What laptop users should do to defend their data 
And, says Andy Cordial, Origin Storage's managing director, as Russian password decryption specialist Elcomsoft's advances clearly show, it can only be a matter of time before further advances are possible.
"Elcomsoft's Password Suite shows how it possible to dramatically speed up the rate at which an application crunches its way through password combinations using advanced hardware techniques," he said.
"You only have to look at some of the latest software from Elcomsoft, such as Advanced PDF Password Recovery to realise that it's now possible to recover a 40-bit RC4 password-coded Adobe PDF file in a matter of minutes," he said.
"And if you look at the specification of this package, you begin to realise that certain types of AES encryption are also starting to become crackable, although you are currently talking about the kind of processing power that only governments and large corporations have access to," he added.
According to the Origin Storage MD, it is only a matter of time before some coding genius moves the password recovery game on a few more stages, making a lot of encryption technologies on laptops just a few years old, infinitely more crackable.
"Can the man in the street do this? No, but the man in the testing lab can, and cybercriminals clearly now have access to parallel processing and advanced decryption technologies. It's not inconceivable that criminal gangs have cracked weaker AES crypto technologies already and are waiting for an opportunity to try out their skills," he said.
So what should laptop users do to defend their data?
Cordial advises users to take a multi-layered strategy to their data encryption by installing the most powerful levels of AES encryption that are currently commercially available and add on an additional layer of defence such as a passphrase security system or a biometric scanner.
Some of the latest laptops already offer fingerprint scanners as optional extras, although Cordial says that users should be selective as to which biometric applications they use to protect their data.
Passphrase protection is another valuable extra layer of defence that can be deployed in parallel with encryption. Origin's own Data Locker Pro range of PIN-encrypted portable hard drives are a classic example of this dual-layer security strategy, he explained.
"Users of legacy laptops that want to move on up to the benefits of encrypted drives, meanwhile, should look at the Enigma range of secure encrypted drives" he said. "These kits, which start at £249rrp for a 160GB system, include all the software and cables required to migrate a laptop drive's data over to an encrypted platform," he added. "As cybercriminals get smarter on the encryption cracking front, so company laptop users must use the best tools at their disposal to defend against their data falling into the wrong hands."
Print version | 
Email to a friend | 
View other articles
Latest Biometric articles
5 year hardware warranty for the TRU650 Biometric Access Control System
Human Recognition Systems partners with Thales to deliver the INSTINCT-TD2 Airport Security Programme
OmniPerception facial biometric technology can accurately identify a face without the person having to look directly into the camera
New VP of Sales for Integrated Biometrics
Human Recognition Systems releases MSite Civil biometric access and workforce management solution for the construction industry
BAE Systems is helping SMBs accelerate their own technologies is delivering significant advances in face and iris recognition
Precise Biometrics' BioMatch ISO Match-on-Card products builds on the ISO standards
Biometric Fingerprint USB Scanner With Access Control System
Biometric Fingerprint Access Control By Raydox Technologies
MaximumASP deploys Brivo access control system at managed hosting facility
...[view more Biometric articles]...
Other Biometric Resources
IrisGuard awarded 2010 Frost & Sullivan World Product Quality Leadership Award in Biometrics
The 2010 Frost & Sullivan World Product Quality Leadership Award in Biometrics is presented to IrisGuard Inc.
WVU seeks volunteers for biometrics research
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia University is looking for volunteers to help with biometrics research.It takes 45 minutes to donate fingerprints and images of the face and iris for a database that will be used by faculty and student researchers, an...
Global Biometrics Market to Reach US$14 Billion by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global report on Biometrics market.
SCIENCE SCAN
Educational Resources - Arts - Magazines and E-zines - Human evolution - Biometrics
Frost & Sullivan Award Underlines IrisGuard's Product Quality Leadership
LONDON, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2010 Frost & Sullivan World Product Quality Leadership Award in Biometrics is presented to IrisGuard Inc. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081117/FSLOGO) "IrisGuard uses its strong relationships and round-the-clock customer care ...
Reportlinker Adds Global Biometric Forecast to 2012
Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:
VoiceVault Announces the Voice Biometric Smartphone Developer Program
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VoiceVault, the specialist provider of voice-based biometric identity verification solutions, today announced the voice biometric Smartphone Developer Program for VoiceVault Enterprise. The program provides the tools and resources necessary to develop voice biometric-enabled smartphone applications based on its VoiceVault Enterprise technology platform. The program ...
AuthenTec, UPEK combine to expand fingerprint sensors and identity management software
AuthenTec, a leading provider of security, identity management and touch control solutions, and privately-held UPEK, a leading supplier of fingerprint solutions for consumer, business and government applications, announced that the companies have combined, creating the world's largest provider of fingerprint sensors and identity management software, as well as biometric and embedded security ...
Security websites for specific products:
Access control and RFID systems - Burglar alarm, intruder alarm and fire alarm systems - Biometric recognition and identification systems - CCTV cameras and systems - IT, computer and network security systems - Health and safety - Security guard services - Surveillance and remote monitoring systems
Security websites for specific markets:
Bank and financial security - Corporate security - School and education security - Sport event and live venue security - Healthcare and hospital security - Hotel restaurant and casino security - Industrial and manufacturing security - Infrastructure and Utilities security - Home and personal security - Public sector security - Retail security - Small Business security - Transport security
