VIA Technologies today made available VIA StrongBox, a virtual drive software application that utilizes the VIA PadLock Security Engine in VIA C7 and VIA C7-M processors to enable real-time encryption of data on local storage devices.

VIA StrongBox runs on all VIA C7 and VIA C7-M processors, as well as VIA C3 and VIA Eden processors based on the ?Nehemiah' C5P core, and enables up to 10 virtual drives to be created on a system hard drive, each with a potential maximum size of four gigabytes. Users assign each virtual StrongBox drive a physical size limit, a drive letter, a unique password and password hint, and may create their own password hint reminder question for enhanced password safety.

Accessed by either the VIA StrongBox control center or the standard Microsoft Windows file manager, the application gives users the option to lock and unlock a drive, manage their drives, and configure them to automatically lock up on the activation of a screen saver, or to enact a timed lock-out following multiple incorrect password entries.

The security of VIA StrongBox will be put to the test with a US$5000 prize on offer during the annual OPEN HACK competition at this year's Hack in the Box security conference being held in Malaysia this week.

Using a combination of the secure hash algorithm SHA-1 and the AES 256-bit algorithm to secure drive contents, VIA StrongBox employs the powerful hardware security features of the VIA PadLock Security Engine built into every VIA C7-M processor to provide fast encryption with no impact on system performance.

VIA will sponsor this year's annual OPEN HACK competition taking place during the Hack in the Box Security Conference being held at the Westin Kuala Lumpur Hotel, Malaysia from 26-29 th September 2005. The competition will challenge event participants to test their hacking skills in a real life scenario, using a VIA C7-M processor-based notebook with VIA StrongBox installed as the target. If hacked, the winner will collect the VIA-sponsored prize worth US$5000. The winner is the first participant to successfully thwart the protection offered by VIA StrongBox, and to access and read a document stored inside.