Protect data in the portable media

Laptop computer and media storage (drives), which often brought the portable-take to be vulnerable to the possibility of lost or stolen. When the case, the data stored inside of course, also brought by the thief or fall into the hands of other parties. The data itself may have been in the back-up, but the value of the information certainly be considered apart especially when the data is personal, important or sensitive, which may only be able to give a bad impact for the owner.

The results of the survey Computer Security Institute in the U.S., that many practitioners of computer security experience loss / theft of the laptop / portable drives. And it is only 2 / 3 of its use cryptography to provide protection to the data inside.

When the computer security practitioners only rarely to protect the data with cryptography, let alone the general public other computer users. Why? For security to protect data in the IT system is the inconvenience own. For example, the user forget the password / passphrase, he will potentially lose the data forever. And usually cryptographic programs, either software or hardware will slow computer performance, even though the product's hardware / software cryptographic period has now been made more simple, easy to install and more user-friendly.

Protect information with cryptography

While this latest portable drives more and more, with a program to encode (encryption) data. There are a form of add-on programs such as Cryptainer PE, Migo Portable Vault or TrueCrypt.

The use of these programs is easy. User stay just write the password to access the files or encoded to encode the file. The system will process encode AES algorithm with 256 bits or 448 bits Blowfish. Very easy and cheap throughout the user does not lose his password.

Or can also be used encoding programs that have been built-in Windows, such as EFS in Windows XP and BitLocker in Windows Vista Ultimate. However, throughout the program based only course software, the weakness of the theft of password that is used is very large.

In these weaknesses, many vendors have launched a program encoded in the built-in hardware such as its Apricorn Aegis Vault (80 GB, 250 GB), a usb harddrive with the encoding algorithm and AES 128 bits. Or the SanDisk Cruzer Professional (1 - 4 GB), which provides an additional form of password management. Both the drive is automatically encode data stored in it, so that users do not need to do something with the file.

Both drives also provide facilities for data that does not need to encode (non-secure area) that can be used in general. In addition, the drive does not require the software in your PC so easy for users to carry and use.

Encoding techniques used by the average strength secure not located on the algorithm encoding, but only relied on passwords. So that when users forget the password that is used, then users will lose the data stored inside or if the password is used stolen the other hand, the thief will be able to open all the data stored in the drive.

Answering these weaknesses, some vendors have made the drive with a password and username biometrik that is more secure such as the Apricorn Aegis Bio (80 GB, 250 GB), a portable harddrives that provide facilities to read the fingerprint and encoding techniques (base hardware) 128 bits . Or LaCie SAFE Mobile Harddrive (160 GB), which combines fingerprint access with 128-bit DES. Both have the ability to store the fingerprint for 5 users.

When the program encoded data in the portable drive has been running well and can protect data stored in it when the drive is lost / stolen, the data security threat in the drive does not stop. Other threats have been waiting for.

First, when the drive is execute files into the open that will be a security hole that can be penetrated by malware or hacking to go to the host PC or to another computer that is connected.

Second, the program used the impressions left in the computer can be a door for malware or hacking to go to the host PC or to another computer that is connected.

Overcome these weaknesses, some of the software vendor has launched a virtual-me-I system such as Ceedo Personal, MigoSync Premium or RingCube MojoDrive. This software can minimize its weaknesses as a result of the opening of the files in the drive and the impression that the program be abandoned after use with the drive to limit the application and its settings, and create a virtual environment system that makes the program and data users remain in the drive, not into computers employed .

All claim that the software can automatically remove the impression after the drive to sign-off from the computer. In addition, MigoSync and facilities have MojoDrive encode data stored in the drive. Meanwhile, Ceedo encoding programs require add-on or usb bring Lexar Lightning JumDrive that Ceedo is encoded with the AES algorithm, which is dibundel.

Hardware-based encoding has penetrated to the internal computer harddrives for laptops, such as that issued by Hitachi with TravelStar 7K200, which promote the bulk data encryption and Seagate with the Momentus 5400 FDE.2, a full-disk encryption-harddrives. Both models of hardware-based encoding is special because it can minimize its effect on the slow system.
-antz -

Source: PC World January 2008