Opinions on SecurStar's DriveCrypt Plus Pack?

[Sid Post]

I have asked around on the 'net and in usenet news about this program with no success to date that I can recall.

The things that interest me are stated pretty well on their webpage:

Some of the main features & benefits:

Boot protection
Pre-Boot authentication: Login before starting the operating system
Multiple OS boot support (Microsoft)
Invisible operating system (allows hiding the entire operating system
Full or partial hard disk encryption
Sector level protection
Complete "power off" protection i.e. unauthorised users are prohibited from starting up the PC
AES 256 bit encryption
No size limitation for encrypted disks
Manages an unlimited amount of encrypted disks simultaneously.
Allows steganography to hide data into pictures
Trojan and keyboard sniffer protection preventing passwords from being sniffed / captured (red screen modus).
Anti dictionary and brute-force attack mechanisms (due to the nature of DCPP, it is the most difficult system to attack compared to anything else available.)
Encrypts almost any kind of media (hard disks, floppy disks, ZIP, JAZ, etc...)
Administrator /user specific rights
USB-Token authentication at pre-boot level (Aladdin R2 and Rainbow USB-Token)
Facility to validate the integrity of the encryption method.
Recovery disk for "disaster recovery"
Easy to install, deploy and use.
Completely transparent to the user
Minimal administration and user training.

I like the fact that it is protected all the time, whether powered up or powered down. Factory support is nice. With freeware, unless you compile the code yourself (and get source from a reputable place) you don't really know if it has been tampered with. Granted Securstar could have a back door but, as a commercial concern they have too much to loose to give me up ;) for the limited monetary value I represent.

Now, back to seriousness, has anyone used this product? Does it work well (in the general sense with Windows XP SP2)? Does it have side effects with other third party programs that do things like data backups, update video card drivers, mess with firewalls, spyware blasters, etc?

I run PGP 8.0.3 at home for work related reasons so, I am pretty safe already but, I don't administer the PGP installation so, in theory the office could gain access to my personal records (I have only one computer so, my on-line banking/investment and prescription medicine records for example are on this computer and I want to prevent the office snoops from monitoring my financial and health records covertly).

Thanks in advance!

SecurStar's website (http://www.securstar.com/products_drivecryptpp.php?XCARTSESSID=76d674483c738dfd16d1465bccb18eb2)

p.s. I should add that this computer is my PERSONAL machine located at my house. It is not a laptop taken to the office or a machine paid for in anyway by my employer. I VPN into work to avoid the commute when I can.

[LockBox]

SecurStar as a company has a horrible record on customer support. There are actually many reviews in alt.privacy.scramdisk . In fact, the developer Shaun Hollingsworth posts there often. Bottom line is that most there use it but are frustrated at SecurStar.

[jim0000008]

I have been using Securstar Drivecrypt for a year and it is excellent. Their customer support is also some of the best and most personal I have encountered. Never more than 48 hours for a reply. Their options for hiding and encrypting are also the most thorough and exhaustive that I have found. Their inexpensive products are worth the price for peace of mind 100x over.

[Billy Blaze]

{QUOTE->
I like the fact that it is protected all the time, whether powered up or powered down. <-QUOTE}

It is important to note that DriveCrypt Plus Pack does not protect your computer from people who may gain access to you computer by remote means. It only keeps your data secure from people who may try to retrieve data through local means.

{QUOTE-> I run PGP 8.0.3 at home for work related reasons so, I am pretty safe already but, I don't administer the PGP installation so, in theory the office could gain access to my personal records (I have only one computer so, my on-line banking/investment and prescription medicine records for example are on this computer and I want to prevent the office snoops from monitoring my financial and health records covertly). <-QUOTE}

If you did not administer the installation of PGP I would not trust it. I would also not keep such information on my computer if at all possible. If you have to keep such information on your computer I would suggest picking up CryptoSuite (http://www.ghostsecurity.com/index.php?page=cryptosuite) , PGP (http://www.pgp.com/) (get it from a trusted source like their website and install it yourself this time) , or TrueCrypt (http://truecrypt.sourceforge.net/) (which is free).

Considering you did not administer the installation of PGP you might be wary of what else might have been installed on your computer that you are not aware of. Backdoors and keyloggers will make any encryption useless.

{QUOTE->
p.s. I should add that this computer is my PERSONAL machine located at my house. It is not a laptop taken to the office or a machine paid for in anyway by my employer. I VPN into work to avoid the commute when I can. <-QUOTE}

Do they have remote access back to your computer?

If the concern about unauthorized local access is not high, there is probably not a need for DriveCrypt Plus Pack.

If I had a laptop I might justify the need for DriveCrypt Plus Pack.

[meneer]

More here (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=69057) and here (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=69188)