Asus Security Features

Does Asus have or will they make a 14 inch notebook with some security features such as a fingerprint reader, TPM chip, etc.?

If the W3J had such features, I'd purchase it right away!

 

I think the W3J has TPM support (not sure if it works)... and so does the A8Jm (although, I've never actually managed to get it to work even though ASUS claims it's built into BIOS).... but no 14" with fingerprint reader afaik...

The V1J should have all that .. but it'll be 15.4" though..

 

I've been very curious about TPM since my W2JB has the chip on the motherboard. I have not enabled it in the BIOS because I wanted to know more about it first. Well, I've just spent the last hour reading all about it and, holy cow, I'm never going to enable it! It seems like an inside job created by corporate entitities which "may" open the door for others to control what I do with my computer. It's deep technolgy but after reading HERE and watching the video HERE, I think I'll just leave that TPM chip dormant on my machine. Some may argue that TPM will keep your data safer but it seems to potentially take the ability to decide out of my hands. Maybe the Feds should use it though since they have a difficult time keeping laptops containing my info from disappearing.

 

Trusted Computing is bad news. I can think of almost no good reason for a person's home computer to be equipped with it. Maybe there are some redeeming qualities for it in the business world... maybe. One of Wikipedia's strongest articles is on Trusted Computing and it's worth the read if you're interested. I didn't know the W3J had a TPM but when I get mine, I want it off. Where is the option in the BIOS to disable it?

~ Brett

 

It should be under Security or something... but I can't seem to find it even when I'm using the BIOS that specifically said (Enable/Disable TPM in BIOS)....

Dunno about W3J...

 

Hmm, how hard is to get your fingerprint from your laptop?
Not hard IMO, unless you type using gloves and after using fingerprint reader you wipe it clean

 

On my W2JB it is off by default. I plan to keep it that way. Like you said, in a corporate environement it may have some use. Not on my computer though!

 

TPM should be disabled by default when you receive your laptop.

 

TPM is quite questionable. Hell, the fingerprint reader is a bit iffy. It all boils down to implementation.

If the fingerprint reader is anything like on those Microsoft keyboards, you'd be just as well off putting your passwords on a barcode and using a barcode reader since they aren't even encrypted...

As far as TPM goes, it's good in the sense that you can get true random numbers (ie: encryption is a lot more effective) and it can be used to accelerate SHA-1 hashing (ie: again, encryption, but it's also useful for verification of files, BitTorrent anyone?). (Yes, everyone likes candy, yes? Here, have some for free... )

TPM is *EXTREMELY BAD* in the sense that it can uniquely identify you. (You're not doing anything bad, right? Right? Right? ) That's not really the bad part, since they can do that already. It's more the stupidities which it entails when people start linking things which they should not be linking you to. Since it's a more permanent fixture, a lot of (idiotic) software designers have been dreaming up of ideas of linking it up with things like DRM, software keys, and using it as a unique identifier in that sense.

SO, basically that means if someone steals your computer, they can do nasty things on your behalf? Or your motherboard dies so that you no longer have that number and hence you lost access to all the music you bought online?

They've tried putting in unique IDs into computers in the past several times, but with a lot of opposition. Intel tried to introduce PSN (Processor Serial Numbers) into systems when the PentiumIIIs originally came out. They still slipped it in anyway but put a switch in the BIOS so that it can be disabled. Then someone found a way to trick the system into turning it back on. Imagine that, eh?

There's also MAC addresses and HDD serial numbers which the computer can get it, but those are something which can be changed with varying degrees of ease and therefore not really considered a good means of validation (despite the fact that Windows Activation crap uses it... see, I upgraded my HDD, WTF, I have to reactivate Windows crap? WTH?!)

Sometimes technology is all about stupidities... they compete to see how much more stupid they can get.

 

Ok... we can all question TPM..... but it's turned off from the factory and although personal users may not like or ever use it... It's being pushed so hard in the business market that no one will buy a system without it and Intel and Asus certainly need that market. And for everything good that can be said for it and what it's meant to do, there's certainly the whole polar opposite reasons to hate it..... That's true to almost everything.

Now, in terms of fingerprint readers... yeah, the ones on the microsoft keyboards suck... BIG TIME... you could in theory lift a print off of it and use it right there to gain access. On models like the V1, it's more of a slide scanner, so if anything all you're leaving on it would be a bit of oil and nothing more.

 

I personally don't like TPM at all... for many reasons, that I will not voice here.

The drive behind the TPM business is so huge however (all the big corporations that make money off us) that all the machines will come equipped with it in the near future (if not already), software will start not working without it, and we'll end up needing it just to boot up the machine and send an email.

Which is a bleak future... but what can we do?