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Ultimate Mobile Data Security
Perfect for the forgetful secret agent… the memory stick that self-destructs by remote control
A data protection company has come up with the perfect piece of kit for the spy who’s more Johnny English than James Bond.
ExactTrak Ltd has developed a memory stick that can be tracked by GPS if it becomes separated from its owner – and can even be destroyed by remote control.
The memory stick, called Security Guardian, is slightly larger than your garden variety device and includes an encrypted memory chip and a SIM card, which means that it can be tracked by GPS and GSM triangulation.
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Data protection: ExactTrak’s Security Guardian includes a SIM card, so that the memory stick can be tracked if it becomes separated from its owner
If sensitive information is on board the stick when it is misplaced or stolen, the owner has a variety of ways of disabling or destroying information so that it cannot be viewed or shared.
Owners can sign in to their account and block files and information. Alternatively, they can text a specific code to the stick itself, which will disable the device or lock the files within.
And, if all else fails, users can send a high-voltage charge directly into the stick, melting the internal chip and erasing everything contained on it.
Tracking device: The memory stick can be located by GPS and GSM triangulation. But if that’s not good enough, files can be blocked or deleted via remote control
Killer blow: If all else fails, users can send a high-voltage charge directly to the memory stick, frying the internal chip and obliterating all information on it
This killer bolt can be delivered without an internet connection – regardless of whether the device is connected to a computer or not.
The growing interest in data protection follows a number of high-profile cases where sensitive Government information was left on public transport – including a case in 2009 when a Government contractor lost a memory stick containing the information of 84,000 prisoners.
A 2008 report found that more than 3,200 laptops and mobile phones containing sensitive information had been lost or stolen from government departments.
In their sales pitch, ExactTrak claims that 65 per cent of recorded data losses are due to laptops and USB memory devices that go missing
In their sales pitch, ExactTrak claims that 65 per cent of recorded data losses are due to laptops and USB memory devices that go missing.
In a survey by the Ponemon Institute for Intel, 56 per cent of IT managers admitted that they turned off or disable their encryption. A further 35 per cent admitted to sharing passwords with colleagues.
ExactTrak is currently working with Government and corporate clients, developing a range of products that provide mobile data security and asset recovery.
But it’s not reserved for security services, ExactTrak’s website says: ‘Location monitoring and data security services can be delivered either via secure access to our monitoring platform, hosted on the Fujitsu Global Cloud Platform, or can be located within your organisation behind your own firewall.
Security Guardian USB stick can be tracked and remotely deleted
Using a web-based console, administrators can also apply policies to Security Guardian devices used by their staff, and locate them if required using their built-in GPS capability.
However, the GPS does not simply allow lost devices to be tracked, but also enables organisations to set location-specific policies governing their operation.
The memory can be enabled or disabled for specific geographic areas, so a hospital could configure their memory sticks to only work when they are actually on the premises,” said Shaw.
Administrators can also set a policy so that the device will automatically disable its memory if it has been unable to check in with the ExactTrak cloud service for any length of time.
In this state, the data is preserved, but cannot be accessed until the Security Guardian is able to communicate with the management service again. When the memory is disabled, it is electrically isolated from the USB interface, according to ExactTrak.
Unlike many other secure USB Flash drives, Security Guardian devices are not self-encrypting. This is because customers told ExactTrak that they wanted them to function with encryption services they were already using, such as Becrypt Trusted Client, Shaw said.
Because of the unusual nature of the Security Guardian devices, they will be sold via system integrators such as Fujitsu as part of a service package including GSM provision. Customers can expect to pay £25 to £30 per device per month.
Published in V3.co.uk Feb 2012