Features

Aladdin's eSafe did well enough and has some features that would be particularly useful during an outbreak, but performance was nothing special. Although eSafe is up to version 4 now, that version is purely appliance-oriented. The last version to support Exchange was 3.5, which the company still sells and supports (for now) despite its focus on moving away from that side of the business towards its Linux-based appliance version.

This software fared well enough in our tests, although some peculiarities raised a few warning signals. It installs easily, with separate AV and Exchange components, and an optional management interface. A reboot is required, after which mail scanning was switched off by default and had to be enabled.

For some time now, the problem for security professionals has not been "do I need AV protection" but more specifically "which one is best for my corporate needs." But with so many other danger areas for security administrators to concentrate on, leading to the provision of intrusion detection systems, intrusion prevention systems, firewalls and virtual private networks, to name but a few, it is crucial to make the right decision when they have a large array of other security solutions already running.
Providing all you need for network screening and stability can be a tall order, so whichever anti-virus solution is relied upon - software- or hardware-based, or a mix of both - it has to be dependable, be able to fully integrate with everything else running on the network, and provide 100 per cent system integrity.

Qualys has provided an automated remote vulnerability testing service for some time. However, a remotely operated service like that is limited in what it can do when it is trying to access your computers through a properly configured firewall. That is not to say it doesn't do a good job of showing up external vulnerabilities, but it can't give a complete vulnerability picture, as it lacks the 'enemy within' perspective. Incidentally, internal risks are not limited to dishonest or malicious employees - it could apply to an innocent user accidentally running a trojan attached to an email, because he is running it inside the firewall perimeter.
What is needed to complete a security audit is a vulnerability assessment carried out from inside the organisation on the corporate intranet to see what vulnerabilities are exposed to internal users who may be a threat. And that's exactly what QualysGuard Enterprise does with its Intranet Scanner option.

As firewalls go, the CyberGuard SL3200 is a monster: a huge, noisy beast with performance that matches its rugged looks. The name denotes its capacity - 3.2 gigabits of total throughput, shared among a maximum of 26 Ethernet ports. Even more notably, it is able to multiplex several interfaces into a small number of very high-capacity pipes, all secured at wire speed.
Designed for high-demand environments, the box has all the HA features you'd expect - hot-swappable fans and power supplies, as well as RAID 5 storage, with an internal layout designed for maximum airflow and heat dissipation. Fail-over between two boxes is available if you have an extended license.

Even the most vigilant among us can still become victims of crime. But if the worst happens and a laptop is stolen, if it is protected and traceable then the stress involved should be much reduced.

PC PhoneHome differs from the other tracking solutions in that it does not require an annual subscription and is totally self sufficient, reporting not to a tracking center but to the laptop owner. This reduces the cost and ensures a user can pass information onto the law enforcement officer as quickly as it is received.

Although it may not be possible to physically stop a theft from occurring, there are ways to track it if the worst happens.

With seven years behind it, Cyber Angel software has developed into a neat little package, which, apart from its tracking capabilities, also offers a CyberAngel Secured Drive. This requires password authentication but, once in, allows the user to keep all confidential data in total privacy in this protected drive. With on-the-fly encryption, the user does not need to worry about any data being revealed if the laptop falls into the wrong hands, using a choice of encryption algorithms to protect it such as Rijndael - AES 128 or 256 bit encryption, Blowfish 128 or 448 bit, Twofish 128 or 256 bit, Triple DES or DES. The virtual drive created by CyberAngel is accessed with the users password and is supported by 32-bit device drivers for fast access with little or no drop in performance.

Having a laptop stolen can be stressful and demoralizing. But for many well-prepared, security conscious company executives it needn't be. ComputracePlus is an asset tracking software solution that can help to ease the problems associated with this type of loss, it can put control into the hands of the law enforcement officers that are assigned to your case and aid a swifter recovery. There is a high incidence of internal thefts reported with no way of catching the people responsible. But if employees also know that all equipment owned by their employers is easily traced through a solution such as ComputracePlus, many thefts might not occur.

The thing about carrying data on a small plug-and-play device is that the majority of them are not secure. But, if it comes from the Chrison stable of products, you can be pretty sure it will be.

As with the BioPico, PicoDisk TECH 2 requires no driver installation for Windows 2000, Me or XP and it is only when using Windows 98/SE or Mac operating systems that drivers must be installed from the CD provided.
The TECH 2 is a small USB token similar to the iKey design many people are familiar with and a USB extension cable for those hard to get at USB ports on many PCs.

The smallest Group Test product was the MSX-256 Memory Stick PRO. It comes in a small, neat, case. The documentation was not very helpful and, had we not used this type of hardware before, we may have become stuck, because the case itself was not that easy to open. Apart from this minor setback Memory Stick compatible hardware is also required, whether using a laptop, PC, digital mobile phone or digital camera. That said, a PC card adapter or a USB reader/writer is all that is needed for laptop use and, given the protection that is afforded, it's a small price to pay.

Chrison takes security seriously with three specific portable devices available, all using different technology and design methodology. The BioPico, as its name suggests, is a 128MB biometric USB storage device, small enough to look unimpressive, but big enough to be used safely without being too small.

ABSPlus is probably better know in the backup and recovery market and so it will be little surprise that what we are now looking at is exactly that - and more. It is an ideal storage unit to regularly back up all laptop data. With the software supplied the device becomes the complete backup and restore, disaster recovery solution.

The ability to carry large amounts of data in your pocket could mean the end of the obligatory laptop haul. But as much as it can transform a daily commute without the worry of laptop theft, it can compound other problems.

The tough Notebook Guardian certainly appears sturdy on initial visual contact - from lock to cable. It is made of steel with a strong looking keyed lock function, although PC Guardian does manufacture other locking choices such as the combination version illustrated. The cable is black vinyl coated and blends into the surroundings. We are still waiting for a manufacturer to use Day-Glo colors, which would certainly say "hands off."

The fact remains, like them or loathe them, security cables do serve a purpose, even if only as a deterrent. Of course, any determined thief will make light work of most cables if they are armed with stealth, surprise and a pair of bolt cutters but, without them, hardware is a target for the snatch-and-grab variety.

Cables for laptop security are a good visual deterrent to the opportunist thief, but tests have proven that, with just a little effort and a cutting implement, they are a removable feature.

It is not always practical or even necessary to take a laptop on a trip, so a little more steel is needed to be sure of its safety while it is unguarded. That is a job for CompuClamp. This aptly named solution provides a secure fixing for a laptop rendering it immobile. And it isn't a permanent feature; the clamp can be moved to any office desk, hotel room or wherever it is needed.