Hardware Firewall On a USB Key

An anonymous reader writes "An Israeli startup has squeezed a complete hardware firewall into a USB key. The 'Yoggie Pico' from Yoggie Systems runs Linux 2.6 along with 13 security applications on a 520MHz PXA270, an Intel processor typically used in high-end smartphones. The Pico works in conjunction with Windows XP or Vista drivers that hijack traffic at network layers 2-3, below the TCP/IP stack, and route it to USB, where the Yoggie analyzes and filters traffic at close-to-100Mbps wireline speeds. The device will hit big-box retailers in the US this month at a price of $180." Linux and Mac drivers are planned, according to the article.

100Mbps on USB?

[cravey]

I keep wondering how they put such a fast processor on a usb stick and then squirt bidirectional 100Mbps over the USB port. Sounds a lot like my former boss trying to convince me that our building would give us 100Mbps internet for only $50/month. I dislike misleading articles and I dislike misleading product descriptions even more.

It seems much more likely that there's an app on the USB stick tht is run by the windows machine making the USB stick just a different delivery mechanism than a CD/DVD. Probably way cheaper to produce, update and ship.

Re:Why would I want this?

[toleraen]

Because you can plug it into your laptop if you're at a local hotspot? Think mobility + offloading processing. Not exactly the most useful of devices, but for someone who's constantly at the mercy of free/public wifi it could be convenient.

Re:from the article

[Anonymous Coward]

I recall reading about this a year or so ago. This same company was trying to get PC manufacturers to build this product into laptops, desktops etc. Obviously, these companies said - no fucking way, it's added cost would be passed to the consumer, and frankly it's not needed.
The tin foil hat wearing part of me, also really distrusts an israeli (err mossad) company usurping my network stack.

holy hackable hardware, batman!

[radarsat1]

firewall schmirewall, I can't wait to see what "wrong" things people do with this.. a Linux machine on a USB stick? For 180$? Awesome.

Re:Not really a hardware firewall

[bobo mahoney]

It might not offer better protection than a software firewall, but it will offload the work to it's own processor freeing up cycles on your computer. If you are pushing your machine this could be a fairly inexpensive way to squeeze a little more life out of an older /underpowered box.

Re:Not really a hardware firewall

[larkost]

Except that all of your traffic is now going over your USB port twice... and the USB port is your most processor-intensive I/O. I have no idea how the numbers will work out... but there is a good chance that this will eat a lot of processor time.

Apparently we all didn't actually RTFA

[Anonymous Coward]

Because if we had, then we might have noticed that this little device incorporates anti-virus software. Why do you care? I'll tell you why: because that eliminates one of the biggest annoyances for windows users since Clippy.

Anti-virus software always slows down your PC. No matter what. It has to because it scans each and every file as its accessed (assuming resident scanner operations).

This little gem allows me to not bother with installing any anti-virus software and just offload that function to a little firewall thingy that plugs into my laptop.

To me, this is huge.

It's just Killer.NIC on USB

[DrYak]

They just basically just invented the USB equivalent of the Killer.NIC :
a small embed router + a driver that directly taps into the WinXP TCP/IP stack (instead of having the packets go through the whole stack then over a short "virtual" network link to the router then up to TCP/IP again, then routing, then back to Ethernet then on the "actual" cable).

My only though : Is it programmable ? Could it be reflashed to function as something else more creative and be powered from a wall-socket USB 5v power brick ?

Could be a nice source of Gum-Stick-PC grade board for building fun gadgets.

(I, for one, welcome our USB-thumb-drive-sized newest electronic gizmo).

Re:Apparently we all didn't actually RTFA

[Anonymous Coward]

How effective is it? How does it compare with other anti-virus software? How often does the mfgr. update their virus definitions? How can it possibly duplicate the functionality of regular AV software that has hooks in the file system and email clients? It can't possibly do all that.

I don't run AV. Never got a virus