I have chosen two different products, first the Steganos Security Suite 2007 and second the Checkpoint VPN-1 Secure Client.

*** Stegnos Security Suite 2007 ***

This product offers a wide range of security functionalities. From encrypting files, Emails, Password, to Internet anonymising andcomplete destroyment of digital data. Here an description of the functionalities

Safe:
With this functionality an user can create a encrypted container which can be mounted as a drive. To open the drive you need to enter a secured key phrase which is used to en/decrypt the container.

Portable Safe:
Is simmilar to the Safe funtionality but enhanced by the option of being enable to open the container without having Steganos Security Safe installed on the target system.

Password Manager:
This is the tool I clear use most as it can be used for managing your password being used at different place. The main advantage is to unlock the password manager itself by it encryption key and than the system inserts the usernames and password automatically when you open one of the system of which you have stored the login information.

Email Encryption:
This feature can be used for classical email encryption supporting private/public key concepts. As the person you send the email to possibly does not have Steganos installed the system provides a file type which can be executed on the target system. Of course the receiver needs to have the private decoding key to open the email. When you receive an email which is encoded the system is able to automatically detect the key assigned to the receiver to open the encrypted message.

File Manager:
Can be used to en/decode single files on your computer.

AntiTheft:
A tool very useful for notebook users to protect a complete notebook again abuse. This tool ensures that a theft is not able to use the computer until he earses all data stored on the system. This finally does not protect your computer but for sure your data. This feature can be combined with the bitlocker drive encryption feature of Microsoft Windows Vista which finally protects the whole notebook again any intrustion.

Internet Trace Desctructur:
Is very useful if you do not want to provide tracking information while surfing in the internet as you automatically do when using any standard browser.


*** Checkpoint VPN-1 Secure Client ***
As I work for Europes leading water treatment company I am enabled to log into the companies internal network through a VPN secured internet connection.

The usage of this tool is quite simple. A private/public key system is used once for authentification (provided at installation time and frequently updated) and second for en/decrypting the traffic between my notebook and the firewall servers of my company.

All I need to access it my standard windows user account and pasword as the Checkpoint Software uses a Radius server for user authenfication. When logged in I get an IP address from inside the companies network and all my traffic (even my internet traffic) is passed through the VPN connection and secured through the companies firewall and virus protection.

http://www.steganos.com
http://www.checkpoint.com