Biosticks review - Intro

Welcome

• Hardware stuff
• Hacks
• Console hacking
• Security
  • DiskGenie review
  • Biosticks review
  • 'Secure' USB-HDs: review
  • Secustick review
  • BioSlimDisk Signature review
• Software
• Nabaztag
• About Spritesmods

Intro

Shortly after I wrote the review of the SecuStick, I was approached by Tweakers.net (who have this review in Dutch, btw): they had mail from USB-Secured.com. This company sells two types of USB-stick with biometrical security measures on them: both have a fingerprint-reader and the data on them is said to be impossible to get to when your fingerprint is unknown to them. I was asked to take a look at them.

The two sticks differ in features and looks. To make it easier to spot in the pictures, I'll name them after their colors: the 'US-A2' is the white one (blue on the site of the manufacturer) while the 'US-A1' is the silver/black one. On the website, the white stick is touted as a stick with a high ease-of-use, while the silver one is said to have good security. According to USB-secured.com, the sticks would cost about 69 euro's (which would be about $90). The specific features of the sticks are:

White stick:
• Storage space: 1GB
• Has a 'insecure' partition which doesn't need a fingerprint to be accessed
• Had an AES-256 encrypted 'secure' partition, access by fingerprint or password
• Can store bookmarks
• Can encrypt files with your fingerprint

Silver stick:
• Storage space: 1GB
• Has all features protected by fingerprint and/or password
• Has a secure partition
• Can store bookmarks
• Can encrypt files with your fingerprint
• Can store passwords for webpages
• Can create an encrypted virtual filesystem on your HD, protected by fingerprint
• Can lock and unlock your PC by fingerprint

I was asked to take a look at their features, like durability, ease of use, and most of all: security. I'll describe my findings in the next few pages.

 1 Next »