Announce. Rohos Credential Provider for Vista

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Teslain Ltd. announces it’s new Credential Provider component for Windows Vista.

The Windows Vista Credential Provider extends traditional password-based authentication and allows Software developers to add their own credential mechanisms to the operating system.

Rohos Logon Key Credential Provider. Windows Vista 2-factor authentication, secure logon

Rohos Logon Key allows to use hardware-based authentication for data and privacy protection. Its features for the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system include:

  • Secure PC logon and workstation lock with the USB flash drive key
  • Convenient fast-user switching for multiple users
  • Remote Desktop Connection login with the USB key on the client computer
  • 2-factor authentication support
  • Multiple options for the USB key removal events such as automatic computer locking, user logoff, computer shutdown or activating screensaver
  • Regular password based login can be prohibited


Regular password based login

Increase in encrypted disk size – it’s already available!

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The function allows increasing the size of the encrypted Rohos disk. The latest Rohos Disk v1.16 is already available for download.

We also added an important command – the Force error checking on the disk without Windows restart.

You can also see in the new release:
Fixed: Disk auto mount by sticking up the USB flash drive (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Rohos\EnableAutoMountByUSB).
Disk-on Notifications (located nearby the Clock) becomes automatically disabled after being shown 20 times.

Resize Rohos disk dialog

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Rohos Mini – expiration bug fixed

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> Trial tim has expired.
> Please order full version.

This message you will get from Rohos Mini when you will try to open encrypted disk on a Guest computer after 15 day of using it.Sorry for the troubles. Rohos Mini is FREE flash drive encryption program.
This problem was fixed. You can update now. Read on how to apply fix…

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How to set up and use Rohos Logon Key Emergency Logon

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Properly setup Emergency Logon will maintain the high degree of security that Rohos Logon Key provides, remember if it is easy for you to access it may be too easy for Bad Guys.

To Define Emergency Logon in Windows from Start > [> = go to] Rohos Logon Key Center > Set up USB Flash Drive > look just above the row of three buttons at the bottom of the window for “Setup Emergency Logon” in blue.

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How Rohos Logon Key works in Safe Mode

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Rohos Logon Key is the only authentication software that protects Windows XP/Seven login even in Safe Mode. This allows user to use USB key for any Windows startup mode and offer additional security. The user often ask us whether it’s possible to bypass Rohos login by starting Windows using Safe Mode bootup? No.

“The user account security and the computer security in a whole will be imperfect, if a user could load PC in Safe Mode, and log in by usual password avoiding the USB Key.”

Rohos protects your computer even in Safe Mode. This is a unique feature. All of our competitors just recommend you to disable Safe Mode via Windows registry…

Here is how Rohos Logon protects your PC in Safe Mode (see the picture below):

  • Rohos adds USB Key icon in the login window when loading into Safe Mode
  • For Windows XP and Vista – user name/password input fields are disabled (optionally)
  • Login can be performed by using USB Key (or regular password if it is enabled, or Rohos emergency login).

Rohos blocks Windows Safe Mode bootup

Please note: Safe Mode is available in Windows XP – Seven. It loads the system into “clean” state – at the same time all 3rd party authentiation modules (GINA or Authentication Providers) are being turned off, many drivers and all the programs from startup are disabled.

NB: Most of the authentication solutions are disabled in Safe Mode. Instead they suggest users to disable Safe Mode possibility via Windows registry. Thus, in case there are problems, it will be very difficult to restore Windows.

How Rohos Logon Key works in Safe Mode:

  1. Rohos Logon Key register a simple service (ntserv.exe) in Windows Registry
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot
  2. Upon Safe Mode load, NTserv.exe starts. It detects active Windows login screen and run Rohos logon key icon on it.
  3. Rohos Logon Key icon allows you to login by USB Key. Depending on the Rohos security setting, regular ‘password based’ login can be disabled by disabling pasword input fields.

