Linux Community Magazine

Easy portable security is a LiveCD distribution developed by the Department of Defense to end secure node, in other words, a secure environment from accessing the Web or a remote desktop host function. The focus is on security, and for this reason it is started from a CD and leads from the RAM, deploying a Web browser, a file manager and a few other small tools.

The lightweight portable security distribution has been the software protection initiative under the direction of the air force research laboratory and the U.S. Department of Defense. The idea is that Government employees can use a CD or USB flash drive, to boot type into a tamper-proof, pristine desktop use unsafe computer such as in hotels available or an employee's own home. The surrounding area there should be consistently largely against Internet-borne threats such as viruses and spyware, especially when run from read-only media such as such as a CD-ROM. The LPS system provided the hard drive of the host machine, no trace of the user leaves activities behind.

If it sounds a bit cloak and dagger, consider that anyone who wants to quickly set up a secure setup on a PC of unknown security status could have a use for a distribution like LPS. For example, you can understand, computer security, but the staff of your local library or in a hotel?

The first thing you is welcomed, when you first start from the CD boot screen, the bottom, the area of the respective seals of the Department of Defense, air force research is dominated research laboratory and the anti-tamper-software protection initiative. Very erweise, there is also a note telling you that F2 to startup messages, which brings out mostly a list of loaded Linux kernel modules consist. LPS supports the WiFi interfaces but not the current, support for printers or sound hardware.

Subsequently, you are dumped in a very simple desktop, use the power of IceWM. The layout is the familiar combination of application launcher and task switcher bar at the bottom of the screen. Review of applications shows that this is indeed a very minimal desktop. You are given that can edit Firefox Web browser, a text editor and a file manager, the files in the RAMdisk or a flash drive. There is also a remote desktop client that works with RDP or Citrix hosts and a tool to deal with files, the AES encrypted.

It seems obvious scope for adding applications to get distribution. In fact, the site advises the user contact the development team with feature requests, reasoning that if a person wants it, could also be other people.

Download Firefox, I was a little surprised that it's a pretty currently was stable build and it included the Flash plugin, but I suppose Flash sometime need most Web workers these days. It comes with plugins to change the browser agent string send encrypted mail through Gmail, work with encrypted files and bookmarks to an online server to synchronize.

Conclusion

LPS is obviously a niche distribution. If your needs are specific and need just a basic Web browser and a remote desktop client on a disc or to hand could out with someone, a more complex lost could live-CD, this distribution for you. It offers an interesting insight in how organizations create custom Linux builds niche requirements. The site itself is a whole lot of detail about the reasons behind LPS.

The LPS website.

Writer Michael Reed free http://www.unmusic.co.uk/ technology, retro computing, geek culture and gender politics writes headquartered in the UK. His byline has appeared in several technology publications.

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