This is the first thing that popped into my head; A security token for my computer or workstation, where it determines if I’m at the computer and unlocks it or in the event, I’m away locking it. Useful or gimmick? Can I include a pin, is there a backup if this device dies etc… These were all questions that went through my mind.
The mission statement from Gatekeeper themselves; “Untethered Labs provides wearable wireless technology to the enterprise security and access control markets. With wide applications in IT security, healthcare, law enforcement, and large businesses, our solution – GateKeeper – is the first line of defence for protection against unauthorised use of computers in the workplace.”
I’m looking at the Gatekeeper 2.0 which unlocks my workstation with my presence in close proximity via a powerful Bluetooth 4.0 wireless key which intelligently adapts to my routine to log me in and/or lock my environment.
Might you be wondering about the local credentials on the workstation? By using a well-established encryption system in the industry which makes use of AES-256 no information can be easily accessed.
While this is interesting about the credentials used, this leaves the Keyfob itself. No information is stored on it, making the keyfob on its own useless. There’s no credentials transfer via “Air”, so they’res no worries for sniffers or man in the middle attack.
In my test of the product, I’ve been using the product to do exactly as its meant to and I’ve come across no problem at all. I couldn’t find anything to fault it if only for the annoying pesky notification I was getting from Windows 10 to let me know that the computer would lock in 5 minutes if I wasn’t using it. You can toggle that notification off in the settings which then made it enjoyable to use.
The unit retails on Amazon Canada for $56 with free shipping as an option. Some may think of this as a novelty idea, however, in the world of IT security, there’s nothing better than providing a 2-factor authentication method, it makes it harder to access a system locally. |
You can also head on to their website at http://www.gkchain.com/ for all the latest information.
