Encryption
”Phoenix Enables Users to Remotely Track, Disable and Erase Data From Fujitsu Drives
Phoenix Technologies has announced that they are currently working with Fujitsu in an effort to bring users equipped with Fujitsu's new full disk encryption (FDE) 2.5" 7200RPM SATA hard disk drive the ability to remotely track, disable and even erase their drive in the event that the laptop is ever stolen. According to Phoenix, their new "FailSafe" technology is "the industry's strongest security method for mobile computing" and their encryption capabilities will "ensure data on the disk drive is inaccessible to unauthorized users." More »
security
Data Encryption Easily Broken Using Keys Hiding In RAM
Scientists at Princeton have discovered a way to grab otherwise-protected data encryption keys from memory on a computer that's just been powered down. This is pretty scary stuff, since the keys—which are well protected when the computer is on—are the one thing that keeps super-tight encryption from cracking.More »
Skype's Encryption May be Used as an Excuse for Trojan Viruses by German Police
Skype's encryption codes are proving a problem for German police, who say that their officers are unable to monitor suspect conversations. One of the country's top cops admitted yesterday that the combination of VoIP technology and Germany's strict anti-surveillance laws — a reaction to the Stasi's exploits during the Cold War — is making it harder to keep tabs on criminal and terrorist activity in the country.More »
Secure IronKey Flash Drive Will Self-Destruct in 3...2...1...
Designed to be the world's most secure flash drive, the IronKey employs military-grade AES hardware-based encryption using its IronKey Cryptochip. The encryption keys are stored on the drive itself and your password is required in conjunction with the keys to access and decrypt files. If you forget your password, you may be in trouble; after ten consecutive failed password attempts, the IronKey self-destructs (internally) and erases everything on the drive using "flash-trash" technology that physically overwrites every byte, making the data completely unrecoverable.
More »
review
Hands-On With Lexar's JumpDrive Secure II Plus with Encryption and Capacity Meter
Lexar's JumpDrive Secure II Plus brings the e-ink capacity meter previously seen in their other drives and the 256-bit AES encryption previously seen in the JumpDrive Secure II. The result? Something pretty convenient and secure, not to mention that it's the cheapest drive they have that has the e-ink capacity display. More »
announcements
XCDs: the New Enemy?
The sneaky folks at Aladdin have filed a patent for a new form of media that marries optical discs with smart cards. The new discs, dubbed XCDs, will look and play like any old DVD/CD, except their outer edge will be cut away and capable of plugging into a USB socket. Aladdin figures they can use this to lock copyrighted content on optical discs so music/video can be stored on the disc while encryption keys will be housed in the embedded chip. How long before this will be hacked? More »
peripherals
Kouwell KW-7292 Fingerprint Disk
Getting paranoid these days? Taiwan's Kouwell offers its KW-7292 fingerprint disk, an external hard drive that won't let you access its data unless you've got the right fingerprint. More »
cell phone
Power User - The Best of Lifehacker
This week at Lifehacker: Build yourself a solar-powered wifi booster for the backyard. Your mousing wrist feeling a little achy? Train yourself to mouse lefty (or righty, lefties.) PayPal your buddy your share of the dinner bill with your cell phone. Add encryption to Gmail and sync your Google calendar with your mobile phone or handheld.
gadgets
The Secure Phone Miser Telephone Conversation Encryption Device
With all that's going on in the world nowadays, you don't to need to be wearing a tinfoil hat to understand that your privacy might not be as private as you would think. Perhaps a phone encryption device might be just what you're looking for? More »
cellphone
Vectrotel X8 Secure Mobile Phone
The feds aren't going to like it when you hook up your Vectrotel X8, a normal-looking GSM cellphone that has some serious 128-bit encryption inside. It has the usual features of a run-of-the-mill handset, such as a Bluetooth and USB connectivity, 1.3-megapixel camera, a 320x240 display, and it works like an everyday cellphone, too. More »
peripherals
LaCie Encrypted Portable Hard Drive
Guess Lacie's getting tired of making silly hard drives. Their new SAFE Mobile Hard Drive has biometric access (fingerprint recognition) that encrypts all the data on it with a 24-character passphrase. You can also set up access for 5 different users with differing levels of read/write permissions. More »
pcs
License to Snoop: British Officials Whinge About Microsoft Vista
Officials in the UK are whining about how hard it will be to snoop on people with the upcoming Microsoft Vista, slated to be released this December. Ross Anderson, an academic type from the University of Cambridge, told members of Parliament that Vista s data encryption would make it difficult to pry into the personal lives of its users. More »
power user








