can that be done in conjunction with Dropbox?

I don't have any direct experience with Dropbox, but disk images are a pretty standard file type on OS X. I'd be surprised if they couldn't handle it.

[QUOTE=Uzziah;59023]Thanks for your response about the encrypted disk image. Can that be done in conjunction with Dropbox?[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure I understand… What exactly are you doing with Dropbox? (If you're using it to sync your OmniFocus database, that might confuse the built-in sync capabilities of OmniFocus itself.)

@Ken...

I use Dropbox for other files I want synched (it replaced my iDisk usage and therefore .Mac/MobileMe subscription).

But instead of storing files just inside of the default Dropbox folder, I use encrypted disk images at the toplevel of Dropbox. So, I feel secure with regards to those files.

I was curious if I could move my OmniFocus database to Dropbox. But it sounds like that wouldn't work.

Can I ask for instructions for setting up my OmniFocus database in an encrypted disk image (wherever you suggest I do it)?

[QUOTE=Uzziah;58113]I'm guessing I'm not the only one concerned about this. It would give me some peace of mind to know that I'm not leaving my OmniFocus database there for someone else to find after I had left the company.

Especially the projects entitled "JOB HUNT," "HOW NOT TO RUN A COMPANY" and more.

Thoughts?[/QUOTE]

It doesn't make sense to have "Remote Zap" functionality unique to OmniFocus. Because, at that point, you'd need the same functionality for _every_ application that you could put data in, if you raised the same concerns (Word, Excel, Pages, Numbers, etc.).

If the concern is data security, you should use encryption software. Mac OS X has Filevault built in. At that point, if you lose access to the machine, so long as nobody has your password, they can't get to your data. Note, if you leave on bad terms (i.e. you're fired) then you can get away with this -- if they ask for your password you can refuse to provide it, but rarely do people who get caught in these types of situations move onward and upward in the business world.

In the case of an amicable departure, it sure is a good idea to delete/remove _all_ personal data from the machine before you give notice.

But in general, this is not an Omni problem to solve. There are tools like Filevault (or Encrypted Disk Images, which is the OS X technology on which Filevault is built) which will do a great job here. It's a good idea to use Filevault on _any_ portable machines that contain sensitive data, and then to require a password to unlock the machine from sleep or screen saver. That way, your data is pretty much completely safe if a laptop is lost, stolen, or "repoed" by an employer who fires you.

[QUOTE=Ken Case;58189]There is no kill switch in OmniFocus; storing your data on an encrypted disk image is your best bet. You can either do this by turning on FileVault for your account (as others have suggested), or by creating an encrypted disk image and putting your data there. (If you need assistance relocating your database to an encrypted disk image, our OmniFocus support ninjas can help.)[/QUOTE]

Ken,

I know that as of OF 1.1, that the OF data file must live in ~/Library/Application Support/OmniFocus.

Is it possible to actually put the data file in a mounted disk image, and then symlink from the standard location to the disk image? I can think of many ways this would be fragile and a bad idea, but I'm curious. Still, I'd recommend Filevault instead as it would work here in a supported way.

[QUOTE=CatOne;59781]Is it possible to actually put the data file in a mounted disk image, and then symlink from the standard location to the disk image?[/QUOTE]

Yes, it is. (You'll need to make sure the disk image is mounted before you start OmniFocus: because it's a symlink and not an alias, it won't mount automatically when referenced.)

[QUOTE=Ken Case;59782]Yes, it is. (You'll need to make sure the disk image is mounted before you start OmniFocus: because it's a symlink and not an alias, it won't mount automatically when referenced.)[/QUOTE]
Wouldn't one also want to arrange for the contents of ~/Library/Caches/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus to be securely stored?

Yes, I believe you'd also want to move/symlink that directory as well.

(also, renaming thread to reflect new goal.)

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;59786]Wouldn't one also want to arrange for the contents of ~/Library/Caches/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus to be securely stored?[/QUOTE]

Yes. Also ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus.

(And if you're syncing with iCal, you'd need to consider where iCal stores its data, too—as CatOne suggested, turning on FileVault is probably the easiest solution.)

I would appreciate it if one of the Omni guys could lay out where OF's files are stored and what is the best way to "move" them (i.e. do a symlink or otherwise).

This way those of us who want an extra layer of security can put the OF database in a password-protected disk image, encrypted filesystem (MacFUSE with EncFS works wonders), etc.

I know that FileVault is an option, but frankly I wouldn't be able to get a single night of sleep if I got back to using it again. I have been bitten by it once and simply cannot trust it anymore.

Thanks again

[QUOTE=vano;64016]I would appreciate it if one of the Omni guys could lay out where OF's files are stored and what is the best way to "move" them (i.e. do a symlink or otherwise).

This way those of us who want an extra layer of security can put the OF database in a password-protected disk image, encrypted filesystem (MacFUSE with EncFS works wonders), etc.

I know that FileVault is an option, but frankly I wouldn't be able to get a single night of sleep if I got back to using it again. I have been bitten by it once and simply cannot trust it anymore.

Thanks again[/QUOTE]

You do know, of course, that FileVault uses encrypted disk images for encryption. The very same type of encrypted disk images that you would be creating and symlinking to :)

CatOne, while that is true it is far easier to regularly back up a relatively small disk image of a few MB than it is a multi-GB filevault sparseimage - recovery is a little bit easier that way, should anything go wrong. ;)

vano, assuming you are using the default settings, your OmniFocus files are going to be in:

1. [B]~/Library/Application Support/OmniFocus[/B]
2. [B]~/Library/Preferences/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus.plist[/B]
3. Wherever your Backup location is set in the [I]OmniFocus>Data[/I] preferences (I think I changed mine to ~/Documents/OmniFocus Backups so I can't say what the default is for that - you could make that a folder on an encrypted disk image very easily, so long as you have it open before launching OmniFocus).
4. If you are synching to a WebDAV server, wherever the database is located in the [I]OmniFocus>Sync[/I] preferences.

