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Tiny Linux gadget protects Windows XP laptops
linuxdevices.com — An Israeli startup has announced a tiny, Linux-based remote access device that aims to protect Windows XP laptops. The credit card-sized device runs sophisticated firewall, VPN, and monitoring software on a hardened Linux kernel.
deviceguru- 471 diggs
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- briguy, on 10/12/2007, -7/+33Cool! Of course, you could just run Linux in the first place ;)
- Waterrat, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7 So very true,which is what I do...Anyway,it's quite the clever idea.
- AviDardik, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18While Linux would definitely be much safer than XP - You're missing the point.
Even if you have Linux installed on your laptop - It's still your laptop that's exposed and targeted.
It's hardware based AND external to your laptop.
Using this device actually provides you with the same hardware-based security you get from the big security appliances the corporate networks have.
Think about it for a second - Just one ridiculously simple example:
There's a new horrible vulnerability discovered in the TCP protocol. Every network device that's attack is jeopardized.
In this case Yoggie would "bite the bullet" instead of your laptop! ;-) - i440, on 10/12/2007, -24/+4When I use a laptop, I want portability, not the need to drag 500 metric tonnes of documentation wherever I go
- chicken101, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15"When I use a laptop, I want portability, not the need to drag 500 metric tonnes of documentation wherever I go"
Not to mention the fact that online documentation for windows is horrible, but it's obiquitous for linux (ubuntuforums.org anyone?). Your comment has no merit in reality, good day. - i440, on 10/12/2007, -18/+10"Not to mention the fact that online documentation for windows is horrible"
Correct. I prefer the Linux documentation, which requires a M.S. degree and 10 years of experience to comprehend fully
And ubuntuforums.org has been of service indeed, ignoring every question I had and leaving me to myself to figure things out. Now my critical thinking is better then ever - bieber, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5*Ahem* Who could have anticipated you not getting help when coming at them with lunatic anti-Linux rants?
- webcrumb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"When I use a laptop, I want portability"
Talking of portability, the PCB shot on LinuxDevices looks like it has an external power supply socket; I would have hoped it was bus powered. - i440, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2@bieber
Well obviously, I didn't rant on the message boards... - chieffy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5i440: "And ubuntuforums.org has been of service indeed, ignoring every question I had"
I'm sure everyone wants to ignore your comments.
- nighthawk729, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0not if you know how to use it
- blargman, on 10/12/2007, -10/+2Does it have an XP like gui that my grandma could update? if not, its useless. end of story
i imagine its not, and the only reason laptops get compromised is the users using them, not XP. thats been known for years. if its almost completely hassle free, then cool. If they ahve to configure linux at all, its useless- barbobot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Did you even read it?
- kanecorp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Leave it to the Israeli's to come up with the extra security.
- pseudojd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7They know their stuff.
- grimfandango, on 10/12/2007, -10/+5Bleedin Linux fanboys, now HOW EXACTLY is THAT "credit card" sized? It's about half the size of a BRICK.
- rotten777, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7You must have tiny bricks in your neighborhood.
- tylerni7, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Well I agree it isn't exactally credit card sized, but it's about the size of a standard cell phone. Or, using your sophisticated measurement system, about 1/8 the size of a brick. Now, what is the smallest Windows hardware VPN? Bleedin Windows fanboys...
- webcrumb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"Bleedin Windows fanboys..."
Probably more accurately, credit card fanboys. - OrangeTide, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If you ignore the third dimension it's smaller than credit card sized.
(why does every gadget have to be credit card sized? if my penis were credit card sized I would not be happy at all.)
- l0rdn1k0n, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10windows needs a UNIX based OS to protect it? go figure. :
- alphaone, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3Windows doesn't need UNIX to protect it. Windows needs either educated users or far less restrictive default logins, which will be solved once Vista hits. This gadget is a waste of money and space.
- MonkeyLord, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@alphaone
That's right... everything will be much better when Vista is released. When Vista is released world hunger will end... wars will end... the world will be a happy place. /hugs /smiles /joy /angels singing - brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2*goes back in time*
Everything will be better when XP comes out, you'll see. Everyone will smile, laugh and dance the dance of joy. Birds will sing of it's presence, and oxen will bask with glee.
- simongabriel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Personally, what would be nice would be to have some sort of usb based stick that had flash memory for a tiny linux install, and also had wifi built into the stick. Then also, place an ethernet port on the stick.
You power up the linux "firewall" on the usb stick, it connects to your wireless hub, then you can just use a mini-cable to connect your ethernet port on your laptop to the "firewall". Might be easier to make something like that PC Card based, but more compatible everywhere if it was USB.
Would make for a pretty slick little portable firewall that way.- Smoov, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1You can't run an OS on a USB stick. An OS requires a CPU, RAM, etc.
- Dotnetsky, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5All this fanboy stuff is the biggest waste of time. Linux Schminucks, Windows Schmindows. Who cares? In other news, they have the Internet on computers now.
- electronicmaji, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2looks like it slows down the internet....no way it couldnt with all those filters installed and firewalls security...etc.....sigh
- benplaut, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2mm... clogging dem tubes, eh?
- Ribald_Jester, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I don't know that I would trust this device...unless the software the ran on it was open source. Say's it runs Linux, so there is hope there...
- OrangeTide, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have a Blackdog Linux box (USB dongle that has a cpu/ram/sdcard with fingerprint scanner that runs Linux in a "secure" environment) and a Gumstix (ARM linux device about the size of a pack of gum that can have ethernet, sd/mmc and usb slave). I guess I'll have to get this too. :) actually it reminds me a gumstix, but with a practical application. I think my girlfriend could use one, seeing as her Windows computer is crammed full of trojans, viruses and spyware and I have no idea how to clean it out. (I transitioned from DOS/Win3.x/DeskviewX to AIX and Linux, completely skipping Windows95 when it came out. so I'm actually a total windows noob.)
- MonkeyLord, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I have no choice but to use XP on my company laptop, so for me this is an awesome idea. I like it... I love it... I am gonna buy one for my mom and grandma. Nay-sayers bawk all you want, but it is a solution to a problem that you have not solved. /tips hat /moonwalks /schmackle
- simpletrend, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If this is running on Linux, then where's the source code? Is the kernel in ROM GPL?
- xandroz, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0While Linux would definitely be much safer than XP why do not put a VPN on XP..
I think this is a guide for students apout vpn -firewall solutions in general.
http://www.jaec.info/Firewall/VPN%20Firewall/firewall-vpn-introduction-1.php
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