We argue that designing a system that “guarantees” the privacy of its information may not be enough. One must also consider the price for providing that protection: For example, is the information preserved adequately? Does the system perform well? We illustrate this point by presenting the concept of a configuration that can capture the security, longevity and performance aspects of managing information. Configurations can be useful for describing the policies used to safeguard information, as well as in selecting the right mix of security, longevity and performance levels. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.2.7 [Database Management]: Database Administration—Security, Integrity, Protection C.4 [Performance of Systems]: Reliability, Availability and Serviceability General Terms Design, Reliability, Security, Performance Keywords configurations, implementability, secret sharing, replication, encryption