Kid-Friendly Netbook with BIOS-level Security: Samsung Go + Phoenix FailSafe

Here’s a story that slipped between the cracks but is interesting nonetheless: The seemingly child-friendly Samsung Go netbook (a.k.a. the N310) is packing enterprise-level security. Underneath its colorful rubberized shell and anti-bacterial keyboard there lies BIOS-level encryption and IP tracking via Phoenix FailSafe from Phoenix Technologies.

FailSafe is a unique theft deterrence product and service from Phoenix Technologies that provides you with the ability to protect, track, and manage your laptop and your confidential information if it’s ever lost or stolen.

Encrypt your data, secure your laptop, and protect your identity with FailSafe.

Baked into the BIOS, FailSafe is supposedly near impossible to bypass or remove without effectively destroying the hardware and any chance of accessing the data. No security is completely unbreakable, but Phoenix makes a good argument in the explanation on their website.

Obviously, there’s no rule stating a security-minded adult can’t use a candy-coated netbook running Windows XP Home (well, maybe in their company tech standards manual), nor that a child can’t benefit from BIOS-level encryption (because who knows what secrets they’re keeping). And that rubberized shell sounds good for mobility and is available in basic black. It could be an on-the-go machine for a busy executive who needs advanced theft protection. Still, it seems like an odd choice for early deployment of Phoenix FailSafe.

For more info about FailSafe on the Samsung Go, check out the writeups at Electricpig (whole article about it) and PC World (short mention).