Fwiw, for anyone who doesn't know it already, you can have encrypted disk images open automatically upon log-in by adding them to the list of [B]Login Items[/B] in your account under [B]System Preferences>Accounts[/B].

JKT, there are also some cache files that need to be secured (see Ken's response to my post a few up in the thread). You need to encrypt your virtual memory, too.

[QUOTE=JKT;64127]vano, assuming you are using the default settings, your OmniFocus files are going to be in:

1. [B]~/Library/Application Support/OmniFocus[/B]
2. [B]~/Library/Preferences/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus.plist[/B]
3. Wherever your Backup location is set in the [I]OmniFocus>Data[/I] preferences (I think I changed mine to ~/Documents/OmniFocus Backups so I can't say what the default is for that - you could make that a folder on an encrypted disk image very easily, so long as you have it open before launching OmniFocus).
4. If you are synching to a WebDAV server, wherever the database is located in the [I]OmniFocus>Sync[/I] preferences.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info, so I guess the idea is to symlink (in the case of 1 for example, it would be symlinking the whole OmniFocus dir to the encrypted fs) correct? I guess there is no better way, right?

Regarding FileVault, the problem is that if it gets corrupted (and it [B]does[/B] get corrupted when you run low on disk space, when going into standby goes wrong or etc.) you are pretty much out of luck. It has bitten me twice already. Also if it matters, FileVault uses sparse bundles, which is not the same as a disk image.

Anyhow I am interested in putting this inside an encrypted filesystem (MacFUSE with EncFS).

[QUOTE=vano;64163]Also if it matters, FileVault uses sparse bundles, which is not the same as a disk image.[/QUOTE]

Actually, sparse bundles are a [I]type[/I] of disk image. And, as with other types of image formats, sparse bundle disk images can be created with Apple's Disk Utility. All my read/write disk images are sparse bundles these days.

-Dennis

[QUOTE=vano;64163]Thanks for the info, so I guess the idea is to symlink (in the case of 1 for example, it would be symlinking the whole OmniFocus dir to the encrypted fs) correct? I guess there is no better way, right?

Regarding FileVault, the problem is that if it gets corrupted (and it [B]does[/B] get corrupted when you run low on disk space, when going into standby goes wrong or etc.) you are pretty much out of luck. It has bitten me twice already. Also if it matters, FileVault uses sparse bundles, which is not the same as a disk image.

Anyhow I am interested in putting this inside an encrypted filesystem (MacFUSE with EncFS).[/QUOTE]

You've had recent corruption issues with FileVault? I really know of few, if any, with 10.5. 10.5 uses Sparse Bundles, which are much more resilient than Sparse Images. Also, in the cases where I _have_ seen corruption (with Sparse Images and 10.4), DiskWarrior was able to repair them (thankfully).

Note a SparseBundle _is_ a disk image. It is one type of image.

The disadvantage of alternative file systems shimmed in via MacFUSE is that MacFUSE is a kernel extension, and there's no knowing whether it will work across OS upgrades. I'm sure, given time and testing, it will, but I don't personally like that kind of shim as they tend to delay my OS adoption curve, and I'm a bleeding edger :)

And if disk images doesn't quite do it for ya, there's always partial encryption of the content. I found myself in a situation where I only wanted partial encryption of data in OmniFocus so I implemented an AppleScript solution.

If it's of any use to you, you're welcome to use it.

[URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?p=102172#post102172"]http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?p=102172#post102172[/URL]

[QUOTE=omniinmo;102639]And if disk images doesn't quite do it for ya, there's always partial encryption of the content. I found myself in a situation where I only wanted partial encryption of data in OmniFocus so I implemented an AppleScript solution.

If it's of any use to you, you're welcome to use it.

[URL="http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?p=102172#post102172"]http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?p=102172#post102172[/URL][/QUOTE]

Hmmm… with OS X Lion having full disk encryption as standard functionality, I'd posit that's a much better way to go, now that you've revived a thread that's been dead for 2 years ;-)

[QUOTE=CatOne;102641]Hmmm… with OS X Lion having full disk encryption as standard functionality, I'd posit that's a much better way to go, now that you've revived a thread that's been dead for 2 years ;-)[/QUOTE]

Full disk encryption doesn't do anything for your iPod (which I sync to) :).

Full disk encryption is only part of securing your data and I do have my OmniFocus DB on an enrypted image that opens up on login. I also made sure to kill the location where OmniFocus performs it's automatic backups and I have procedures in place to ensure that I don't sync plaintext data because my webdav server stores an unencrypted version of the OmniFocus DB (to be fixed eventually) and I also make sure that I don't accidentally have Time Machine run a backup while I'm working with plaintext that should otherwise be encrypted.

Not to mention, since you can only have one OmniFocus DB sync to your iPod or iPhone at a time and if you don't want to use a different scheme to track your projects and next actions, then you require partial encryption mostly to have your projects still be in OmniFocus all the while not being available for the whole world to see on your iPod or even on your computer (either accidentally or intentionally via theft, hack, shoulder-surfing, etc.). The partial encryption performed via the script solves the problem and lets you work your projects and tasks when it's secure whereas full disk encryption simply doesn't address the problem all the while doing so on the wrong device :).

There is a downside in that you can't get access to your encrypted data easily on your iPod (I may fix this someday) but I'm okay living with that and only handling the more sensitive items on my computer.

Omniinmo