Momentus 5400 FDE.2: HDD with embedded encrypting system from Seagate

Many users ignore safety of their data. Most of them are well protected against harmful software: they have anti-virus and firewall. But there are few who thinks about protection from physical stealing. And here comes a solution - new Seagate HDD    Momentus 5400 FDE.2

There are two possible dangers: losing of data and information leakage. If hard drive is broken, data stored on it will be lost. If you make backups regularly, actual damage to the data will be minimal. But if you cannot physically protect storage device or whole system, your data may be compromised, which means unauthorized users will have access to your information.

Most troublesome are mobile users. When they work on PC's inside corporate building data usually stored on unified file servers or local discs. Local security policy and IT-infrastructure are usually enough to provide maximum data security. It could be compromised only in case of breach in IT-infrastructure or if someone will physically steal disc drive or copy data via direct access.

You know some standard methods of protection: BIOS password, Windows authentication and so on. But is good only for keeping your kids from playing on your PC while you are absent.

The only effective mean of protection is a hardware one. Seagate used new Trusted Platform Module in it's Momentus HDD. But you'll need special software all the same.

All models of Momentus series are represented by most popular modifications of  80, 120 and 160 Gb. It is not as fast as leaders such as Spinpoint M5 (Samsung), Hitachi Travelstar 5K250 or new Momentus 5400.4, but encrypting almost does not affects speed.

It is not supported by Windows Vista for now so you'll have to use Windows SP Home or Professional. To activate encrypting procedures you have to install FinallySecure package by Secude. After that you receive small second partition where you can store your most valuable information. To access it you'll have to enter login and password. When connected to other system this partition renders empty.

Technorati Tags: HDD,Seagate,Security,Windows,Samsung,Hitachi,PC,data storage

Vista security spec 'longest suicide note in history'

by Andrew Thomas

VISTA'S CONTENT PROTECTION specification could very well constitute the longest suicide note in history, claims a new and detailed report from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

"Peter Gutmann's report describes the pernicious DRM built into Vista and required by MS for approval of hardware and drivers," said INQ reader Brad Steffler, MD, who brought the report to our attention. "As a physician who uses PCs for image review before I perform surgery, this situation is intolerable. It is also intolerable for me as a medical school professor as I will have to switch to a MAC or a Linux PC. These draconian dicta just might kill the PC as we know it."

But this isn't just a typical anti-Microsoft rant. Gutmann's report runs to 6,000 words and contains hardly any FSF-style juvenile invective.

"Windows Vista includes an extensive reworking of core OS elements in order to provide content protection for so-called "premium content", typically HD data from Blu-Ray and HD-DVD sources. Providing this protection incurs considerable costs in terms of system performance, system stability, technical support overhead, and hardware and software cost," says Gutmann on his homepage.

"These issues affect not only users of Vista but the entire PC industry, since the effects of the protection measures extend to cover all hardware and software that will ever come into contact with Vista, even if it's not used directly with Vista (for example hardware in a Macintosh computer or on a Linux server). This document analyses the cost involved in Vista's content protection, and the collateral damage that this incurs throughout the computer industry."

He also claims that Vista's content protection will 'have to violate the laws of physics if it is to work'.

I'm not going to comment on the details of the report and its implications but merely suggest that you read it for yourselves and come to your own conclusions. I'd also venture to suggest that Microsoft might want to comment on Gutmann's work.

(c) www.theinquirer.net

Nvidia G80 Vista drivers in 2006 don't materialis

DirectX 10 is 2007

WE KNEW that Nvidia and everyone else targeted DirectX10 for next year but we and dozens of G80 users are frustrated as we don’t even have buggy drivers for the new OS yet. We at least expected some beta in 2006 but this driver has been more than delayed.

Nvidia is playing stall until it's ready tactics but is getting a lot of criticis about it. People had time over the Yule break and all G80 owners can forget about Aero glass for Yule and New Year.

So what happens when you plug a G80 into a Vista system? You are forced to install standard VGA driver that will let you change the resolution to fit your native resolution of the screen and that’s it. Aero Glass won’t work and even rendering of 2D windows will be difficult.

Nvidia has really disappointed us with lack of Vista driver in 2006 but we hope that the full working version will be ready soon. Until then, ATI users can play all they want with Vista with the exception that a few things won’t work well, but every card is supported while Nvidia users can forget the super high end G80s for the time being.

I exepect that Nvidia plans to show G80 driver at CES as internally Nvidia has it for a while, but it doesn’t want to share it yet.

(c) www.theinquirer.net