mTrust suite guards data on USB Flash disks

M-Systems' tools enable central control of security, including passwords and encryption

M-Systems has launched a suite of products to make USB Flash drives more attractive for enterprise storage. The suite ensures data on the drives is encrypted, and includes tools to track devices and apply corporate security policies.

The mTrust suite consists of mTrust Shield, a tool to let administrators control which devices can connect to PC USB ports, plus mTrust Manager, which enables central deployment of passwords to access USB Flash drives. However, many of the features of the suite require special mTrust-ready Flash drives.

Many businesses have banned portable storage because of security issues, according M-Systems. "Firms are afraid of people walking in with an iPod and taking away anything up to 60GB worth of data," said Nimrod Reichenberg, head of marketing for Enterprise Solutions at the firm. Using mTrust Shield, administrators can enforce policy and block the use of unauthorised devices, he added.

Similar tools are already offered by other security vendors, but mTrust Manager is unique, according to Reichenberg, as it centrally manages mTrust Flash drives deployed by the IT department, enabling administrators to set or change passwords. The tool communicates with a software agent running in each one and maintains an audit trail of all file operations carried out, and can also be configured to periodically back up files to a central server.

The mTrust-ready drives are sold by vendors including Verbatim and Kingston Technology. Hardware encryption and mandatory passwords prevent data being read if a device is lost or stolen, Reichenberg said.

The mTrust suite is available through resellers. MTrust Shield costs $20 to $40 (£11 to£22) per endpoint, while mTrust Manager licensing costs depend on the number of USB Flash drives managed.