Yoggie Security Systems has managed to cram a dedicated security appliance onto a USB stick. Designed primarily to protect roaming laptops, the device contains a processor and embedded software that offloads security functions from the host laptop.

Available online this month, the Yoggie Pico ships in a Personal version and a Pro version for the enterprise market. The latter includes a VPN client and an interface to the Yoggie Management Server.

Both versions run up to 13 security functions, including firewall, intrusion detection and prevention, antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing and anti-spam, all available simply by plugging the device into a laptop.

“We’re running the security applications on top of a hardened Linux OS and we have a dual Flash system whereby the OS and apps reside in one part of memory but are loaded and run from a different piece of Flash,” said Yoggie chief executive Shlomo Touboul. This loads up a clean, undamaged copy of the OS and security applications every time the Pico is started, he added.

Yoggie’s earlier security device, Gatekeeper Pro, sat between a LAN and a laptop’s USB port. This was fine for protecting home workers, but not so convenient to hang from your laptop at an airport, Touboul said. With Yoggie Pico, a low-level driver redirects all network traffic through the Pico to achieve the same level of isolation.

The Yoggie Pico Pro can be managed through an internet connection to a Yoggie Management Server, which allows administrators to apply security policy across up to 500 users. One server appliance costs $5,000 (£2,527), and firms needing to support more than 500 Pico Pros can apply for a a quote.

The Yoggie Pico Pro costs £106. This includes a one-year licence for the built-in applications, with licences for successive years costing a further £21. The devices will also be available in retail outlets from September.