Features

Maintaining the security of an organization's laptops and desktops is never an easy task, with many a sleepless night worrying if all devices that come into contact with the enterprise are secured against theft and compromised data. Managing all this can be an overwhelming task.
GlobalAdmin is a management application that is used in conjunction with GTGI's other products, CryptCard and CompuSec. Our review kit came ready prepared on a Dell Optiplex GX400 PC running Windows 2000. We just had to plug in the relevant devices for reading smartcards.

Because it can circumvent many existing content-management solutions, instant messaging (IM) is causing security concerns among IT managers, which often leads them to ban its use altogether.
However, IM can have business benefits if used responsibly, because it offers instantaneous communication and immediately indicates whether colleagues are online. What is needed is a way of allowing the use of IM, while controlling it and enforcing rules on employees.

This is one product that has been on the computer security scene for quite some time and Control Break International has continued to develop its solutions over the years, despite many of its earlier competitors falling by the wayside.

Softwin's BitDefender looks and feels rather like an old-school anti-virus product, but its performance belies its exterior. The product integrates with Microsoft's VS-API for Exchange. Installing it required a restart.

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.

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.

Adhaero Doc is not a general-purpose encryption product, but it uses encryption technology to secure Microsoft Office files throughout their lifecycle. It also integrates with Microsoft Outlook to provide the same protection to emails. It is best described as a digital rights management product.

Dekart Security Suite comprises four separate applications that support all 32-bit versions of Windows and share the same two-factor authentication feature, which uses a PIN code and a USB token or smart card. You can use most third-party tokens and smart cards. Additionally, most types of Bio API and HA API compatible biometric verification devices are supported.

DESlock+ is designed to encrypt files, folders, email messages and email attachments. It uses a choice of 112-bit 3DES, 128-bit Blowfish or 128-bit AES encryption algorithms and works with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP.

Encryption Plus Hard Disk encrypts entire hard disks or selected partitions. Encryption of the OS files is optional. It also offers pre-boot authentication whether or not the operating system files are encrypted.

FileAssurity Open PGP is designed to be a low-cost alternative to PGP, while retaining full compatibility with PGP. With it, you can generate, import and export X.509 and PGP keys and it also supports encryption/decryption and digital signing/verifying of standard PGP files. Files or folders may be encrypted for storage or transmission by email. Bulk data encryption is carried out using 256-bit AES, with public-key-based Diffie-Hellman being used for session key exchange. RSA and DSS are used for digital signatures. Another feature is secure deletion according to U.S. government DOD 5220.22M. All 32-bit Windows platforms are supported.

RSA SureFile combines RSA's encryption technology alongside PKWARE's PKZIP to create an encryption product that also compresses files and folders to save space and bandwidth. Because encrypted files are generally fairly random looking, they are incompressible by hardware that may be part of a bandwidth-saving infrastructure. So, it is better to compress files before encryption, or optimize both processes within one product as RSA Security has done.

SecureDoc is a disk encryption product that codes the entire hard disk, including operating system files and boot sector. Therefore it provides authentication of the user before the computer even boots up. It can also be used to encrypt all types of removable drives and media, including Flash cards. Although it can be installed in a password-only single-user environment, it provides an upgrade path to full enterprise-wide PKI and two- and three-factor authentication, integrating with third-party tokens.

Transporting a laptop in a vehicle, it is often too easy to become careless and leave it in full view, inviting a smashed window, loss of expensive equipment and possibly months of work. There is no guarantee that thieves will not break into your car, so a mobile safe is a good investment.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.