Rohos Mini Drive

Recently we were asked by some of our users if it is possible to use a biometric (fingerprint) USB stick in combination with the Rohos Logon Software (for example if it is possible to logon using Rohos after a partition is made visible by a recognised fingerprint).

As a matter of fact, we have decided to test several Biometric USB flash drives, to discover which of them are compatible with the Rohos Logon Key.

We would like to present you the Transcend JetFlash 220 USB flash drive 2 Gb (fully compatible with the Rohos Logon) with the embedded fingerprint scanner for biometric access to the secured partiton of the USB drive and included software.

Special features of the device:

• An advanced technology of fingerprints identification, allowing to register up to 10 fingerprints (even from different people);
• Biometric or password based security for the secured partition, web site logon, and encrypted files;
• Data Encryption with AES algorithm based on the 256-bite key.
• Automatic authorization performed on the web-sites where you have already been registered.
• There is a program that allows to change the size of the secure partition of the flash drive.
• The device fully supports Windows 2000, XP and Vista, which was proved by recent tests.
• You are not able to access the secure partiton without obtaining the Administrator privileges.
• While the secure partition of the flash drive is open, you are not able to use the un-secure partition of the device and vice-versa.

(more…)

Not long ago, one of our users in Forum has suggested an interesting idea how to use Rohos disk. Actually, it concerns all the similar programs virtual-disks, but it seemed, we are the first.

So, here’s the issue. If users have the Linux samba server, they have access to the network folders on that Linux server for storing their files there. Thus, very often during working with the files that contains specific (native) letters of your mother tongue(ä, ü, Б, ц), the letters get lost.

Here’s what our user has written (translated from german):

… the program can solve the problem by creating on the network shared folders big-sized virtual disks. Cause files which contain the characters of your language in file names get lost, because the network folder is on the Linux server with Japanese BIOS.

This is how it looks:

Thus, if you keep Rohos disk on Linux computer in the network folder, and use (mounting) it in on your computer or in Windows server,  these letters in files names will be unaltered (the file system NTFS accomplishes it cause it is UNICODE enabled).

In Internet one can easily find a lot of programs on the subjects like “USB flash
drive security”, “Set up password on USB flash drive”, or “Encrypt USB flash drive”. Each of them has its pros and cons. Let’s take up the issue in detail.
Programs for USB flash drive encryption are divided into 2 groups:

1. The programs that encrypt the separate files on the USB flash drive. The secure files are stored in the special (hidden) folder on USB disk. Certainly, the files names are modified, and the contents are encrypted. You can open the file only in the program, at the same time the file is decoded on the USB disk and then opens in the associated application. At the end it is required to give a command “to update protected file”.

   Such programs are “Remora USB guard”, “USB Vault” “Folder Lock”. If you wish you might replace these programs by usual password archive RAR, ZIP (with built-in encryption feature). It automatically renews the archive file, if you have opened it in the archive and changed it.

2. The programs that create virtual encrypted disk, where all the files are automatically coded/ decoded without direct user command. The disk is fully contained in the USB flash drive.
   These programs have a number of advantages:

• A user works with the protected files directly. It is not necessary to indicate what file should be decoded;
• The files are being automatically coded/ decoded as required;
• Temporary files are also kept as encrypted ones;
• It is possible to work with a virtual disk from any program.

  The main disadvantage is that you should have Administrative privileges to open this virtual disk , because the program loads the disk driver, i.e. if you want to open the disk in Internet cafe, you will not manage it by 99%. However, such kind of program is right for secure carrying over the files from home and work and vice versa.

There are also the programs that are usually included in the stand of some
USB flash drives (for example Transcend Jet Flash). They divide the USB
flash drive memory into 2 partitions. 2 Removable disks are showing up in the system
while connecting. The first disk is open, the second one is entirely
encrypted. If you want to open it for reading/recording, you should enter
password in the special program.