Can you trust a VPS with files you want to control?
is often meant to restore ownership and control of personal data instead of leaving it with large technology companies. A VPS still runs on a computer owned and managed by another company, so it can replace trust in Google with trust in the VPS provider.
built into an app does not remove every risk. A provider administrator can inspect the memory of a running , while a hostile administrator or a hacker who breaches the provider could copy that memory and recover an .
using hardware-protected memory, such as AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX, can reduce this threat. The basic tradeoff is between the operating convenience of a VPS and the risk of trusting an outside provider.
Key points
- A VPS gives its provider some control over the computer holding your data.
- App may not protect keys while the app is running.
- A hostile administrator or successful attacker could copy a 's memory.
- AMD SEV-SNP and Intel TDX can protect running memory with hardware.
- The decision balances VPS convenience against the control offered by a Mac mini at home.