USB Vs. LPT dongles
 

Are the new generations of the USB dongles harder to crack than the old LPT ones (particularly in the Sentinel series)? Also, can you make a USB equivalent of an LPT sentinel superpro or something using a simple USB storage stick?

The first, USB is better than LPT coz it can be used on almost new laptop (LPT ports is cut off), when it is damaged, manufacturer can fix it directly via some remote access service.

Also, USB is better because there are too many different USB controllers. That means, dongle manufacturer cann't access USB device directly, but must use some low level USB driver. And that means.. ;)

Both are Loser @ this game!

but i think LPT Dongles are more Effective vs. USB but USB dongles always had good shell Protection I seen before

Some USB dongles support USB 2.0, the transfer speed between dongle and computer is much faster than LPT dongles.

fsheron, the transfer speed usually is not a significant parameter for the dongle. :)

Hi, Sten.
In some case, the developer can transfer encrypt data to the dongle and the dongle calculate and return the result, so the transfer speed is important.

For example, you might check
http://www.k-medulla.com/index.html
for the speed-related subject.

depends
 

Interface really depends on the customer / application to be used in. It can be broken into 3 catagories. compatbility, protection type, consequently speed.

For utmost compatibility, one may choose rs232, as is the dongle of choice in SPM lic system. Thus, doesnt really matter OS in question, just need a properly coded exe for that particular OS to handle it. Second most compatible is LPT, however, as time passes, LPT is becoming less compatible, notice new computers dont even have it on motherboard. It still requires hardware device interface drivers for application too. This I would lean too, for new applications is no longer as compatible with end users as usb. Finally, usb, almost all computers manufactured integrate it in mobo. You can buy addin slots as well. However, device drivers for each OS is neccessary.

For protection type, a simple data return of pointer or algorithmic calculution would suffice still in a rs232. It would be just as fast as lpt to the end user. (larger calcs may prove different). For more complicated protections in, for instance, Rockey dongle, it places actual exe and returns many of data information back to the computer based on queries. IF you tried this system in rs, or lpt it would fail to be usable in pra c tical applications. So the more complex the more interface speed is needed. A dongle that returns rsa values and block ciphers an entire .exe would definetly need to be at least usb if not usb2.0. So that is the idea.
Note: From a crackers standpoint, the only thing that changes in the need of knowledge of hardware interfacing. If a cracker hacks a usb dongle, he would need to have a knowledge of usb dongles. If , lpt , cracker would need to know about br ea king on 378 etc. and so goes for any type of dongle. So, from a security standpoint nothing chan ges, the data that goes out of the computer and ret urns to the computer is the same regardless the interface in question. Although, longer and more obfuscated transmissions can be achieved by usb.

Eventually all dongles will be done in usb & pcmia for now. Lpt and rs are considered legacy dongles if you actually have one. They offer less security POSSIBILITIES. However, it depends on how the creator designed the dongle. A simple query in and query out on usb or lpt is same security. And to end user about same speed. A dongle with an entire block cipher scheme for files or one that runs cpu commands liek syncrosoft is not feasible in lpt for good speed. Thats all.