I don’t have time for all of the stupidity out there but this is just to stupid to let pass by. Easy Nova a German company that makes a variety of computer storage accessories, recently released a hard drive case with hardware data encryption with 128-bit AES and access control via an RFID chip. Which on the surface sounds really really cool. Portable secure data, what more could you ask for? As it turns out you still need to ask for it to be secure because according to Heise Online and c’t Magazine that despite the claims of AES hardware encryption the product actually uses XOR encryption to write your data! Evidently the AES is only used to encrypt the RFID signal between the drive and the key fob. AES for the RFID chip but XOR for the data? I mean WTF! How about some truth in labeling. I suppose we should be happy they didn’t use double XOR.
This is yet another example of a security product that isn’t secure. How is the consumer supposed to know? Not everyone has diagnostic labs and forensic tools at the their disposal to test each and every product they buy for security. I’ve mentioned the formation of a Cyber UL before and clearly it is sorely needed.
About Space Rogue
With over two decades of experience, Space Rogue (Cris Thomas) has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and has been interviewed by Wired, CNBC and even MTV. He created the wildly popular websites the Whacked Mac Archives and Cyber Squirrel 1. He produced the weekly podcast SpiderLabs Radio, and the critically acclaimed weekly news video program the Hacker News Network. His writing has appeared in Network Computing, New Statesman, The Hill, and the Christian Science Monitor. He has spoken at security conferences such as Def Con, Blackhat, and Shmoocon. Space Rogue currently works as the Global Lead of Policy and Special Initiatives for the legendary IBM X-Force.
AES = XOR = Secure? WTF!?!
I don’t have time for all of the stupidity out there but this is just to stupid to let pass by. Easy Nova a German company that makes a variety of computer storage accessories, recently released a hard drive case with hardware data encryption with 128-bit AES and access control via an RFID chip. Which on the surface sounds really really cool. Portable secure data, what more could you ask for? As it turns out you still need to ask for it to be secure because according to Heise Online and c’t Magazine that despite the claims of AES hardware encryption the product actually uses XOR encryption to write your data! Evidently the AES is only used to encrypt the RFID signal between the drive and the key fob. AES for the RFID chip but XOR for the data? I mean WTF! How about some truth in labeling. I suppose we should be happy they didn’t use double XOR.
This is yet another example of a security product that isn’t secure. How is the consumer supposed to know? Not everyone has diagnostic labs and forensic tools at the their disposal to test each and every product they buy for security. I’ve mentioned the formation of a Cyber UL before and clearly it is sorely needed.
About Space Rogue
With over two decades of experience, Space Rogue (Cris Thomas) has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and has been interviewed by Wired, CNBC and even MTV. He created the wildly popular websites the Whacked Mac Archives and Cyber Squirrel 1. He produced the weekly podcast SpiderLabs Radio, and the critically acclaimed weekly news video program the Hacker News Network. His writing has appeared in Network Computing, New Statesman, The Hill, and the Christian Science Monitor. He has spoken at security conferences such as Def Con, Blackhat, and Shmoocon. Space Rogue currently works as the Global Lead of Policy and Special Initiatives for the legendary IBM X-Force.