Truecrypt - The free open source encryption tool which gives many commercial encryption tool providers to run for their money has once again proved it's worthiness! Just released Version 7.0 has got some really commendable features such as Hardware-accelerated AES, Auto Mounting of the encrypted volumes and partition/device-hosted volumes to utilise different sectors sizes. Though hardware-accelerated AES is currently applicable only for Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 processors, it is worthwhile to enable it because it provides up to 4-8 times faster performance compared to the normal open source version of the AES implementation.
It uses the embedded AES-NI (aka "AES New Instructions") instruction set for performing the crypto operations, but it is clear that the key generation does not use the AES-NI Instructions. (Thank god! :))
Check out more from http://www.truecrypt.org/
Use this amazing tool to safe guard your data be it confidential or not! You'll agree with me if you have the habit of carrying your portable Operating systems, Tools sets, Working data and Documents on multiple USB thumb drives wherever you go/roam! :)
Showing posts with label Laptops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laptops. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Photocopier privacy issues
Photocopiers used at offices pose a serious threat to the privacy. With nearly all models of the photocopiers manufactured after 2002-03 comes with a built-in Hard Disk. Whether it was used as a temp buffer to store the scanned documents for printing or for serving the scanned documents over the network as most devices have a in-built file server, it throws a surprise. While this was done to improve the performance as to use the HDD as a scratch pad for multiple copies, the image stays there forever!
Once written to the HDD, the images can be very easily recovered revealing all the details. Right from CC (Credit card) numbers to personal information such as SSN, Addresses, Telephone Records, Medical Records, Blue prints, Internal official documents and whatever was scanned, photocopied!
It is a must to erase the HDD on the devices (Desktops, Laptops, Personal Media/Music Players, Storage units, Cell phones, Printers, Photocopiers, Multi function devices) before disposing it off. This requires removing the storage unit from the device and erasing using one of the secure erasing tools available in the market. There are numerous freeware applications available in the market to erase the data permanently off the magnetic storage devices and even a single pass erasure is sufficient to thwart the most common data theives.
A recently published article reveals the amount of spine shocking information mined through such storage units salvaged from old, disposed photocopier machines.
Once written to the HDD, the images can be very easily recovered revealing all the details. Right from CC (Credit card) numbers to personal information such as SSN, Addresses, Telephone Records, Medical Records, Blue prints, Internal official documents and whatever was scanned, photocopied!
It is a must to erase the HDD on the devices (Desktops, Laptops, Personal Media/Music Players, Storage units, Cell phones, Printers, Photocopiers, Multi function devices) before disposing it off. This requires removing the storage unit from the device and erasing using one of the secure erasing tools available in the market. There are numerous freeware applications available in the market to erase the data permanently off the magnetic storage devices and even a single pass erasure is sufficient to thwart the most common data theives.
A recently published article reveals the amount of spine shocking information mined through such storage units salvaged from old, disposed photocopier machines.
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