SanDisk announced today that it has added anti-malware protection from McAfee to its line of Cruzer Enterprise USB flash drives. This "always on" safeguard blocks malware, even when the device is used outside of the firewall. Its automatic anti-malware scan also prohibits file transfers to secure USB drives from infected PCs.
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) and McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) today announced SanDisk Cruzer Enterprise with anti-malware protection from McAfee. In addition to protecting corporate USB flash drive users from data leaks, the solution includes the McAfee® Scan Engine, which offers advanced heuristic analysis for comprehensive detection of both known and unknown threats. Expected to be available before year’s end, this “always on” safeguard blocks malware from entering the secure USB flash drive even when the device is used outside of the firewall.
Information about SanDisk Cruzer Enterprise is available at SanDisk’s booth (#107) at Focus 08, a security conference sponsored by McAfee that is underway this week at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas through Thursday.
“SanDisk Cruzer Enterprise is an ideal solution for the mobile workforce and for IT departments concerned with data security, because it allows employees to have access to data everywhere and yet be fully protected,” said Roy Ramati, vice president and general manager, Enterprise Division at SanDisk. “Adding McAfee’s technology to our security solutions for the enterprise enables our customers to extend their security perimeter to mobile storage.”
Cruzer Enterprise with McAfee security protects users from infection with an automatic anti-malware scan that prohibits file transfers to the secure USB drive when it detects infection on a host PC. Malware, short for malicious software, is a program that is intended to disrupt a computer system by introducing a harmful code such as a virus, worm or Trojan horse. The addition of McAfee Scan Engine and virus definition files (DATs) prevents malware from attaching itself to the portable drive and in turn, infecting the internal enterprise host. The scan engine examines every file saved or copied to the USB flash drive.
“With today’s increasingly mobile work force and the speedy proliferation of new threats, it’s just as vital for organizations to protect their portable devices from malware as it is to secure their perimeter” said Christopher Bolin, executive vice president and chief technology officer, McAfee. “The McAfee Scan Engine has been battle-tested over many years and is the foundation of McAfee’s anti-malware solutions. SanDisk Enterprise Cruzer customers can rest assured that they have reliable and accurate detection from malicious code.”
Cruzer Enterprise safeguards all files stored on the drive with advanced hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption. Users are required to create a complex password during the set-up process. The combination of encryption and password protection makes it extremely difficult for unauthorized users to access data should the drive be lost or stolen.
SanDisk CMC server software provides lifecycle management for Cruzer Enterprise drives, including password recovery and renewal through the network, remote termination of lost drives, central back-up and restore, and central usage tracking. This means data is not lost when a drive is lost, and IT administrators can provision a replacement flash drive with user files stored on the network.
SanDisk, a global leader in USB flash drives, is driving the convergence of flash drive security, authentication and virtualization through its Enterprise Division to create a comprehensive solution for mobile professionals in enterprises and government agencies.
Today, SanDisk's Enterprise Division offers solutions for securely storing and managing enterprise data, both inside and outside of the enterprise environment, coupled with authentication capabilities. With the upcoming introduction of virtualization technologies, SanDisk expects to allow IT managers to boost employee productivity by mobilizing the corporate computing environment through flexible, secure solutions that also reduce total cost of ownership.
