MXI Stealth Zone and Stealth Keys Take Secure Computing on the Road Without PC

by Andrew Garcia

The M500 Stealth Key comes in sizes ranging from 1GB to 64GB. I tested the $479 8GB model. All models have a Bluefly processor and are FIPS-validated.

On the normal install, administrators can set up the Stealth Key for use by one user. In the custom menu, administrators can set the stick to support up to 10 users, set the restore password and create password complexity rules.

From a PC running the ACCESS Standard software on the device’s open storage partition, users can manage some aspect of device operation. To add more users or recycle the device, users will need additional credentials beyond their own.

After a defined number of bad logins (10 by default), the device will block users from accessing the device settings or using it. If a user gets blocked, an administrator can clear up the problem. If an admin account gets blocked, the device must be recycled and reset to factory condition.

After logging into the Stealth Key preboot environment, the user may customize the stick’s OS to the hardware in use, or select a generic instance.

Once authenticated, the Stealth Key will boot into a Windows XP Embedded OS environment. My unit came preloaded only with Microsoft Office 2003 and Internet Explorer 7, but administrators can add additional software or patches via Maintenance Mode.

On one PC on which the Stealth Key should have worked but didn’t, the BIOS saw the Stealth Key well enough to start accessing the preboot environment, but not well enough to complete the process.

When in Generic Mode, the OS likely won’t recognize the PC’s network adapters. To put a generic mode instance on the network, I needed to enable networking from the MXI System Tray applet.??í??í??í??í??í??í