iKey

If

you thought smart cards were the in thing, here’s something that’ll

perhaps change that view. Rainbow Technologies has come up with a new

network security solution called iKey. It resembles the handle of a pan, but

is small enough to hook into your key chain. Just like a smart card, iKey

also has its own memory, on which you can store personal information such as

your passwords. However, unlike a smart card that requires a special reader

device, iKey plugs into the USB port on your machine. All you need to do is

plug it in, and iKey will log you into your machine.

iKey can be used for many

applications. You can have password authentication for NT, use it for

software protection, file encryption, remote server access, etc. It’s

quite effective for users who have to log in to multiple services with

different passwords.

iKey comes with software

consisting of drivers, libraries, and utilities. It uses PKI (Public Key

Infrastructure) to authenticate users. It can store encrypted certificates

and has on-key file security that includes a user mode, an admin mode, and a

physical fuse to prevent unauthorized read outs.

It can work on desktop PCs, iMacs, servers, network equipment, and laptops. The developer kit costs Rs

2,000, varying in the case of bulk deals.