Corporate firewalls shelter laptops connected to your network from outside access, while virus and spam security is often provided by yet more data center systems, such as your mail server. But employees working remotely must rely on less sophisticated anti-virus and firewall clients –- which also drain CPU cycles and memory. To get around these issues, what if you could pack a dedicated security appliance into Corporate firewalls shelter laptops connected to your network from outside access, while virus and spam security is often provided by yet more data center systems, such as your mail server. But employees working remotely must rely on less sophisticated anti-virus and firewall clients –- which also drain CPU cycles and memory. To get around these issues, what if you could pack a dedicated security appliance into a USB key form factor? It’s a fascinating concept that Yoggie Pico Pro makes a reality.Inside the 0.6-ounce device you’ll find Linux 2.6 running on a 520MHz Intel XScale PXA270 CPU and 128MB RAM (plus 128MB of flash memory that holds a clean copy of Linux). Resident software is top-grade, including Kaspersky Lab’s anti-spyware and anti-virus scanner, secure VPN client, Mailshell anti-spam and anti-phishing, SurfControl Web filtering, plus a firewall along with HTTP, FTP, POP3, and SMTP proxies.Before using Yoggie Pico Pro, you install a low-level driver and a management console on your laptop. You then set a few simple options, with the whole process taking just a few minutes. The first improvement I noted on my Dell Latitude D610 was faster performance, because I was able to turn off Symantec AntiVirus and Firewall. The only time I noted some brief security-related activity was when Yoggie automatically checked for updates (which can be from your enterprise server or Yoggie’s servers). During tests I felt well protected against threats. While visiting a vendor and using their wireless network, all Internet traffic was first filtered through the Yoggie Pico –- progressively going through firewall, intrusion protection, proxies, and finally anti-spyware and related layers. You can also block URLs based on content.You won’t see any annoying pop-ups when Yoggie blocks a problem –- just some quick blinks of the device’s LEDs. Still, when I scanned security logs through the management interface, Yoggie did appear to catch all of the infected test files I tossed in its path. However, one improvement I’d like is more advanced settings, perhaps a way to visit a Web site that Yoggie deems problematic; right now there’s no override. On top of creating a physical barrier to incoming threats, Yoggie Pico masks your system’s IP address (which can be hijacked), eliminating yet another possibly vulnerability. This is an especially important feature for anyone using a laptop at a public hotspot. I didn’t have any trouble using Yoggie with the most recent firmware (1.3.0) and management console (5.1.5), but there’s always a possibility of some future attack affecting the device. Still, because the system maintains a copy of the OS and files for scanning temporarily in its RAM, infections won’t get to your laptop. A Yoggie reboot should clear up any issue.The Yoggie Pico Pro’s impressive engineering should benefit organizations in many areas. It offers laptop users stronger protection when they’re off your network, as well as better system performance. Moreover, up to 500 Picos can be controlled from the separate Yoggie Management Server; this lets IT staff send policy updates and signatures while retrieving logs for security audits. Although cost is a factor, I think Yoggie provides very good value considering all that it provides. Yoggie Pico Pro Personal Security Appliance Pricing: $199; yearly subscription for security updates costs $40 Verdict: Yoggie Pico Pro puts corporate-level security on a Linux-powered, USB appliance that contains 13 top-quality applications. This approach reduces CPU load and memory use while helping ensure that employees’ laptops are strongly protected from threats when not connected to enterprise networks. Technology Industry