News

Linux-on-a-stick gives instant mobile security

by Guy J Kewney | posted on 25 April 2007

What is a "totally secure mobile working environment?" Easy answer: a gigabyte USB memory chip with Trusted Client on it. Stick it into the USB socket, boot from it, and you have a secure environment with no risk of corruption from anything on the hard disk.

The Trusted Client product was released by BeCrypt at InfoSecurity 2007 "and already, we have dozens of ideas from delegates to the show about how they could use it," said CEO Dave Holman at the show in Olympia.

This one, as demonstrated by BeCrypt consultant David Jones [left] runs Linux, allowing the user to access the Web and OpenOffice, plus an VPN services they've set up. But Holman said that every visitor the the show booth seemed to have another idea for the package.

"We aren't selling memory sticks," he said. "We're selling a package of components which software designers can configure according to their purpose. So for example, one idea might be to equip disaster recovery people with such a chip. That would have to have access to the hard disk, which we currently don't do. Or you could use it for doing data recovery from compromised media; again, that would be a different configuration."

Holman suggests that corporate buyers may well use it to guarantee that VPN access from home computers is not at risk from careless browsing by the executive's family.

Some ways that Trusted Client could be used include:

Employees that occasionally work from home – rather than supply an expensive laptop, Trusted Client provides the same security and more, at a fraction of the cost.

Employees that work from client sites – can give presentations at client sites without any effect on the host computer.

Support business continuity – in emergencies, such as failed public transport, ensure that key employees can gain secure access to the corporate network, even from an untrusted machine, like a home PC.

Secure repository – a safe mechanism for storing, transporting and working on sensitive data without the need for installing software for encrypting and decrypting or copying to an untrusted environment.

First responders – access for first responders such as police officers or government officials that need to respond to an event as quickly as possible and need access to online sensitive information resources.

Full details of the Trusted Client announcement are available on the BeCrypt web site. A PDF white paper is available there.