[Uzziah]

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?

[Greg Jones]

Thoughts?

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?

[Uzziah]

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?

[Greg Jones]

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.

[whpalmer4]

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

[enentrup]

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?

[whpalmer4]

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

[Greg Jones]

Originally Posted by enentrup

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.

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.

[Hope]

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 continue 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 do 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.

[Ken Case]

Originally Posted by enentrup

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.

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.)