Boot backtrack off ironkey?

[glimt]

I'm considering the purchase of an IronKey USB Memory Stick. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this device and back|track. In particular I'm wondering if the hardware based encryption prevents using it as a back|track boot device.

[junkiethumbs]

Well, for starters, your assumption about the hardware is correct! The Ironkey device is only useable on Windows or Mac. They have not, nor, last time I checked, will they create Linux drivers. Not only that but the way that the device works you NEED to have an OS to start the decryption status of the drive.

Spend your money somewhere else for use with BT.

I use my Ironkey for work and storing personal data, so I can vouch that the device is a really nice device for set and forget encryption.

JT

[glimt]

Accoriding to a press release in June of 2008 Ironkey is supported without software or drivers on kernel 2.6 or higher.

I'm still doubtful it can be used as a boot device, but at least it is supported now.

[junkiethumbs]

The point I did not make clearly is:

You have to have an OS running before you can even get into the Ironkey device. These are not bios enabled usb drives that allow you to unlock them at boot. You must already be in the OS for the device to unlock.

JT

[Anarion]

Isn't one of Ironkey's products (Ironkey Enterprise) designed specifically to be used as a complete software environment (includes Linux) by corporate employees and the like?

How could an employee be expected to take their Ironkey home to do work and not be able to boot off of it? How else could they simulate that environment?

[junkiethumbs]

"The IronKey Enterprise solution combines hardware-encrypted IronKey USB flash drives with the IronKey Enterprise Remote Management Service..."

From my knowledge of their enterprise setup, the IronKey enterprise dongle allows you to REMOTE access YOUR servers through the IronKey Remote Client. This means that you still need to have an os to boot into before running the IronKey apps though. This is how it is working for the Virtual Desktops that it states on their site as well.


Since IronKey is using hardware encryption, your Box needs to know how to access it and therefore needs drivers to run it. This is what is causing the IronKey to not be bootable.

Now if someone can figure out how to make a bootable onto the unlocked partition, which I don't think is writable and I am not willing to risk it since mine is used at work, then it should be possible to put the drivers into that partition to allow the hardware to unlock. Interesting thought actually... hrmmm....

JT

[KnoX9]

it wont work for booting bt. I called and asked what they recommend is putting virtual machines on the ironkeys and run those from your os. So it wont work for what we are looking for.

Instead look for the fastest and largest usb flash drive you can find. And install Luks on it or truecrypt.