Becrypt Trusted to Boot Traditional BIOS- or Mac/EFI-Based Hardware

Becrypt, Inc., supplier of cyber security solutions to Government, federal agencies, defense and the wider public sector, has delivered a new version of Trusted Client that is able to boot either traditional BIOS or Mac/EFI based hardware from a single USB thumb drive.

Organizations that maintain a mixed estate of both PCs and Apple Macs can now use one secure remote access device for all employees whichever hardware they use. Becrypt Trusted Client is FIPS 140.2 approved enabling employees of federal agencies to work from home as outlined in the Telework Enhancement Act, knowing that they are in compliance with the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).

Trusted Client enables employees to work remotely accessing an organization’s network securely from their choice of their issued laptops and/or their own home computers with just one device, supporting the consumerization of IT.

"The development of the Mac version of Trusted Client has been in direct response to customer demand. In many cases, people only have Macs at home so we needed to develop a solution to support them as well as PC users," explained Joshua Wolfe, Vice President of Sales at Becrypt, Inc. "When we first started this project the prevailing opinion within the industry was that having an application on a single USB stick that could boot in BIOS and EFI/Mac environments was impossible. However, as our developers worked they found a way to support both types of operating system from the same device. This will provide an even simpler solution for our customers who are now able to issue one device to staff for secure remote working, which works on virtually all computers."

Trusted Client works by inserting into a USB port and re-booting. A secure environment is launched, providing a user interface, web browser, email access and standalone applications completely isolated from the host PC or Apple Mac’s hard drive. Trusted Client supports virtual desktop infrastructures such as VMware, Citrix, Quest and Terminal Services, providing additional layers of security. Trust Client is configurable to each organization’s individual requirements.

Wolfe added: "At Becrypt we are dedicated to providing innovative solutions to security challenges. Our recent collaboration with Fujitsu in providing a modified version of our DISK Protect encryption solution for the STYLISTIC Q550 tablet PC has resulted in a robust tablet PC suitable for federal employees to access sensitive citizen data remotely. This together with the latest version of Becrypt Trusted Client provides a range of options for central and federal government organizations to offer to their workforce enabling them to harness the benefits of flexible and remote working, while ensuring the protection of data."

The Telework Enhancement Act, which became law in December 2010, requires federal agencies to establish telework policies and make teleworking an option for many more staff. It is estimated that over one million federal employees will now be able to telework for at least part of their week. Teleworking is also to be included in business continuity plans for federal agencies.

Becrypt Trusted Client can be seen at RSA Conference USA, 27 February to 3 March, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA.