Many companies and home users are starting to move their data to the cloud because of its convenience. But with the recent shut down by the FBI of the mega-giant website, Megaupload leaving millions of legal users locked out of their files, there’s growing concerns about just how safe and convenient cloud storage really is.
Today’s article in GCN highlights this concern:
A Justice Department spokesman told DigitalTrends that, in this case, users didn’t have a right to expect their files back, because Megaupload had warned them on its terms-of-service and website FAQ to make copies of their files and that the users assumed responsibility for any loss of data.
Kanguru offers great, large-capacity storage solutions with built-in security options; perfect for keeping your files safe and portable on-the-go, and giving you 100% control over your files. Take a look:
Data Backup, Data Security, Portable Storage, data storage
By Ken Lee
Quickly, name a gadget that didn’t even exist in the year 2000 but has since transformed our culture and the way we live today. 99% of you probably answered with MP3 player, tablet computer, GPS, e-Reader or smart phone. What do all of these devices have in common? For one thing, they are all super portable, and that feature is due to the unbridled success of Flash memory.
The development and maturation of NAND Flash as an affordable, non-volatile, solid-state data storage solution has helped usher in an era of mobile technology. It has allowed us to invent gadgets that simply would not have worked if incorporated with spinning platter drives.
However, after a decade of revolutionizing the technology industry, Flash is reaching its limits for further development. In order to increase Flash’s maximum capacity manufacturers have been shrinking the distance between transistors on flash chips over the years. Read more…
Portable Storage
A new study from the Digital Forensics Association, called The Leaking Vault 2011, covers 3,765 publicly disclosed data breach incidents over the past six years. The estimated cost of these data breaches totaled more than $156 Billion. “Hacking” exposed the largest number of records, while “Drive/Media” exposures were the second leading cause.
The study also shows the breakdown of incidents among business, education, government and medical sectors. It clearly shows that data breaches can happen to a wide variety of institutions, not just those that handle “classified” information. State data breach laws and industry regulations like HIPAA have increased the spotlight on data security outside of traditional national security organizations. In fact, medical data breaches were the fastest growing segment from 2005-2010.
Read the full report for conclusions and recommendations.
Data Security, Financial, Government, Healthcare, Malware, Portable Storage
By Ken Lee
As our insatiable appetite for bigger, better and faster electronic devices continues to grow, so does the number of ways to connect them. USB, Firewire, VGA, DVI, PS/2, eSATA… each interface was engineered with a different purpose in mind, and as a result some are better for handling certain devices than others. Some technologies flourish and become ingrained in our culture, like the ubiquitous USB, while others are made obsolete and fade into legacy (parallel port I’m looking at you).
The last battle for interface dominance occurred during the 2000’s when Apple’s IEEE1394 FireWire squared off against the already wildly popular Hi-Speed USB2.0. Firewire boasted a number of features including daisy-chaining, higher transfer rates and lower latency times, which made it the darling of audio and video producers who needed a high-speed, low latency interface that could handle live recording better than USB. Despite holding significant technological advantages over USB, Firewire never gained mass acceptance outside of high-end AV enthusiasts while USB continues to flourish to this day.
History has a tendency to repeat itself and as we witness the most recent bout between interface heavyweights you will notice some familiar faces and reoccurring themes. The contenders are once again the latest technologies developed by the USB-IF and Apple; and again Apple seems to hold the upper-hand from a technological standpoint. Does Apple have a legitimate contender in Thundebolt that can challenge USB as the interface of the future? Read more…
Portable Storage, data storage
DaveM at Advantage Computers Blog shows just how easy it is to set up a Kanguru Defender Elite secure memory stick. Steps include choosing an initial password and enabling the onboard antivirus or remote management options.
Residents of the UK can contact Advantage for more information on the Defender Elite and Defender V2 secure memory sticks.
Portable Storage
Kanguru is pleased to announce that the Defender Elite encrypted USB flash drive is now undergoing evaluation for Common Criteria EAL2+.
