AlcaLu aims to lock up your laptop

Stuart Corner
Monday, 02 March 2009 02:35

Business IT - Technology

Alcatel-Lucent will launch in ANZ later this year its Nonstop Laptop Guardian (NLG) a product designed to provide continuous network-based security for enterprise laptops when out of the office.

The system comprises a PCMCIA card (a USB version wil be introduced later this year) with its own Linux-based processor, 3G modem and battery that operates in conjunction with a server in the enterprise's data centre to control access to the laptop data and the way in which the laptop communicates, remotely configurable by an IT administrator.

Alcatel-Lucent has just announced a global distribution deal with BT Global Services under which BTGS will include NLG in the BT MobileXpress product portfolio. BT will launch initially in the Benelux countries, France, and Germany in the Northern Spring of 2009 and no further roll out plans have been announced.

However Alcatel-Lucent in ANZ has been pursuing its own rollout plans for the NLG for some time. Mark Magill from Alcatel-Lucent's enterprise business group, told ITWire, "We have been working on the introduction of this product in Australia and New Zealand for close to 18 months. We initially looked at the CDMA version for NZ but the life expectancy [of that network] was too short. Since the 3G HSPA version became available in September and we have been working with carriers in both NZ and Australia and we expect to have the solution available sometime in 2009."

He added that it could also be available from Alcatel-Lucent channel partners. "We have multiple models for these product; one is through carriers; the alternative is a product sell and systems integration by our channel partners - but the carrier model is clearly superior."

A partnership with Telstra would be particularly attractive because the NLG relies on network access, either by the laptop's ethernet, or WiFi connection or its own 3G modem to control the user's access to the laptop. In the absence of any network a pre-configurable window of operation can be set before the laptop is locked down. This clearly has the potential to weaken security and with Next G's very wide coverage the need for this window would be greatly reduced.

The unit also has a GPS receiver built-in so its last connected location is always available to the administrator. In normal operation, as soon as the laptop is started up the NLG will chose an available connection method - generally ethernet, followed by WiFi followed by cellular - and wil communicate with the server to ensure that the laptop has not been reported lost or stolen. It then forces the laptop to communicate with enterprise IT trough a VPN connection, and bars any direct access to the Internet.

Partnerships announced
Alcatel-Lucent announced in April 2008 a partnership with SafeNet to incorporate this function in the NLG. Sierra Wireless was also named last April as a supplier of 3G modems for the NLG and this week Alcatel-Lucent announced a partnership with Novotel Wireless to incorporate NLG functionality into its MiFi 2352 device. This is a 'cigarette-case sized" Linux-based 3G wireless modem that provides WiFi connections for up to five laptops. According to Novatel's web site, it is due to be available mid year at a price of around $US200.

}Data on the hard drive can be encrypted using one of several standard systems, including the open source TrueCrypt and MacAfee's Safeboot. However unlike conventional implementation of these tools the encryption keys are held on the server not on the laptop. "We can revoke those keys and delete the data without any user intervention and provide audit trail as to what was encrypted, Magill said.

Also, the user need not be locked out if the NLG card is lost or damaged or ceases to function, "If there is human authentication - the administrator knows who you are, they can create short term access that allows you to get in without the NLG card," Magill said.

Magill said that the NLG had an open application interface and was incorporated in the company's global application partner programme for enterprise products, enabling additional functionality to be added.