HARDWARE SECURITYFOR YOUR SECURE PCs

CABLE LOCKS

Allows customers to manage physical security access within the enterprise, offices, schools, libraries and research labs. Cable locks help reduce theft, and increase physical asset security protection for laptops, laptop docking stations, desktops and flat panel monitors.

• Zinc alloy lock using a stainless steel T-bar lock mechanism design

• Convenient Velcro strap tie for cable management for travel or storage

• One piece design for easy use – does not require glue, brackets or screws

• Secure system to work area and prevent users from opening the chasis itself

• When attaching cable lock, to the following systems, the cable locks secures the system to the work area and also

LOCKING CABINETSDATA CENTER IS USUALLY MANAGED BY DIFFERENT GROUPS -Responsibilities lies with the owner

RACKS CAN BE INSTALLED TOGETHER -Side-to-sides

ENCLOSED CABINETS WITH LOCKS -Ventilation on front , back , top , and bottom

• Hardware plays a role in securing some computer systems.

• Currently, this is most obviously the case for smartcards,

for which there is a relatively long history of attacks and

countermeasures.

• In the future secure hardware looks set to play an

increasingly important role in the - highly controversial -

Trusted Computing initiatives.

• This might present a solution to some security woes, but

only if other fundamental problems with operating

systems can be addressed.

What is Hardware Security?

10 physical security measures every organization should take

Lock up the server room

Even before you lock down the servers, in fact, before you even turn them on for the first time, you should ensure that there are good locks on the server room door.

The server room is the heart of your physical network, and someone with physical access to the servers, switches, routers, cables and other devices in that room can do enormous damage.

Set up surveillance

Locking the door to the server room is a good first step, but someone could break in, or someone who has authorized access could misuse that authority. You need a way to know who goes in and out and when. A log book for signing in and out is the most elemental way to accomplish this, but it has a lot of drawbacks. A person with malicious intent is likely to just bypass it.

Make sure the most vulnerable devices are in that locked room

Remember, it's not just the servers you have to worry about. A hacker can plug a laptop into a hub and use sniffer software to capture data traveling across the network. Make sure that as many of your network devices as possible are in that locked room, or if they need to be in a different area, in a locked closet elsewhere in the building.

Keep intruders from opening the case

Both servers and workstations should be protected from thieves who can open the case and grab the hard drive. It's much easier to make off with a hard disk in your pocket than to carry a full tower off the premises. Many computers come with case locks to prevent opening the case without a key.

Disable the drivesIf you don't want employees copying company information to removable media, you can disable or remove floppy drives, USB ports, and other means of connecting external drives. Simply disconnecting the cables may not deter technically savvy workers.

Keep intruders from opening the case

Both servers and workstations should be protected from thieves who can open the case and grab the hard drive. It's much easier to make off with a hard disk in your pocket than to carry a full tower off the premises.

Site securityYou should check the physical security of your premises, concentrating on access through windows and doors.

You can improve the physical security of desktop PCs by using devices such as metal cages and anchoring devices, making them more difficult to remove.

Laptop securityLaptops should always be equipped with security cables and securely locked away when not in use. Docking stations should lock them firmly in place when on the desk.

Mobile workers should be particularly careful not to leave their laptops in their cars or in other exposed places.Laptop users should ensure they choose secure passwords

Secure data backup

While the theft of hardware is inconvenient, you can replace it. However, the loss of a PC or server also means you may have lost potentially critical business data.

Therefore it is important to take security measures for both hardware and data, eg by backing the data up in a second location. Methods of backup include external hard drives, pen drives or memory sticks.

Power supply backup

An uninterruptible power supply will make sure that your key components, such as servers and network components, will continue to operate for a short time even if there is a power cut. This will give you time to shut systems down in an orderly fashion.

HARDWARE SECURITY MODULE

HARDWARE SECURITY MODULE (HSM) IS A PHYSICAL COMPUTING DEVICE THAT SAFEGUARDS AND MANAGES DIGITAL

KEYS FOR STRONG AUTHENTICATION AND PROVIDES CRYPTO PROCESSING.

THESE MODULES TRADITIONALLY COME IN THE FORM OF A PLUG-IN CARD OR AN EXTERNAL DEVICE THAT ATTACHES DIRECTLY TO

A COMPUTER OR NETWORK SERVER.

MORE ABOUT IT HSMs may possess controls that provide tamper evidence such as logging and alerting and tamper resistance such as deleting keys upon tamper detection.

Each module contains one or more secure crypto processor chips to prevent tampering and bus probing.

Many HSM systems have means to securely backup the keys they handle either in a wrapped form via the computer's operating system or externally using a smartcard or some other security token.

BIBILIOGRAPHYINFORMATION

www.techrepublic.com

www.findlaw.co.uk

IMAGES

www.google images.com

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