MXI Security, a leading provider of FIPS-2 level 2 validated portable security USB devices to governments and corporations worldwide, and Unisys have announced a partnership resulting in a new way for enterprise and government organizations to keep virtual desktops more secure. The companies have collaborated on a key part of the Unisys Consolidated Desktop Solution (CDS), which is designed to consolidate, virtualize and host desktop infrastructures onto centralized servers and storage systems.
The result of the Unisys and MXI Security partnership, the Unisys Thin client Model 2140, is a USB "stick" mass storage device that can transform an existing PC or laptop computer into a secure thin-client terminal by providing an encrypted read-only boot drive. The USB drive, a device developed by MXI Security, incorporates MXI Security's Stealth MXP portable security technology along with Windows SP Embedded Edition software and remote desktop protocol (RDP) client software configured for the CDS environment.
With the strong authentication and on-board hardware encryption capabilities of MXI's Stealth MXP technology, the Unisys Thin client Model 2140 device controls and protects access to an organization's networks, data and applications, whether within corporate boundaries or in remote-connection mode.
"The way we put it together is that you take this memory stick, plug it into an existing PC and you reboot the PC off of the stick-you transform that PC into a thin client basically," John Keller, director of Consolidated Desktop Solution for Unisys, tells 5 Minute Briefing.
Containing only environmental software and no data, the Unisys device locks down the PC to prevent users from accessing DVD drives, USB ports and other means of downloading or uploading information, to or from the desktop. Additionally, it also prevents the consequences that can result from loss or theft of the device.
"All the intelligence that is needed to run as a thin client is on that memory stick, but there is no data on that memory stick; there is no personal information of the user on that memory stick, and there is no way for the end user to save data back to the memory stick or even save data back to the PC that it is running on," says Keller. "Basically when you boot off that stick, for all intents and purposes, the hard drive of the PC is gone, it's dead-you could remove it out of the PC and nobody would know the difference. It transforms that PC into a secure front-end desktop or thin client, if you will." For more information, go here.