BIOS: Technology Means Business

The explosion in low-cost, portable storage devices is revealing dangerous flaws in security policies leaving organisations wide open to the loss of vital corporate information and compliance failure.

Businesses around the globe have invested heavily in security solutions designed to mitigate the threat posed by the Internet, yet they continue to ignore the dangers posed by the surge of low-cost, portable storage devices from the memory stick to iPod. There is growing evidence that employees are using these devices to systematically remove vital business and customer information from the organisation in a way that is completely untraced and untraceable.

They are also bypassing tight e-mail and desktop security solutions by using these devices to share inappropriate material. Add in the dangers posed by introducing viruses via MP3 files and the potential copyright breaches arising from employees sharing music files, and organisations are in serious danger of breaching a multiplicity of regulations.

Of course the easiest way to regain control would be to ban all mobile devices and disable the USB port. But in a commercial environment where remote working has become standard, the ease with which information can be stored, moved or shared via these devices is delivering real productivity benefits. Furthermore, the issue is not just about the mobile device plugged into the USB port. Controlling the printing of sensitive data or use of infrared devices is just as important. Organisations need to take a proactive approach to developing security policies that address not just the use of e-mail and Internet but also mobile devices.

Kingston Technology’s DataTraveler Secure Privacy Edition is a USB Flash drive with a difference: it’s specifically designed to meet enterprise-level security and compliance requirements. This makes it ideal for senior employees who frequently travel with sensitive company information. Slightly larger than a small pack of chewing gum (78x22x12mm), the DataTraveler Secure Privacy Edition looks great too. It sports a titanium-coated stainless steel casing designed to withstand harsh working environments and operating conditions. It is also waterproof - conforming to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards - to protect against water damage to depths of up to four feet (1.22 metres).

The DataTraveler Secure Privacy Edition is the world’s first USB Flash drive that guarantees ‘100 per cent security’ for your data while on the move. Featuring 256-bit hardware-based AES encryption, the drive offers fail-safe security and is the perfect solution for companies looking for an efficient and cost-effective method to secure important data. Equipped with a complex password protocol and a mechanism that locks out would-be hackers and any unauthorised users after 10 consecutive failed password attempts, the DataTraveler Secure Privacy Edition removes the pressure placed on employees to protect their sensitive business information.

Operating the drive is a little more complicated than regular Flash drives because of the built-in security. Although no drivers are required, you do need to have two available drive letters between physical drives (i.e. hard disk drive) and network shares. This is because the DataTraveler Secure Privacy Edition displays in My Computer as two drive letters. The first is assigned to the drive’s launcher application, which is the read-only partition, and the second is the read/write partition where you store your files and folders. Transferring data is a simple case of drag-and-drop, but you do need to log-off from the drive to maintain data integrity (a shortcut icon appears on the Windows Taskbar).

During the initial setup you are also prompted to create a password that must consist of 6 to 16 characters. It must also contain three of the following character types: lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numeric or special character (i.e. ABD$123 or Chris411). After the initial setup is complete, you can login to the drive using this password. However, when the number of incorrect password attempts exceeds a pre-configured value (factory default is 10), the drive will be disabled and must be reformatted to regain operation. All data stored on the drive will therefore be lost, which is great news if the drive gets stolen, but bad news if you get a sudden case of memory loss.

Kingston continues to deliver a wide range of USB Flash drives to protect user data. The DataTraveler Secure Privacy Edition helps ensure data integrity under extreme conditions, without sacrificing performance. With hardware encryption and a complex password protocol the device is currently the most secure USB drive on the market. And with read and write speeds of up to 24MB/s and 10MB/s, respectively, it also offers relatively speedy performance (faster drives are available). Available in storage capacities of up to 4GB (from £31 to £176) and supplied with a 5-year warranty and full customer support, business users should certainly take a look.

[9] - Editors’ Choice

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