Via ComputerWorld, the FBI is investigating mysterious laptops that were sent to several US Governors’ offices.  It seems nobody ordered the computers, and officials are concerned that this might be an attempt to get malware inside the network security perimeter.

USB flash drives and memory cards are also useful for this type of attack due to the natural inclination to plug it in after you find it.

Criminals have tried to put malware on USB devices and then left them outside company offices, hoping someone would plug them into a computer and inadvertently install malicious software on the network. Many Windows systems are configured to automatically run software included on CDs and USB devices using a Windows feature called AutoRun.

The key to preventing these attacks is to have automated USB security policies in place.  Users should be restricted to only company-issued devices that have built-in hardware security features.  All other devices should be blocked from company networks using group policy or endpoint security, which can be implemented with Kanguru Remote Management Console.

Data Security, Malware, Portable Storage

The Kanguru e-Flash has just been upgraded to 64GB of memory, making it the largest e-SATA flash drive available in the world.  With five times the transfer speed of an ordinary USB flash drive, the Kanguru e-Flash is perfect for large data transfers and backups.

Read the reviews here.

Visit our authorized resellers for more information.

Data Backup, Portable Storage

Today’s GCN Lab Review features a device that automatically cracks passwords on SD memory cards.  The device, manufactured by ManTech, uses brute-force techniques to guess every word in the dictionary and then tries random combinations until it hits the password.  Strong passwords can slow this process down, but unless there are brute-force protections built into the device, it is only a matter of time before the password is cracked.

This is a good opportunity to point out the brute-force protections that are standard on Kanguru secure USB flash drives.  By default, Kanguru Defender and Defender Elite flash drives allow only 6 incorrect attempts before the drive is completely deleted and reformatted using a secure data wipe algorithm.  Using Kanguru Administrator Tools, additional security measures can be configured, including:

• Strong password enforcement - password length and content (upper case, lower case, number, special char)
• Force users to change password every 30 or 90 days, or at next login
• Restrict users from using the same password multiple times
• Customize the number of incorrect login attempts that are allowable
• Configurable options for brute-force prevention:
  • Automatically delete all data (default)
  • Activate time-out period (configurable time period)
  • Disable the device until an Administrator unlocks it

These settings can also be remotely managed from anywhere in the world with Kanguru Remote Management Console.

Data Security, Portable Storage

Kanguru Solutions will be an exhibitor next week at Army LandWarNet 2009.  Please visit us at Booth #1411. 

Last fall, the DOD banned USB flash drives and other removable media devices after a worm infiltrated their networks.  Kanguru Solutions has just announced the release of the Kanguru Defender Elite.  This drive has been designed with the Army IA security requirements in mind. Defender Elite will eliminate malware attacks and viruses, allowing users to confidently deploy this device in the field.  FIPS 140-2 and Army IA certifications are pending.

The Kanguru Defender Elite features include:

• Military Grade, 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption
• Antivirus & Malware Protection
• Tamper and Brute Force Resistance
• Rugged Aluminum Housing
• Limited Number of Invalid Login Attempts
• Physical Write Protect Switch
• FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Pre-validated
• Can be used with the Kanguru Remote Management Console (KRMC)

Data Backup, Data Security, Events, Government, Portable Storage

Via Federal Computer Week, the US DOE inspector general recently performed an IT security audit and found that “the department hadn’t ensured that sensitive data stored on mobile devices, sent in e-mail messages, or sent to off-site backup storage is sufficiently protected by encryption, as appropriate.”

The DOE partially agreed with the findings but added:

…taking adequate steps to ensure that there is no sensitive information on laptops or mobile devices should be sufficient without requiring encryption of all data on all devices.

This seems to rely a great deal on user behavior and will be vulnerable to malicious actions or just poor judgment by employees.

Data Security, Government, Portable Storage

Kanguru’s newly enhanced Administrator Tool is a stand-alone control panel that allows IT Administrators to customize the settings and policies on Kanguru Defender, Defender Elite and Bio AES encrypted flash drives.  The Administrator tool can be used to configure and provision drives or program them to be remotely managed with KRMC.

Configurable options include:

• Password strength and policies
• Master Password
• Number of Invalid Login Attempts before Lockout or Device Deletion
• Password reset options
• IP Range restrictions (Limit access only to approved workstations)
• Setting up secure communication with KRMC

The full press release is available here (PDF).

The proliferation of flash drives in today’s business environment is difficult for IT Administrators to get a handle on.  Kanguru Administrator Tool is the first step in taking control of security policies for portable devices.

Data Security, Portable Storage

Healthcare Informatics has a link to a HIPAA Survival Guide.

Kanguru encrypted flash drives and management console can help healthcare organizations comply with the HIPAA Security Rule for protected health information.  The Remote Management Console has full logging and reporting capabilities for USB flash drive usage.  This provides an audit trail for showing HIPAA compliance.

Data Security, Healthcare