HP Security Suite - nc8430

Hi,

I've had my HP nc8430 for about two weeks now, and love it. I've had a wee play with the security suite, including the embedded chip and credential manager, but am still pretty confused as to how the security features integrate together. I found the help section in the security suite pretty confusing, while the HP security user guide is too simplistic.

From a few of the comments on this forum it seems a lot of users are pretty confused by this feature...

Just wondering if any HP Guru(s) would like to write a brief tutotial/faq about the security features of the nc8430 (and other similar HP laptops)? If one has been written already, please could someone give me the link to it?

Some of the many questions I would like answered are:
1) Can the credential manager and embedded chip be integrated (eg so that all the login data stored by the credential manager is encrypted and stored by the embedded embedded chip)?

2) What is stringint security?

3) How secure is the credential manager? Would it be wise to ask it to remember things like internet banking logon details?

4) What exactly is a security 'key' or 'token'? Can one just use a normal USB drive as this, or do you need a specific USB key? What are the disadvantages of a virtual key?

5) What are embedded security certificates and how does one use/create them?

6) Is there any other software other than that provided by HP which can make use of:
a) the embedded security chip?
b) the fingerprint scanner?

7) How can I get the credential manager to log into applications like MSN messenger, or skype for me?

8) Any other important things someone new to these advanced security features (like me) should know?

Cheers for any help/info. If anyone else has questions, post them here-hopefully this thread will become a one stop shop for HP security related questions/answers...

 

Hmmmm. Anyone takers?

 

when booting up go into BIOS and make hard disk to sanitarize itself

 

As a fellow nc8430 user and security newbie, I'd love to hear the answer to these questions too...

 

bump and bumpy

 

Hi

I'm new to but I just started using security features and this is what I saw in the process.

1) Can the credential manager and embedded chip be integrated (eg so that all the login data stored by the credential manager is encrypted and stored by the embedded embedded chip)?
== Yes you can store your tokens on the TPM chip from Credential Manager

2) What is stringint security?
== No idea, please tell me if you find out what EXACTLY it is.

3) How secure is the credential manager? Would it be wise to ask it to remember things like internet banking logon details?
== Good question, doubt everything. I would like to see an independant test of it. From what I've read the tokens are your usual crypto tokens and it should be pretty safe but I'd still like to see a test

4) What exactly is a security 'key' or 'token'? Can one just use a normal USB drive as this, or do you need a specific USB key? What are the disadvantages of a virtual key?
Key or a token is a credential that's supposed to be secure. You can use a regular USB memory stick to host your backup tokens and keys. I used Corsair's Padlock USB key.
What is a virtual key?

5) What are embedded security certificates and how does one use/create them?
== I don't know what embedded certs are but I'm asuming they are those certificates hosted inside the TPM.

6) Is there any other software other than that provided by HP which can make use of:
a) the embedded security chip? == No idea
b) the fingerprint scanner? == No idea

7) How can I get the credential manager to log into applications like MSN messenger, or skype for me?
== don't know, I haven't tried.

8) Any other important things someone new to these advanced security features (like me) should know?
== Write down your passwords using a system and a "key" that's very easy to remember. Key could be like a system that could be your own design. Say, all letters you write you have to adjust them 2 to the right then 2 to the left (in the alphabet) so what you're reading isn't what the actual password is. Once you've gotten going with a system like this it's easy to remember it.

I have a question of my own: Can you tie the BIOS logon password to a fingerprint, same fingerprint you tie your windows password to?

Thanks,
Simon