A bit late, and not quite what you asked for but : >From Paul Grosse of the PCPlus magazine helpdesk staff and refers to an item in the the current (UK Feb 2006) issue:
Once you've set it up on your own PC, the security is all internal to the USB plugin device.... And the next version should not be limited to XP. > If you look on page 121 (the HelpDesk Section of issue 239 - the image is > actual size), there is a fingerprint protected USB device there > (technoimagia's itube) that only needs a machine running Windows XP for the > enrolment process. The enrolment program runs of a CD and does not need > installing. > > For everyday use (authentication), you don't need the enrolment program at > all. Just plug the device into a PC (this PC doesn't have to have anything to > do with the one that was used for the enrolment process), put your thumb on > the device and when recognised, it allows access to the data on the drive. > The enrolment program is not used for this to happen. No data about who is > allowed access or any details passes down the USB cable - it is all done > onboard the itube. > > Like any security device, there are pros and cons - also, you need to make > sure that you are not compromising the user by having valuable data on the > drive. I've been in security for years and have been following the > development of biomentrics for around a decade and have heard many stories - > I've even lectured on biometrics. > > If you look at the HelpDesk section on this month's SuperDisc, you will see a > section (around half way through) called 'Testing Fingerprint Devices'. > There, you can see a couple of security-specific tests that I did (these are > different to the usual data read/write tests as these require knowledge of > the specific devices and user/abuse habits/capabilities). Any system can > suffer from these so you have to weigh in the risks and educate users so that > they do not allow these exploits to be used if that is possible. > > Also, systems are improving as people test these out. It used to be the case > that if you had a finger print device and you authenticated yourself with it, > you could leave a fingerprint on the sensor. Then, if you breathed on the > sensor, there was enough moisture collected by the remaining print to > convince the sensor that the enrollee had authenticate themselves again - the > itube doesn't suffer from this. Whilst the manufacturers have adjusted their > software to eliminate this hack (just making it look for a moving print - a > real finger moves unlike a breathed on print), it is wise to make sure that > users know to smudge their print as they move their finger off the sensor. > > -- > Regards, > > > Paul Grosse ----- Original Message ----- From: "EL Doctorow" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 3:34 PM Subject: How To Pass Lock A Thumb/ Key Flash Drive > I use a small USB drive at a public library and yesterday I forgot it for > about 10 minutes and left it in the port after I logged out and was just > about out the door. What is the best app to lock or password protect this > drive so that the info on the drive is rendered useless without the password > and the only recourse for someone who might take it is to format it. For > that matter I suppose if someone was to format it then some kind of data > recovery might pull something off the drive but I am not going to worry > about that for the time being : ) TIA. > > -- > ---------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Is your picture included in the Official Win-Home List Members Profiles Page? > http://www.besteffort.com/winhome/Profiles.html > If not, write to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -- ---------------------------------------- To Change your email Address for this list, send the following message: CHANGE WIN-HOME your_old_address your_new_address to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Note carefully that both old and new addresses are required.
