Friday, February 22, 2008

Yoggie Introduces the Firestick Pico Hardware Firewall

Yoggie Security Systems Introduces "Firestick Pico" Hardware Firewall
Ultra-Portable USB Device Protects PCs from Broadest Range of Attacks

LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2008 - Taking a page from its own miniaturization playbook, Yoggie Security SystemsTM (exhibiting at 2008 International CES in the Sands Convention Center, Innovation Pod #269) has introduced a unique, ultra-portable USB key-sized hardware-based firewall solution to protect PCs from malicious attacks.


The
Firestick PicoTM places a physical barrier between PCs and the Internet to ensure that threats never reach users' computers. Unlike software firewalls, the fire red colored Firestick Pico mini-computer is based on a dedicated hardware platform specifically designed to protect PCs from the most devastating menaces including denial of service, buffer overflow and the broadest range of malicious attacks. It blocks all Internet threats and attacks outside - before they reach PCs or laptops.

The
Firestick Pico is a complete Linux-based 300 MHz computer with a dual flash memory mechanism that constitutes an 'untouchable operating system' running an independent firewall application. In addition, each Firestick Pico comes with a complimentary Kaspersky security software suite.
"
Yoggie's Firestick Pico brings another choice to end users," said Shlomo Touboul, CEO and founder of Yoggie Security Systems. "While our Gatekeeper Pico offloads all security applications from a PC, the Firestick Pico offloads just the firewall functionality at a much lower cost. This allows different levels of security and a range of price points for discerning buyers who are joining the Yoggie revolution: moving security applications from the PC to dedicated, miniature computers to enhance security and improve PC performance."

With
Yoggie's Firestick Pico, road warriors can connect to any unsecured hotspot with the comfort of being completely protected.

About Yoggie Security Systems
Yoggie Security Systems™ established in 2005 by Shlomo Touboul – the inventor of Behavior Based Blocking Technology - is the developer of the world's first hardware-based computer security solution. Yoggie's range of USB key-sized security mini-computers connects to any PC or laptop at home, in the office and on the road - blocking Internet threats outside the host computer and boosting computer performance by off-loading installed security software. Yoggie's products combine best of breed security software with propriety patent-pending developments to provide the most comprehensive all-in-one security technology available to both consumers and corporate users.

Yoggie Security Systems Wins PC Magazines 2007 Technical Excellence Award

Yoggie Security Systems Wins PC Magazine's 2007 Technical Excellence Award
Yoggie Pico Mini-Computer Honored in Security Category


NEW YORK, December 4, 2007 - Yoggie Security Systems™ has won PC Magazines's 2007 Technical Excellence Award for its Yoggie PicoTM, the world’s first hardware-based security solution for laptops and PCs that provides a suite of 12 security applications on a USB key-sized security mini-computer.

PC Magazine's 24th annual technical excellence awards, revealed today in the publication's December 4, 2007 cover issue, as well as online, recognize products, services and industry leaders that have improved the computing industry. The Yoggie Pico took top honors in the security category; winners were also selected in seven other categories - Storage, User Interface, Component, Software, Printing, Wireless and Person of the Year. Winners were selected by the magazine’s editorial staff.

"The Yoggie Pico is revolutionizing how people protect their computers, providing much more security in an easier to use and cost effective way. Using a unique hardware-based Internet security solution, the Yoggie Pico's USB key-sized Linux-based computer is packed with some of the toughest available security applications," said Shlomo Touboul, founder and CEO of Yoggie Security Systems. "It's gratifying that our innovative developments have been recognized by a publication as prestigious as PC Magazine."

By moving the software and the security burden to its own mini-computer, all Internet threats are blocked outside -- before they reach the PC -- and the PC regains resources enabling a performance boost. The Yoggie Pico has simplified "plug and forget" installation and operation, with no special technical knowledge required to produce a seamless security solution without pop-ups and update alerts.
In recent weeks, Yoggie Security Systems has been recognized by a host of other organizations and publications including CES Best of Innovations 2008 - Computer Accessories, Business Week/IDSA Silver Idea Award, Red Herring Global 100 Finalist, RSA 2007 Innovation Award and Network World's ‘Top Ten Security Companies to Watch.'

About Yoggie Security Systems
Yoggie Security Systems was established in 2005 by Shlomo Touboul, founder and former CEO of Finjan Software, and the inventor of Behavior Based Blocking Technology. As a result of countless meetings with IT managers around the world, Mr. Touboul realized they all share a common concern - while security technology has matured to provide robust security, traveling laptops create security holes that jeopardize the security of the entire corporate network. Mr. Touboul decided to dare the impossible, to try to miniaturize all the security appliances found in the corporate server room into a credit-card size device that can be easily carried and connected to the laptop.

