Yoggie's Gatekeeper Card Pro delivers powerful plug-and-play protection for notebooks, removes the need to manage multiple software subscriptions and can boost your notebook's performance by removing the security software overhead.

Yoggie Security Systems makes great hardware-based security devices for business travellers. From the diminutive Firestick Pico to the Gatekeeper Pro, Yoggie has your back covered; and for those who don't like to leave the office, Yoggie even offers a security management appliance that can be installed in your server room.

The company's latest offering, the Gatekeeper Card Pro, is an evolutionary (Yoggie has already done USB) device that offers the same level of protection as company's other products, but in ExpressCard 34 format. So instead of using a USB device, which could easily be lost or stolen, the Gatekeeper Card Pro is safely hidden within an ExpressCard slot.

Like the Firestick Pico and Pico Pro, the Gatekeeper Card Pro is a computer with its own processor, memory and hardened Linux-based operating system. With new and improved hardware architecture (CPU changed from Intel PXA to Freescale i.MX31; RAM from SDRAM to DDR), the Gatekeeper Card Pro offers better performance than existing Yoggie devices.

The Gatekeeper Card Pro is smaller than a regular PC Card; it also operates at lower voltages, with 1.5 and 3.3V baselines. Be aware that ExpressCard slots come in two varieties: those designed for both ExpressCard 54 and 34 cards, and those for ExpressCard 34 cards only. If your notebook has an ExpressCard 54 slot, it can accept both types of card; however, only ExpressCard 34 cards like the Gatekeeper Card Pro fit in ExpressCard 34 slots.

To get the device up and running, you first need to disable any software-based firewall or internet protection suites to avoid conflicts. Then you simply insert the Gatekeeper Card Pro into your notebook's ExpressCard slot. If your system only has a PC Card slot, you'll need an ExpressCard-to-PC Card adapter (not supplied). Finally, you install the driver and software, which is provided on CD. The first time you install the product it will automatically download all relevant updates, which can take up to 15 minutes depending on your connection speed. During this time you can't use the Gatekeeper Card Pro, but at least you can view the update progress via the easy-to-use web-based management console.

The Gatekeeper Card Pro then works like all Yoggie products by providing a physical barrier between your computer and the internet to ensure that threats never reach the notebook itself. Because all internet traffic is routed through the ExpressCard device, there's no need to install security software on your notebook, which can improve its performance. The Gatekeeper Card Pro, like its brethren, is pitched as truly 'plug and forget' technology, as you don't have to manage subscriptions to multiple security applications.

There are 13 layers of security software in total, including Adaptive Security Policy, Multi-Layer Security Agent, Layer-8 Security Engine, URL Categorisation and Filtering, Anti-Spam, Anti-Phishing, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus, Transparent E-mail Proxies (POP3, SMTP), Transparent Web Proxies (HTTP; FTP), Intrusion Detection/Prevention, VPN Client, and Stateful Inspection Firewall. Before any data is accepted for processing by your computer's operating system, a low-level driver redirects it to the Gatekeeper Card Pro, where a full security check is performed. Attempted security breaches are identified and thwarted, and only safe, secure data is passed back to the computer.