Laptop File Encryption
06/30/2006
Kingston 2GB USB DataTraveler Elite. $120
On-board hardware encryption (AES-128) processor that works with software installed under Windows that makes encryption transparent after the password is entered. It can also can have “public” folders that are not encrypted.
Absolute Software Lojack for Laptops. $99 for 3 years of protection
After the software is registered, it contacts the master server periodically to report its status. If the laptop is stolen and then taken on line, the master server then knows where it is. The laptop can be tracked by phone number (if a modem is used), by IP number (broadband), and one other way that is a trade secret. When the laptop is located, the recovery team calls the local police. There is a concern over confidential information on the laptop, as the Lojack software has the potential of full access to your hard drive. They claim a 90% recovery rate and that the software is practically “tamper-proof.”
Windows Encrypted File System. Free with Windows 2000, XP, 2003
An account's private keys (used for encryption) are protected by the local user's password. Administrators can change a domain account password, but if the local PC's Administrator changes the local user account password, certificate access is lost. That is, if you forget your local account password, the encrypted files are now garbage. If the local password is changed back to the original, access is restored. Encryption is lost when a file is transferred to a non-NTFS file system.
PointSec for PC. Works with Windows, Linux. $130 per seat
Encrypts entire hard drive including modifying the MBR. Allows for company to have a single person with “root” access to all encrypted systems. Can use passwords (Windows AD or simple phase-phrase) or USB tokens. “Pointsec for PC provides for 128-bit CAST and 256-bit Blowfish encryption. It's also available in a version compliant with FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard), which offers Triple DES (Data Encryption Standard) or 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).
Encrypted Magic Folders. Windows $59 per PC.
Encrypts and hides folders requiring password to access. Has a recovery floppy. “On the downside, the user interface is idiosyncratic and the encryption algorithm sacrifices security for speed. The proprietary algorithm has not been peer-reviewed, and the vendor even admits that it has been broken. The program crashed during our testing, leaving Windows unstable, and there's no support for non-Microsoft platforms.”