Integrated Security

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

GoToMyPC takes a radically different approach to remote access. Instead of requiring users to dial into the host PC, the host PC maintains a passive out bound only link with GoToMyPC's servers.

Proxy is less of a remote access package and more of a remote support application, but going significantly beyond the feature set of other products.

Originally developed as a freeware project within AT&T, VNC - short for virtual network computing - now has several freeware variants.

RemotelyAnywhere is a relatively late arrival to the remote access software landscape. Despite this, the package is arguably the most complex currently available on the market, offering the IT professional full access to a remote machine's facilities, even allowing a full reboot on the fly.

Timbuktu Pro, which is available in both Mac and Windows, is clearly aimed at Mac users. The PC version, while functionally similar to the Mac edition, appears to be something of an afterthought, since functionality is limited.

Whilst RealVNC is freeware and a very basic remote access package with minimal security, TridiaVNC Pro shows what can be done with open source software.

Boingo uses a similar network aggregation model seen on ISP networks from the likes of iPass and GRIC. But it goes further with its business model, collecting and distributing usage revenues amongst the various network operators whose Wi-Fi hotspots it uses.

Since our last look at this product in June 2002, BT has completed roaming arrangements with several other networks and now has quite a healthy coverage of most major cities in the U.K.

Like the GRIC service reviewed elsewhere, iPass acts an intermediary/facilitator for internet service roaming. Unlike GRIC, which primarily serves consumers, iPass is more tailored for the enterprise.

Like iPass, GRIC is one of the world's two major internet roaming facilitators, with services aimed at both business and consumer users.