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Installation
As
far as installation goes, it is broken down into two parts, hardware and
software setup. While the whole installation process is quick and
easy, there's lot's to cover and in fact, so much that I was somewhat forced to dedicate
a whole section to it.
The hardware install is a breeze on both
Windows XP and Windows Vista systems. Both will immediately detect and
properly identify the device for use. In Device Manager, you should
see it under Disk Drives under both operating systems. Oddly though,
Vista may seem to inappropriately identify it as a CD drive. There's
actually a reason to this and really not an issue based on how the
partitions are designed. See this
screenshot for an example.
Moving on, let's cover software because as
with all biometric devices, there is usually some setup involved to prepare
it for first use. With the n-Tegrity though, it is much more advanced
in respect to the methods taken to provide the highest level of security
possible.
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Setting up this little gem for first use is quite simple, thanks to the
excellent wizard you'll follow that will prompt you for all info needed.
The first step is one that will leave most wondering and somewhat puzzled,
despite the fact that it takes no longer than two seconds to get passed it.
The n-Tegrity uses RSA encryption used for the encryption of files and any
personal data you wish to load. In fact, it actually uses RSA-2048,
the highest level consisting of the largest set of RSA numbers.
Anyways, this screen will basically generate the RSA-2048 key pair, which is
easily done by having the user move the mouse cursor over the image.
This will allow the software to collect random data for somewhat of a
genuinely unique
identification.
The
second step involves the registering of fingerprints. For those in the
IT field that have used or happen to manage a number of Biometric devices
such as those in the area of Payroll
systems, it is somewhat the same. I personally have managed several of
these and based on my experience, it is always best to register two fingers.
Now, unlike a number of devices I've used, the n-Tegrity takes it a step
further by requiring a password as well. This is not only designed as
somewhat of a "backup" solution, but an extra measure of security as well.
In fact, its "quality check" is about as strict as it comes. For
example and as demonstrated in one of the screenshots above, setting a
somewhat complex 10 alphanumeric password was on the lower end of of the
spectrum in terms of what it considered "appropriate".
The
final step, although minor, actually plays an very important role in terms
of its features and functionality. In fact, I'll admit that I did not
pay enough attention the first time around.
Anyways, this is where you'll enter all your personal contact information and where
you'll be shown its unique public key. Now, here's the where the neat
features come in...After you enter your personal contact information,
you have the option of exporting it to an XML file. The benefit of
this is that you can provide this file to anyone who has this drive or one
featuring "n-Pass" so that it will allow encrypted communication
between all imported contacts. More on that later though!
After you have gone through the very simple wizard, you'll be presented with a very small authentication
status window. Looks pretty basic right? Well, it actually
isn't. In short, this window displays a very accurate, real-time
"view" of the embedded biometric scanner.
The screenshot taken above is an excellent
example. It was one of many intentional attempts to unsuccessfully authenticate and
gain access to the drive and its features. The one demonstrated above
was on a separate system featuring Windows Vista and you can clearly see
that I purposely did not swipe the registered finger across the whole
surface area, resulting in a failed attempt to properly read the print and
gain access to the drive in general.
The final topic I would like to include in
this section is actually not only an unexpected one, but certainly one that
will offer additional peace of mind. Unlike most all USB flash drives
on the market, the n-Tegrity is actually firmware upgradeable.
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But how can you tell what firmware is
currently loaded on the drive? Well, you first need to visit their
website and download a small utility called "n-TegrityID" in order to
identify the particular drive you have so that you download the correct
firmware. Think of it like upgrading your optical drive's firmware.
With the n-Tegrity Pro though, the firmware you'll need to download is based
on its USB PID. This particular free utility will identify which drive
you have, allowing you to download the appropriate supported firmware.
However, considering I always like to upgrade
firmware on any product only if they provide a detailed change log, it wasn't
even necessary here as the sample drive sent over for review actually
was loaded with a
more recent firmware than the latest listed on their website.
As you can see, there was plenty to cover just
on installation and if you think this is too much info, prepare yourself!
Its superb software options and features are practically endless and
required an unexpected extra amount of time to attempt to feature them all.
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