EVEN THOUGH every vendor is trying to sell you
something, London's Infosecurity conference isn't exactly the place to
find the latest hot new toy. So imagine our surprise when we found a
device there that is different and original.
It's the LOK-IT Secure Flash drive, a USB key that has a
hardware-based security system that requires the user to log in using an
on-board PIN pad. It looks like one of those combination luggage locks
that you tend to forget the combination to. We asked John Tate, one of
its creators at Systematic Development Group, what the point of it was.
He said, "Every other device up to this point rather than a pure
biometric device required software. It's pure hardware, so you don't
have platform dependence, with susceptibility for passwords to be
stolen."
"The big reason a lot of companies are going for it is that you are
not running an executable. A lot of companies have policies that you are
not supposed to run executables from a remote device."
"Since our authentication is done prior to inserting it into the
computer, there's no executables to run."
The drive runs with 256-bit AES hardware encryption and is also
platform independent, which means that Windows users can also use it on a
different platform, such as Mac or Linux. Another advantage is that you
can boot from the Flash drive, as it doesn't require a password entry.
Ten incorrect PIN attempts will wipe the encryption of the key, wipe
the PIN, and force a reformat of the drive when you plug it in. Tate
said that there are ways you can recover the data.
There are two different models available, one with ten buttons in
aluminium and one in ABS plastic with five buttons. They come in 2GB,
4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities