Secure USB Drive Leverages Windows Embedded

SPYRUS, a provider of hardware-based encryption, authentication and digital content security products, is releasing a new class of USB encryption device pre-loaded with the Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 2009 operating system. Known as the Hydra PC Secure Pocket Drive, SPYRUS says the new USB turns a commodity microSD card into a militarized security device.

Secure Pocket Drive builds on a hardware-based pre-boot authentication system for Windows SPYRUS developed more than 10 years ago. Using a solution that includes a secure boot loader to authenticate and check the integrity of the device using on-board hardware security, Secure Pocket Drive will not boot the Windows Embedded Standard 2009 operating system if the device has been tampered with.

After pre-boot authentication, Secure Pocket Drive loads the componentized Windows Embedded Standard 2009 and allows access to the user’s applications and data files. End users can then perform multiple functions, including network/Internet browsing and scheduling in the Windows Embedded Standard 2009 environment. Because everything is running directly from the Secure Pocket Drive, SPYRUS says malware and other cyberthreats are not an issue. As an added bonus, it leaves no footprint on the host PC.

Other security features include FIPS 140-2 Level 3 tamper-resistant epoxy potting with built-in anti-tamper and self-destruct mechanisms to protect against unauthorized access to the device and data. The protected sectors of the device’s memory, the Windows Embedded Standard 2009 operating system, and all data and application files are encrypted with advanced, hardware-based XTS-AES 256-bit encryption.

In November 2009, IBM partnered with VMWare and secure portable device vendor NSEC to place IBM’s Lotus Symphony productivity software suite on NSEC Keepod USB drives. By providing a completely secure and portable version of Lotus Symphony, IBM launched a flank assault on the dominance of Microsoft Office with business enterprise users.

While the Secure Pocket Drive does not contain Microsoft Office, it does offer a secure and convenient way for business enterprise users to take the Windows OS with them wherever they go.