TripCord™ TrC/100 Security Device – Review

Recently, I was listening to the the news radio station in my area and heard an advertisement for a new computer security device called TripCord™ TrC/100.  According to the Tripcord website, this device

“acts as a barrier between the computer and the Internet when the computer is not in use. The hardware device automatically disconnects computers from the network during periods of inactivity and seamlessly reconnects when the user starts using the system again”

I would prefer to try out the device, evaluate it, peek inside, and write a proper review, but at a cost of nearly $200, that just isn’t feasible. Perhaps if I requested a review unit, the fine folks at Tripcord LLC would send me one at no charge. Wouldn’t that be cool? Anyway, since I don’t have the actual device, this review will be based on the information provided on the TripCord website.

The TripCord device has a visual design that many will find appealing as it has an Apple-esque appearance (see product photo above) and that seems to be all the rage these days.

The underlying concept of the TripCord device -- disconnect a computer from the network whenever it is not being used so it cannot be hacked -- is interesting. How does this device detect when the computer is not being used? According to the information at the tripcord site, the computer keyboard and mouse are plugged into USB ports on the device, and then USB cables are connected from the device to the computer. Any mouse or keyboard actiivity indicates that the computer is in use and the Tripcord device allows network traffic to pass through. After a user selectable period of no mouse or keyboard activity, ranging from 5 to 50 minutes, the computer network connection is disconnected by the Tripcord device. When the user moves the mouse or begins to type on the keyboard, the device immediately restores the network connection.

The TripCord device provides protection  only when the computer is idle.  When the computer is in use, the device provides no protection.  So it is important to know how much of the time a computer is in use, and how much of the time it sits idle.  The TripCord website states that a computer may be idle for 88% or more of the time.  That number seemed high to me, so I did a quick calculation.  Assuming that a typical work computer is actively being used 4 hours out of an 8 hour day (which seems like a very reasonable assumption) that would amount to 20 hours of use per week.  With 168 hours total in a week, 20/168 = 12% in use, or 88% idle, which supports the claim on the Tripcord website.  With that much idle time, it does make some sense to disconnect from the network except for the small percentage of time that the computer is actually in use.

While the concept of the Tripcord device is interesting, I am not going to rush out to buy one. Here’s why:

• The price is way too steep.  $199 each.  Are you serious? This is 2012 and electronic devices that do amazing things are remarkably inexpensive. The Tripcord performs one simple function and has only one user defined setting (the inactivity period time delay). There is no web interface, no touchscreen, no GPS, wifi, or cellular radio, no digital display, only a single pushbutton and a row of LED’s (see product photo at the top of this page). Electronic devices that do much more are available at a much lower cost. I don’t see much bang for the buck here.
• The Tripcord device has an external power supply, which means yet another power cube to deal with.  An external power supply should not be needed since the device has two USB connections to the host computer. USB connections provide power at 5 volts, the same voltage provided by the external power supply. Power from the computer’s USB ports could be used to power the Tripcord device, eliminating the power cube.  That would be a great improvement.
• The Tripcord device works only with a limited number of computers,  specifically, only those which use a USB keyboard, a USB mouse and a hardwired network connection. If a computer connects to the network using wifi, or has a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, all quite common these days, Tripcord is not an option, as it just won’t work.
• The security benefit of the Tripcord device is questionable. If a properly configured basic hardware firewall, or even a simple NAT device,  is in place between the computer and the internet, that will provide very effective security from outside attacks via the network connection. In addition, turning off the computer when not in use is easy and free and isolates the computer from the network just as well as the nearly $200 Tripcord device. Or, the computer sleep/hibernate setting could be used to disconnect the computer after a user-defined period of non-use, and this has the additional benefit of saving energy. This is a free alternative that works with desktops, notebooks, wired and wireless connections.
• The Tripcord device does not address a significant threat.  The vast majority of cyberattacks are conducted by delivery of malware via websites, email attachments and USB memory sticks, and not directly via the incoming network connection.  All modern computers have an effective, built-in firewall to help prevent hacking via the network connection. This, in conjunction with a hardware firewall on the internet connection practically eliminates the possibility of hacking a user’s computer via the incoming network connection. Tripcord seems to be trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
• The Tripcord device could interfere with unattended downloads or streaming media.  If a person has a large download or wants to watch a movie, there is a good chance TripCord will cut it off in the middle. The user guide indicates that holding in the function button for 3 seconds will override the inactivity timeout. The problem is that the user will need to remember to perform that action each time it is needed. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that’s going to happen consistently.  In addition, after a user disables the inactivity timeout, manual action is required to reenable it.  Should the user forget to renable the inactivity timeout, the TripCord device would be of no use at all.

In short, the TripCord™ TrC/100 security device appears to be a nice-looking, but overpriced, unnecessary gadget.  Am I missing something here?  Leave a comment with your thoughts.