Secure Desktop 7

• Overview
• New Features
• Browsers
• Tech Specs
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Technical Specifications

Secure Desktop 7 is designed to run in Windows XP and Windows Vista. It should run in Windows 2003 Server with Terminal Services and Windows 2008 Server, however specific testing on those platforms have not yet been completed. Secure Desktop 7 is a Win32 application, not a .NET application. Secure Desktop 7 has not been tested on 64-bit versions of Windows XP or Vista and will not currently work in those environments, due to registry settings.

Configuration File

Secure Desktop 7 now uses one XML file for configuration data. For existing customers who have INI files from previous versions of Secure Desktop, that configuration data is imported automatically. Thorough re-testing of configuration data should be accomplished. Secure Desktop 7 does not over-write previous versions of Secure Desktop. Secure Desktop 7 tools and Secure Setup from a previous version can run side-by-side, to double-check configuration data.

Application Launching

Secure Desktop 7 provides several import mechanisms to bring in program data from Start Menu Shortcuts, Startup Group Shortcuts, Registry Startup, Desktop Shortcuts, Program Files, and My Computer.

Icon importing is accomplished very easily in Step 1 of 2 in the new Icon Wizard. Step 2 of 2 sets any additional details for imported icons along with the ability to manually browse for a program to launch.

A program can be re-started if it's been closed by the user. A program can be set to run a Single Instance Only of that application. Applications can be set to Run As Administrator, should they need Administrator access.

Previous versions of Secure Desktop used CreateProcess to launch a program. Secure Desktop 7 uses ShellExecuteEx and gains the added benefit of being able to launch a document file, in addition to executables and other file types.

Startup Tab

Secure Desktop 7 does not automatically start everything that the Explorer Shell starts. Services are always started, regardless of what shell is running, but any other program needs to be configured into Secure Desktop's Startup Tab (not visible to end user). There are several advantages to this, when Secure Desktop 7 is running as the shell:

• Unknown programs will not automatically start from the registry
• Secure Desktop programs are started in a specific order
• A time delay can be specified for each program, to insure that one has started before the next is launched

Timer and Shutdown

Programs can be launched based on a specific time of day, week, or month. Programs can be launched when Secure Desktop is shutting down.

Passwords

Each icon, group tab, or toolbar button may be individually password protected. A hot-key can be assigned to bring Secure Desktop 7 to the top of the Z-order, and this may also be password protected. Passwords can change dynamically, using the Supervisor feature, to append a calculated number to any Secure Desktop 7 password. This calculation is based on the computer system date in addition to a 5 digit PIN number.

Secure Desktop Shell

Secure Desktop 7 is now a toolbar window that spans the width of the user's screen, being placed at the top or the bottom. The shell can also be set to be at the top or the bottom of the Z-order. Icon mouse clicks can be set to single or double. The icon background color can changed. Function keys for the icons can be on or off. The tab bar can be removed if only one tab is used. The status bar can be hidden. Mouse clicks for the Tray Icons can be disabled. System icons (Volume, Network, Power) can now be displayed, although it is less secure due to starting unknown programs.

Audit

Audit data is now stored in XML files, in the RSS 2.0 format. Keystrokes, window titles, URLs, user name, along with disk and memory free can be stored in the XML files. Data entered into HTTPS web pages or program fields with the ES_PASSWORD flag are not logged to disk.

Disable Hot-Keys

Secure Desktop can disable over 350 different hot-key combinations, tuned for the specific operating system in a hardware independent fashion. Please see the sidebar at the left for the full list.

Window Wizard

The Window Wizard can manipulate a window or close a program during Secure Desktop 7 shutdown. Windows are picked by title and/or menu items and then acted on to hide the window, force it to min or max state, close the window, or disable menu items for windows with the older style menu items.

File Access

Secure Desktop 7 does not have any low level file access features. However drives, files, and folders may be hidden from the end user using a combination of file attribute settings and registry settings using the Secure Desktop 7 sTools program.

System Settings

Disable USB ports. Disable command-line feature of Safe-Mode. Set Auto-Login parameters.