Common Criteria is an internationally recognized security evaluation program developed to ensure an information technology product or service meets a variety of robust government security standards. There are currently 36 nations, worldwide, which mutually recognize the merits of the Common Criteria Standard. Kanguru’s evaluation is being overseen by the German Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt fur Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI)).
“By undergoing the Common Criteria evaluation, we continue to position ourselves on top of the secure portable data storage industry.” said Don Brown, CEO of Kanguru. “Common Criteria, along with our fully manageable devices and current FIPS 140-2 Validations, distinguishes our products and services as the most secure, manageable and feature rich in the portable data storage industry.”
Read more.
Data Security, Portable Storage
Written by: Emmett Jorgensen
Ten years ago the miniature USB thumb drive crashed onto the scene, revolutionizing the portable storage industry. Although expensive at the time of its initial release, it quickly came down in price and went up in storage capacity, providing massive amounts of storage in a tiny form factor.
Today, the revered little flash drive is making waves again, but this time as the newest advancement in secure, portable computing. A few innovative companies have developed a way to transform the flash drive from a simple storage device into a portable virtual machine manager, allowing users to store a completely bootable operating system, applications and data on a high capacity flash drive.
Using a Bare-Metal-Boot Mode, these devices never have to touch the internal hard drive of the host machine. Read more…
Data Security, Portable Storage
The Boston Herald has details on a bank executive who resigned and then left with thousands of documents belonging to his former employer, Boston Private Bank & Trust Co.
In a suit filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, Boston Private Bank & Trust accuses former lending executive Todd Rassiger of stealing proprietary information that benefits his new employer, First Republic Bank.
The 24-page lawsuit alleges that before his resignation from Boston Private Bank & Trust Co., Rassiger attached personal USB flash drives to his bank-issued computer and downloaded more than 1,500 documents, many of which included highly confidential and proprietary information.
These days, companies need to be concerned with both external cyberattacks as well as the threat posed by insiders who have access to sensitive data. Our recent post highlights the need for endpoint security, which can block personal flash drives and keep an audit log of which files are downloaded.
We also highly recommend remote management capabilities for all portable devices like smartphones and storage devices. Kanguru’s Remote Management Console can be used to instantly revoke device access from employees who are leaving the organization. Their company-issued USB drive will be remotely disabled or deleted the next time it’s plugged in.
Data Security, Financial, Portable Storage
10% of Online Sales to Benefit Fisher House
In light of the recent successes of our Special Operations and Intelligence Services, and to honor our veterans who have sacrificed so much for the good of our country, Kanguru will be donating 10% of every online order placed this week to the Fisher House. (http://www.fisherhouse.org/) This includes ALL products! Flash drives, hard drives, duplicators and more.
About Fisher House:
“The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America’s military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.”
“Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates “comfort homes,” built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.”
Details:
When: 5/2/2011 – 5/9/2011
Where: Kanguru’s Online Store
How Much: 10% of each sale
Remember freedom isn’t free. Thank a soldier today!
Government, Portable Storage
Did you know you can personalize Kanguru USB Flash Drives?
Custom Engraving
Volume orders of Kanguru flash drives qualify for custom engraving, allowing you to label your flash drives with text, artwork, a company logo or other identifiable information. They are great as promotional tools, give-aways or prizes for marketing activities. A custom engraved flash drive is a great gift and is sure to make a lasting impression with customers and clients.
Unique Identifiers
Kanguru flash drives can be embedded with unique ID’s for use with Kanguru Remote Management Console (KRMC) and other endpoint security software.
Unique ID’s allow you to assign, track and monitor flash drive usage. Know who, when and where drives are being used across your organization.
Data Preload
Kanguru USB flash drives can be preloaded with data enabling you to distribute sales & marketing material such as Powerpoint presentations, PDF sales sheets, images, video and more. Pass them out at trade shows and meetings for extra marketing impact!
Sample Engraved Drives
For more information or a quote, click here.
Data Security, Portable Storage
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