Banking giant UBS started deploying a device from IBM which ensures online banking transactions aren’t being manipulated by on-line hackers.

IBM’s ZTIC (Zone Trusted Information Channel) is a smart-card reader that attaches to computer via a USB cable. During an online banking transaction, it bypasses the Web browser and makes a direct connection with the bank.  The connection is an industry standard SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) which enables the user to enjoy a secure link between their computer and the bank server.

What is great about the USB secure product is that a hacker could not cloak a transaction via the web and show the user a transaction of one amount, while robbing them blind with a different amount as the “actual” transaction.

What is funny about the UBS press release is the following:

If the transaction has been hacked and the account number is different, the customer can abort the payment by hitting a red “x,” or a green check if it’s fine

Well…if they knew the transaction was hacked, wouldn’t they stop it anyway?

Another nice feature of the UBS secure USB device is that a keylogger could not record keystrokes because the sync process between the user and bank happens through the UBS device, no account numbers are used or typed. (more…)

It’s been all over the blogs the last couple of days regarding Kingston and their security issues.  They have been tight lipped about exactly what makes the device vulnerable and with specific information it’s hard to gauge just how hard it would be for someone to crack it.

I don’t think the typical user who keeps their personal information secure with this drive [in the event it’s lost] has much to worry about, but the government has purchased plenty of units and that’s clearly a concern.  The list of drives include Data Traveler BlackBox, the Data Traveler Secure - Privacy Edition, and the Data Traveler Elite - Privacy Edition.  Again, a typical computer user probably doesn’t have the tools or skills to unlock the device, but a professional would.

My guess is the IC controller chip which runs the AES 256 encryption is at fault here and someone has figured out how to hack the machine code and disable the encryption, but that’s just my educated guess being in the industry.

PC World did a good write up about the statement and interesting perspective on the whole situation.

You learn something new every day.  Today I learned that Sony has been working on a new bio technology that reads vein structure of a human hand.  The project is called “Mofiria.”

Object behind this project is taking the biometric finger reading technology one step further, and using vein structure as the authentication code [after all we have all seen movies where a fake silicon finger gets the burglars in].

So now the biometric technology is all buttoned up, Sony developed a USB vein reader that users could implement in the field. (more…)

For those who need disaster recovery protocols put into place, the new ioSafe 2TB hard drive is your best friend.  The USB hard drive is both water proof and fire proof making it the most durable drive on the market, and essential for disaster recovery mandates.

I can tell you one thing, seeing is believing.  Check out this 2 minute video where the ioSafe is getting wet and wild and then dried off at over 1,500 degrees.

The USB hard drive ioSafe can be submersed in water for 3 days without damage to the digital content.

The ioSafe USB hard drive can withstand fire excess of 1,500 degrees for over 15 minutes without damage to the digital content.  So how do they do it?  (more…)

Lets face it, USB sticks are an everyday tool for doing business.  That’s why I was surprised to hear the ban on USB flash drives at the Pentagon back in November of 08.  However, I can see the security concerns they would have with the power a USB stick can behold.

Today, we found out the ban will be lifted from the DoD in the coming months.

Robert Cary the CIO for the Navy states. “In the future, we expect that a government-owned and procured USB flash media that is uniquely and electronically identifiable for use in support of mission-essential functions on DoD networks will be permitted for use by authorized individuals,” Cary said in his blog. “The bottom line is, the days of using personally owned flash media or using flash media collected at conferences or trade shows are long gone. What we connect to our home PCs is very different from what is and will be allowed to occur on DON [Department of Navy] networks.”

This policy is more in line with what I’d expect from the military and devices like the Encryptakey I would think become a staple at locations like the Pentagon.

Source:  DarkReading.

Here at GetUSB.info we are a fan of the USB key logger technology.  After all, what better way to find out what employees, girlfriends and such are doing with their spare time.  Especially with all the social network, it’s important to know what is, or is not, being said about you.

We have reported about USB key loggers before, but this one is especially nice with the old school PS/2 connector.  Great for the older machines.

The device comes with 2MB of internal memory, but check it often as that amount of space will be filled quickly.

Pricing is a bit different depending on the connection type you need.  $60-$75.

Here is the USB key logger product page.

Reminder from UberGizmo.

The Windows IceBox is an interesting little tool.  It’s a software program which runs from a USB stick that locks down partitions on your hard drive.  The concept is that you lock down partitions on your hard drive so that other users, like your kids, don’t get in there and start accidentally deleting important files, registry entries, uninstalling software,etc.

The USB Windows IceBox includes recovery software for your hard drive and has the ability to block virus software or malware programs from getting into your computer.

From my perspective, it’s a nice little tool, but if you have the smarts to partition up your hard drive, you probably have the smarts to create multiple users as well.  See the USB Windows IceBox will lock down your partitions when you walk away [certain amount of idle time] but you can do the same thing with User Login priveleges.  Just don’t give your kids (more…)