Local sync and security

Hello,
I often have to sync files from my iMac and my MacBook Pro. I use local sync and it works pretty well. But I wanted to know if it was secure, or if there is any mean to improve security while syncing.

Thanks. :slightly_smiling_face:

A local sync store or Bonjour?

Oops! I use Bonjour.

I am currently reading the DT manual and was also wondering what is the interest of a sync store on an external drive compared to a copy of the database?

What would be insecure about a local sync, either a sync store or Bonjour? There’s no outside interaction going on. All the data is handled on your local network.

was also wondering what is the interest of a sync store on an external drive compared to a copy of the database?

A sync store is not comparable to a database. A sync store is a repository of sync data about the database and its files. It is not a copy of the database.

I don’t know, that’s why I asked. If my router was hacked?

Yes I know a sync store is not a database, but it also contains all the data from selected databases, right?

If my router was hacked?

I’m not sure why that would be much of a concern but if it happened you’d have more problems than DEVONthink’s syncing. :slight_smile:
You likely have way more traffic via email and web browsing that people would be snooping into.
Also, if you’re using an encryption key for sync, the sync data would be litte use to anyone.

but it also contains all the data from selected databases, right?

Yes, but what is your specific wonder about ?

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Thanks for your detailed answer.

Do you mean using an encrypted database?

I wonder the advantages of it compared to copying a database.

Do you mean using an encrypted database?

Nope.
I mean, if you’re syncing with an encryption key, even if someone got ahold of your sync data it would be gibberish to them. That would apply even if you used a cloud service whom you questioned its security.

I wonder the advantages of it compared to copying a database.

Copying a database to keep machine in sync is possible but it would be highly inefficient.
Using our sync engine is the way to keep the same database on more than one machine.
A local sync store would be useful since you don’t have to have both machines on and running DEVONthink in order to sync with each other. A machine would sync once it’s booted and running DEVONthink with the synced database open.

Thanks. I will try to encrypt syncing.

You’re welcome.

Note: If you’ve already synced to a particular location, you’ll need to clean the sync data from that location before syncing to it again.

In the Sync preferences, Control-click the sync location and choose Clean Location.
After three clean has been reported successfully in Window > Log, Control-click the sync location again and choose Show Info. Enter the encryption key in both fields then click away from the popover when done. Then enable syncing a database to the location.

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