Forwarded From: <anon>
http://www.nytimes.com/techweb/TW_Encryption_Software_Protects_PalmPilots.html
February 2, 1999
Encryption Software Protects PalmPilots
Filed at 7:48 p.m. EST
By John Gartner for TechWeb, CMPnet
Jaws Technologies, based in Calgary, Canada, released a software utility
this week that protects PalmPilot III data using encryption far surpassing
U.S. restrictions.
Jaws L5 Data Encryption -- PDA Edition can be used to encrypt sensitive
data such as passwords, credit cards, or personal finance information
stored on the popular PalmPilot III personal digital assistants. Once data
is encrypted and secured by a password, it cannot be transmitted to other
PalmPilots.
The software requires only 35 kilobytes of memory on PalmPilots and can be
used in conjunction with desktop versions of Jaws' encryption software.
Once the software is installed, data is automatically encrypted and
decrypted at a rate of 1 megabyte per second when the system is powered on
or off.
The theft of corporate portable-computing devices is becoming an
increasing risk factor, according to analysts. "Whether a user is
accessing data on workstation or coordinating files with a PDA, or
hand-held computer, the importance of secure data spans across many
corporate functions and levels," said Greg Naderi, IT market analyst at
Frost & Sullivan.
The number of PDAs grew by 177 percent 1998 to $531.3 million, according
to Frost & Sullivan. "With growth patterns such as this, data encryption
is certain to become more vital to the corporate infrastructure," Naderi
added.
Designing a small-footprint encryption system with acceptable performance
has been a challenge for encryption vendors, Naderi said.
Jaws Technologies has applied for patents for their technology, which
requires more permutations to crack than the scientific community
currently has a number for, said Robert Kubbernus, CEO of Jaws. Kubbernus
said he saw an opportunity when he realized the risk he took when saving
data on his own PDA. "We pulled the PalmPilot apart and realized that it
was very insecure," he said.
The U.S. government restricts software for export to 56-bit encryption in
most uses, and 128-bit for specific circumstances, but does not prohibit
important software using higher encryption. The 'L5' in the product name
refers to level 5, or the U.S. government's highest rating for security,
said Kubbernus.
Jaws L5 Data Encryption -- PDA Edition will be available for download for
$19.95 and is being sold for $1 for the first two weeks of February from
sites such as Beyond.com and BuyDirect.com.
The Professional Edition for Windows shipped in July of 1998 and can be
used to share data between desktops, laptops, and the PalmPilot.
-o-
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Received on Thu Mar 11 17:17:52 1999