The attempt was successful. After two years of intensive research, the world's first miniature security server was created. Putting all the security solutions into such a small device requires robust processing power, and indeed the Yoggie Gatekeeper is as strong as a full-blown Pentium III PC (520 MHz). But unlike a regular PC, it was designed as security hardware, with a hardened operating system and physical separation between the unsafe zone (Internet) and the safe zone (connected to the laptop). Yoggie solved the vulnerabilities of traveling laptops by effectively extending robust corporate security to the mobile and remote workforce. In addition to serving the corporate world, Yoggie security mini-computers are suitable for SMBs and home users.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Removable Disk-Based Storage Comparison - Quantum GoVault and Imation Odyssey & RDX

Verdict: The GoVault offers cost-effective disk-based backup and combines this with a very clever backup utility.

As a small-business backup medium, tape is definitely on the defensive, as an increasing number of storage vendors are launching affordable hard disk-based alternatives. Tandberg Data's RDX QuickStor was the first, Imation followed next with its Odyssey, and now we have Quantum's GoVault.

But are disk-based backup solutions suitable for off-site storage, since tape has always been a prime candidate thanks to the robust media? Well, Quantum uses sturdy cartridges with 2.5in SATA hard disks mounted inside them. These look capable of withstanding punishment, and Quantum offers them in a range of capacities, with the review model including a 40GB cartridge. In terms of storage costs, Imation's Odyssey offers the best value, with Quantum's cartridges only slightly more costly. The QuickStor is the most expensive. However, you're limited to a USB interface for the Odyssey, whereas the GoVault is offered as an internal SATA model.

Initial installation is a cake-walk, as we just plugged the drive in and watched Windows load its standard drivers. We tested successfully under Vista and Server 2003 R2. At this stage, you can use the GoVault as a simple removable disk drive, format it and copy files to and from it. Installing the bundled application software adds a couple of extra features to the drive's right-click menu, where it allows you to mount it as a portable media device and password-protect cartridges.
Quantum's backup software makes the GoVault unique, as it incorporates de-duplication technology. This ensures multiple copies of data aren't present on the backup media, but the clever part is it does this at the block and not the file level. This level of sophistication isn't normally seen at the lower end of the backup market, with products such as EMC's Retrospect Express as bundled with the Odyssey only ensuring files aren't duplicated. The software is easy to use and you start by creating a data-protection plan that includes your local and networked source data, assigned cartridges and a schedule. You must assign cartridges to the plan, as the software maintains a record of them, will tell you which one to load for data restoration, and can manage a cartridge-rotation scheme for off-site storage.
The processes behind de-duplication are more involved, since the software uses algorithms to identify data blocks and ensure they're only stored once. This had an impact on the initial backup, where we saw 2GB of local test data take nearly nine minutes for a transfer rate of only 4MB/sec. It's worth the wait, though, as a glance at the smart reporting tools showed that de-duplication has reduced the space occupied to 1.1GB even though no actual files were duplicated. General performance is par for a USB device, with standard file copies using Explorer returning read and write rates of 20MB/sec and 19MB/sec respectively.
Disk-based backup solutions are becoming ever more popular, and Quantum's GoVault offers good value and a fair turn of speed, but it's the unique backup software and its de-duplication that really make it stand out.

LTO Announces Generation 5 Ultrium Format Technology Licenses


LTO PROGRAM ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF ULTRIUM FORMAT GENERATION 5 TECHNOLOGY
LICENSES


SILICON VALLEY, CALIF. — (January 24, 2008) — Continuing the support of their multi-generation roadmap, HP, IBM Corp. and Quantum Corp., the three technology provider companies (TPCs) for the Linear Tape-Open(LTO) Program, today announced the availability of enhanced package licenses for LTO Ultrium format Generation 5.

Subscribers to the new Generation 5 License will receive similar benefits of previous generation enhanced package licenses. In addition, the TPCs have provided for the ability of licensees to gain insight on the emerging tape specification through a series of regular discussions surrounding the specification development. This visibility into the specification is intended to help enhance licensees’ product development programs.

"LTO technology supports security, portability, high capacity and performance, and tape offers energy and cost savings for long term archiving," said Rob Clark, senior director, removable storage solutions for Quantum. "The availability of the new Generation 5 license is intended to help licensees provide their customers with the most advanced tape storage and data protection solutions."


Generation 5 is planned to boost storage physical capacity and transfer speeds over Generation 4 while continuing support for hardware-based encryption functionality as well as Write Once Read Many (WORM)
support to help address data security and compliance needs. The other class of LTO Ultrium Format license, the Specification Document License, is planned for public availability upon completion of the LTO Ultrium Generation 5
specification.


About Linear Tape-Open (LTO)


LTO format is a powerful, scalable, adaptable open tape format developed and continuously enhanced by technology providers HP, IBM Corporation and Quantum Corporation (and their predecessors) to help address the growing demands of data protection in the midrange to enterprise-class server environments. This ultra-high capacity generation of tape storage products is designed to deliver outstanding performance, capacity and reliability combining the advantages of linear multi-channel, bi-directional formats with enhancements in servo technology, data compression, track layout,
and error correction.

LTO media now available LTO-1, LTO-2, LTO-3 and LTO-4

LTO Tape Drives now available, LTO-1, LTO-2, LTO-3 and LTO-4