How it Works

The concept behind Yoggie is to provide traveling laptops with the same level of security as within the corporate network. But how can one make a server room full of security appliances available to traveling users?

A powerful security processor

To make this possible Yoggie has invested years in the development of a miniature security processor. The concept of specialized processors is not new. During the 80’s the mathematical processor was introduced. According to this concept when complex calculations were needed, a specialized mathematical processor would perform these tasks, effectively offloading these specialized tasks from the main processor. During the last 5 years, the same revolution took place with the introduction of a specialized network processor that would free the main processor from networking tasks.

Yoggie has been able to miniaturize the solution into a small device with a powerful 520 MHz Intel Processor. It continues the trend of offloading specialized tasks from the main processor, for performance. But one of the main advantages of the specialized security processor relates to security.

Physical Separation

Unlike security software installed on the laptop, the Yoggie uses the same approach that is used to protect the corporate network – physical separation of the first line of defense. A robust security computer, with a hardened Linux-based OS, Yoggie's solutions physically isolate the laptop from incoming Internet threats. The fact that Yoggie's solutions are in the front-line instead of the laptop itself means you are protected from both known and unknown attacks.

A low level driver redirects all network traffic before Windows and the laptop’s TCP/IP stack are even aware of its existence. It then scans the content and the safe content is released to the higher layers of the TCP/IP stack. This method effectively creates a NAT.

Corporate-Grade Security Solutions

Yoggie combines best-of-breed enterprise-class software with proprietary patent pending developments to provide a comprehensive security solution. With its stateful inspection firewall and NAT, it hides the laptop’s IP address from the outside world and closes any unnecessary network connection. In addition, the hardware design and hardened OS prevents any tampering on the Firewall (a common Spyware, Viruses behavior). Deep packet inspection is performed by a robust intrusion detection/prevention solution to detect attacks as they begin their operation.

The application layer includes four transparent proxies, two for web traffic (HTTP, FTP) and two for email traffic (SMTP and POP3). Unlike Router AV’s, it uses a powerful true-type detection engine, the proxies can deal with any content type, including decompiled elements such as compressed class and file attachments. These elements are analyzed by seven security agents:

• Online Anonymity
• Adaptive Security Policy™
• Multi-Layer Security Agent™
• Layer-8 Security Engine™
• URL Categorization & Filtering
• Anti-Spam
• Anti-Phishing
• Antispyware
• Antivirus
• Transparent Email Proxies (POP3; SMTP)
• Transparent Web Proxies (HTTP; FTP)
• Intrusion Detection System / Intrusion Prevention System
• VPN Client
• Stateful Inspection Firewall

For the content from USB Flash and CDs Yoggie uses a Thin File System AV that is installed on the computer. A one year license of Kaspersky Desktop Thin File System AV is included in all Yoggie products.

Online Anonymity

Yoggie's Online Anonymity, is available for both Windows and OS X versions of Yoggie’s product lines, as part of firmware 1.4.5 and above.

With a single mouse click, surfers can completely ‘cloak’ their Web browsing making it virtually impossible for anyone to see or track the user’s data, identify their computer or locate their country of operation. Yoggie's Online Anonymity feature, based on the open source Tor (The Onion Router) technology, protects the user from spying by anyone in the local network, Web sites they visit and even the user’s ISP or any other authority that might employ tracking and spy programs.

What’s more, users can even configure the feature to state what country they are browsing from, thus allowing them to circumvent country-specific content.

A huge advantage of Yoggie's Online Anonymity over any other so-called invisible browsing solutions is that the heavy-duty encryption/decryption and other intensive program elements are all handled by the Yoggie miniature security computer and not by the user’s computer. For users, this means simply surfing as normal without any need for any kind of software, proxy, configuration or "plug-in". As well as offloading all the encryption/decryption associated load from the computer’s resources to the Yoggie device.

Yoggie Pico’s Hardware

For the content from USB Flash and CDs Yoggie uses a Thin File System AV that is installed on the computer. A one year license of Kaspersky Desktop Thin File System AV is included in all Yoggie products. Yoggie Pico’s hardware was designed specifically for security purposes only. It includes a robust computing platform with a powerful CPU, with the sole purpose of protecting the laptop. Yoggie Pico features a USB 2.0 high-speed connection. The device also includes two separate Flash memory units. One of the units stores a secured copy of the Linux OS. During pre boot, Yoggie Pico copies the OS onto the second unit, and uses it during runtime. The original copy of the OS, stored on the first unit, does not include any “Write Access” permissions. This double-step process, guarantees that in the event of a successful attack, upon rebooting the device a clean and safe version of the OS is uploaded, making the OS and security applications completely safe.

Yoggie Gatekeeper’s Hardware

Yoggie Gatekeeper’s hardware was designed specifically for security purposes only. It includes a robust computing platform with a powerful CPU, with the sole purpose of protecting the laptop. Two separate network cards provide a physical separation between the unsafe zone (Internet) and the safe zone (connected to your laptop). The device also includes two separate Flash memory units. One unit stores a secured copy of the Linux OS. During pre boot, Yoggie copies the OS onto the second unit, and uses it during runtime. The original copy of the OS, stored on the first unit, does not include any “Write Access” permissions. This double-step process, guarantees that in the event of a successful attack, upon rebooting the device a clean and safe version of the OS is uploaded, making the OS and security applications completely safe.