Archive for August, 2009
If you place an Autorun.inf file in the root folder of a CD or DVD and the Autorun.inf file contains an OPEN command pointing to a program file (e.g. OPEN=MYAPP.EXE), the program is launched automatically when you insert the CD/DVD in a drive. But if you place the same Autorun.inf file and program file in a USB flash drive and plug the drive to a USB port in a computer, the program is very likely not started automatically. Instead is a Windows menu shown, that contains a list of actions (commands) you can do on the USB drive.
It seems that is possible to give a USB flash drive / USB memory stick a behaviour that is very similar to autostarting CD’s and DVD’s. The only difference is that the user must press Enter or OK before the program is launched or the document shown, but after doing that things works in the same way. And in Windows Vista we can sometimes be so lucky that the flash drive is 100% autostarting. This is interesting because this means that we can have a particular program started in the USB flash drive when it is plugged in the USB port.
Example of an AutoRun menu interfaceOne very interesting use is to have a menu interface shown automatically when the USB flash drive is plugged in the USB port, in the same way that a menu is shown when a commercial CD or DVD is inserted into the disc drive. This seems to be possible. If, for example, the menu program has the filename “MYMENU.EXE”, an Autorun.inf file with the contents below can be created and placed in the root folder of the USB flash drive to handle an automated opening of the menu:
[AutoRun]
OPEN=MYMENU.EXE
ICON=MYMENU.EXE
ACTION=Show Menu
LABEL=My Menu
Although it is not complicated a create an Autorun.inf file, it is more time consuming to create a menu interface. There exists lot of products on the market that can create menu interfaces and some of them can also automatically create the necessary Autorun.inf file that is needed to create an autostarting USB flash drive. At our company we have a product named SamLogic CD-Menu Creator, that can be used to design and build autorun menu interfaces. If the menu will be used on a USB flash drive, CD-Menu Creator will create the necessary Autorun.inf file automatically.
USB sticks as corporate gifts!
Flash drives are at present the most versatile, efficient means of transportation and storage of computer data. Flash drives are also called as USB drives and thumb drives which come with a flash memory. Flash drives are very ideal for handling small amounts of data, which are rewritable. Flash drives are supposed to offer the original plug and play function. They are bit expensive, as any device, which has over a capacity of 1GB
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USB Flash Drives are small, light weight, removable and re-writ able flash memory data storage devices incorporated with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector.
USB Flash Drives offer several advantages over other portable storage devices like floppy disks in as much as they are more compact and faster can hold more data storage are more reliable due to their lack of moving parts and have a durable design. USB Port appears on almost every current mainstream PC and Laptop. USB flash drives use the USB Mass Storage Standard.
A USB Flash drive consists of small printed circuit board in a plastic or metal casing and so, USB Flash drive is sturdy enough to be carried in a pocket. The USB connector protrudes and is safeguarded by a removal cap and a USB Flash drive uses a standard USB connection, which allows to be connected directly to the PC.
To access the data stored on a USB flash drive, it must be connected to a PC and USB Flash drives becomes active only when plugged into a USB connection which is the source of power supply to the USB flash drive.
A small portable flash memory card that is plugged into the computers’ USB port, functions as a portable hard drive. USB flash drives are also called thumb drives, jump drives, key drives, pen drives or tokens.
USB flash drives with 32 mega bytes or 64 giga bytes memory capacity is a feasible product regardless of the amount of material to be stored.
Each USB flash drive has three components – a male type A connector (to interface with a hosting computer system), the USB mass storage controller (to store and balance the information to encrypt, transfer and decode very quickly) and a crystal oscillator (to give the best quality output).
USB Flash drive has a small circuit board and secure case to prevent damage to the circuit board. The end of the USB Flash drive is simply inserted to a port on the computer and can access the information as long as the computer is connected to a USB hub. The USB flash drive is a fast and convenient way to save and transfer the data. A USB flash drive does not need rebooting after it is attached, requires no batteries or an external power supply and is not platform dependent. USB Flash drive is also available with additional features like password protection and down loadable drivers making it compatible.
With USB flash drive even when the device is unplugged from the computer or when the computer is powered down with the drive left in, the data is retained for longer periods. This makes the USB Flash drive convenient for transferring data between the notebook computer and a desktop computer.
USB Flash drives are available at computer retailers or on Internet.
A secure flash drive to be truly protected against breaches must be controlled from a central control server. Anything less then this places the flash drive at risk. Recently the US Military was forced to put a ban on the use of flash drives because many personnel were not utilizing a secure flash drive. Once the threat was recognized the only way to get control was to place a ban on the use of all flash drives. Without a secure flash drive controlled from a central server the only way to safeguard the operating system is to put a system wide ban on the use of all flash drives. This situation could have easily been avoided with the flash drive system produced by SanDisk Enterprise.
A secure flash drive also eliminates still another threat that exists and that is in the manner in which data is transferred. A solution for the US Military should have been to implement a secure flash drive for their personnel like the ones produced by SanDisk Enterprise. They use the AES 256-bit encryption to protect data from security breaches. Flash drives that receive or store data that is not encrypted during the transfer process as well as after the transfer is complete are vulnerable to a breach. In the event a secure flash drive transmission is intercepted it is going to be useless because the encryption will prevent access to the data contained in the transfer.
The use of secure flash drive is necessary to prevent attacks on the valuable data they contain. Security software for flash drives is called anti-malware and can stop data corruption. This anti-virus software when part of a secure flash drive prevents the flash drive from playing host to a virus which then may be uploaded to an operating system. McAfee a global security company provides software for SanDisk Enterprise’s secure flash drive. It scans the flash drive for potential attacks to the host operating system and quarantines them. The software is so effective it removes the threat of attack before it has an opportunity to access the operating system.
The need to utilize a secure flash drive and provide both front end and back end security is a concern if mobile data is to remain intact. Employees that need mobile data need flash drives that are encrypted for security reasons. An adequately secure flash drive will feature the encryption necessary to protect information from being exploited by unauthorized users. A strong front end defense is a strong password authentication process that can work to avert breaches effectively. This in turn allows data to be transferred and stored with confidence. In order to consider it a secure flash drive it must utilize at least an 8-letter combination
password which has been proven unbreakable.