Computers and hardware mechanisms to protect data
Hardware-assisted or computer security provides an alternative to software-only computer security. Devices such dongles can be regarded as more secure due to the physical access needed to be compromised.
While many software-based security to encrypt the data to data from being stolen, a malicious program or hacker can corrupt data in order to irreparable or unusable. Also, encrypted systems are corrupted by a hacker or a malicious program, making the system unusable. Hardware-based security solutions can prevent read and write access to data and therefore provides very strong protection against tampering and unauthorized access. [Edit]
Works of hardware-based security: a device allows the user to log in and log on different levels of duty by doing manual operations. The device uses biometric technology to prevent malicious users to log on, log off, and changing privilege levels. The current state of a user of the device is both read by a computer and peripheral controllers such as hard disks. Illegal access by a malicious user or a malicious program is suspended based on the current state of a user hard drive and DVD controllers enable illegal access to data impossible. Hardware-based access control is safer than using login and log out of OS operating system are vulnerable to malicious attacks. Since the software can manipulate the user privilege levels, it is impossible for a hacker or a malicious program to access data protected by the hardware safely or to perform illegal acts to gain privileged. The hardware protects the image of the operating system and file system privileges tampering. Therefore, a completely secure system should be created using a combination of hardware-based security and systems security policy.