Security
The Cruzer Profile is all about security. Not just preventing unauthorized people from accessing your files but also securing data from corruption and damage. Obviously the most prominent feature of the drive is the biometric security in the form of fingerprint scanning, but on the drive itself you'll find a host of programs that can guarantee some security. Like previously discussed the drive presents itself as two separate volumes, one of 16 MB and one of 1 GB. The smaller of the two holds the locking software to lock or unlock the bigger volume once it has been locked. This is simply called the Cruzer Profile software. It guides you through the process of embedding your fingerprints in the drive to secure it. You can choose to run the tutorial first, which is really helpful in demonstrating the correct use of the fingerprint scanner. It's easy but needs some instructions to get it right. The Cruzer Profile software can store all of your 10 fingers. You need to scan each fingerprint three times before the software accepts is. Like the tutorial will explains, you move your finger gently from the last knuckle in your finger to the tip and place the scanner on a flat surface. Once the software accepts you assign it to the corresponding finger on a picture the software shows you. Of course you could leave one or two fingers over for someone else to scan, as a sort of master key. 
On that same small volume you'll find a tool to connect the finger print scanner to your Windows logon. This enables you to allow biometric security for your Windows machine, on the go! You can see more and more devices with fingerprint security these days, the first laptops with biometric security are already emerging. Windows Vista is going to enable this option as well. So for those who can't upgrade just yet, this comes in handy. It uses the Cruzer Profile fingerprints and connects those Windows logon. So the setup is really easy, you can install the tool and enroll some fingerprints or vice versa. It adds a new bar to the welcome screen when you start up, which you enable by pressing CTRL, ALT and Home. Then a small icon briefly appears asking you to identify yourself with your fingerprints and you can login in automatically. To do that you connect your Login ID and password to the software first time you scan your fingerprint, after that it simply logins for you. Of course if you have trouble using the scanner or simply want to type in your password anyway, you still can, it's not disabled. If you don't have any fingerprint enrolled and you still installed the software, it will tell you to enroll some fingerprints first then try again, it won't lock you out. 
Within Cruzer Profile software resides a handy tool called Cruzerpass. This tool allows you to store or import websites that need a login code. That way you won't have to remember all of the ID's and passwords of all of the login enabled sites you use and you can safely secure them with a fingerprint.
Splitting the drives lets you have choices in regards to the measure of the security used for your data. You can choose to enable the finger print scanner and lock the entire 1 GB drive on which the other software is located or leave it be. Then you can choose to store your data inside encrypted software or just let that be. For those who want full security you can enable the fingerprint scanner and use the encryption software to double up on security and not leave anything to chance.
|