Pulling USB drive out of the computer with Rohos Logon…

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We always wanted to tell you that in order to use the program Rohos Logon Key, you have to set up the option “Optimize USB drive for quick removal” (read farther).
And our user Patrick reminded us about that:

“I am trying Rohos Logon Key . I have two questions. If you pull USB drives out of the computer, you risk losing data or killing the drive. Couldn\’t this cause a problem if using Rohos in this manner? …”

Patrick meant that before pulling the USB drive out you should use the dialog Safe hardaware removal:

Safe USB drive removal dialog.

But when you use Rohos Logon Key it’s useless to use this Safe Removal dialog (though you may do it if you use PIN code and lock the system by hotkey Win+L), because the quick computer lock-out by using USB key becomes senseless. In this case in Windows you should set up the option To optimize USB drive for quick removal:

Optimize USB flash drive for quick removal to prevent data loss

The red lines show the actions that go one after another: My computer – USB disk properties – Hardware page – double click on the name of the USB disk – Policy – Optimize USB drive for quick removal check box.

More than 20 USB flash drives were at our disposal, and only 1 of 3 “has died” suddenly (stopped recognized by Windows on the next day).

Native language characters disappears in Linux’ net drive.

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Not long ago, one of our users in Forum has suggested an interesting idea how to use Rohos disk. Actually, it concerns all the similar programs virtual-disks, but it seemed, we are the first.

So, here’s the issue. If users have the Linux samba server, they have access to the network folders on that Linux server for storing their files there. Thus, very often during working with the files that contains specific (native) letters of your mother tongue(ä, ü, Б, ц), the letters get lost.

Here’s what our user has written (translated from german):

… the program can solve the problem by creating on the network shared folders big-sized virtual disks. Cause files which contain the characters of your language in file names get lost, because the network folder is on the Linux server with Japanese BIOS.

This is how it looks:

Thus, if you keep Rohos disk on Linux computer in the network folder, and use (mounting) it in on your computer or in Windows server,  these letters in files names will be unaltered (the file system NTFS accomplishes it cause it is UNICODE enabled).

 

USB flash drive encryption softwares

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In Internet one can easily find a lot of programs on the subjects like “USB flash drive security”, “Set up password on USB flash drive”, or “Encrypt USB flash drive”. Each of them has its pros and cons. Let’s take up the issue in detail.
Programs for USB flash drive encryption are divided into 2 groups:

  1. The programs that encrypt the separate files on the USB flash drive. The secure files are stored in the special (hidden) folder on USB disk. Certainly, the files names are modified, and the contents are encrypted. You can open the file only in the program, at the same time the file is decoded on the USB disk and then opens in the associated application. At the end it is required to give a command “to update protected file”.

    Such programs are “Remora USB guard”, “USB Vault” “Folder Lock”. If you wish you might replace these programs by usual password archive RAR, ZIP (with built-in encryption feature). It automatically renews the archive file, if you have opened it in the archive and changed it.

  2. The programs that create virtual encrypted disk, where all the files are automatically coded/ decoded without direct user command. The disk is fully contained in the USB flash drive.
    These programs have a number of advantages:
  • A user works with the protected files directly. It is not necessary to indicate what file should be decoded
  • The files are being automatically coded/ decoded as required
  • Temporary files are also kept as encrypted ones
  • It is possible to work with a virtual disk from any program

    The main disadvantage is that you should have Administrative privileges to open this virtual disk, because the program loads the disk driver, i.e. if you want to open the disk in Internet cafe, you will not manage it by 99%. However, such kind of program is right for secure carrying over the files from home and work and vice versa.

There are also the programs that are usually included in the stand of some USB flash drives (for example Transcend Jet Flash). They divide the USB flash drive memory into 2 partitions. 2 Removable disks are showing up in the system while connecting. The first disk is open, the second one is entirely
encrypted. If you want to open it for reading/recording, you should enter password in the special program.

Expected to be released tomorrow.

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Hi,

Sorry for delay but, Fisrt version expected to be released only tomorrow.

First release expected on 15 Jan

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Hi,

There are some stuff that should be finished off in the Rohos Mini development.

We suppose to publish it within a few weeks.

Leave your comment to get to know about it.

Alexey.