Security and nsquared documents

One of the questions commonly asked about nsquared documents is around the security of the NFC tags and the associated PIN.

It is difficult to know how much we should disclose about the way we secure your authentication information. Therefore I will keep this post at a fairly high level and explain the concepts that keep your details safe.

First the obligatory disclaimer; nothing is truly safe. Seriously, if you believe you have a system that is 100% secure you are naïve. In order for encrypted data to be useful it needs to be decrypted. The encryption and decryption is done in software using mathematical algorithms to make it hard for people without the correct corresponding components to access the data. The question, with security, is how hard do you make it for "bad" people to access your information? At nsquared we believe we have made it difficult for anyone to access your data without substantial effort.

When you log in to one of your cloud document stores (OneDrive, Dropbox etc) the service responds with a token that enables the software to access that cloud store. Somehow nsquared documents needs to store that token. We don’t need to store your username and password. In fact we don’t even have access to your username and password. That is hidden by the login screens provided by the cloud store providers (Microsoft and Dropbox). Even if we did have that data we wouldn’t store it, as we don’t need it.

We then associate an NFC tag to that token. The NFC tag contains a unique ID, nothing else. We do not store the token or your PIN on the tag. The tag is like a locker number. It uniquely identifies a place your data is stored. Except it is encrypted. So even with that unique number on your tag your still need to know how to decrypt it in order to find the locker.

So what about the PIN? We never store your PIN anywhere. The only place the PIN is stored is in your head. Please don’t write it down somewhere, your security will be lower. The PIN is a bit like your locker key. We use the PIN in combination with your tag ID to identify who you are, where your data is stored and how to decrypt your data.

If you lose your tag and are concerned about the fact your PIN was written on a sticky note on your desk (yes, you know who I am talking about). Then you can go to your cloud store provider and disable access for nsquared documents to access your store. You can then create a new tag using nsquared documents and this will generate a whole new setup.

• How to unlink from DropBox
• The list of apps connected to your OneDrive Personal account
•  Office 365 app permissions

If you are using a Surface Hub please download the free trial of nsquared documents from here. 

If there are any features you would like to see added to nsquared documents please let us know.

nsquared documents 2.1

The Surface Hub is an incredible achievement. As an interactive multi-user screen it presents a canvas (or surface if you will) upon which your team can collaborate, create, brainstorm, and present ideas.

As a true multi-user device, you do not login to the Surface Hub; who would be the person logged in when a team needs to work together at the screen? Authenticating the entire session for a single person makes sense if only one person is going to need to access their data. The latest update to Windows 10 Creators update does do this, and it alleviates the challenge for a single presenter.

When you have a meeting with multiple people, who want to bring their content to the screen, you need a way for each person to authenticate. Authentication on the Surface Hub is a cumbersome experience. If you log in using the on-screen touch-keyboard you are sharing your password with all the people watching. This is made far worse if your Surface Hub is projected out to other screens on a teleconference or in room.

To solve this problem at nsquared we built nsquared documents, an application that allows multiple people to authenticate with their accounts on the Surface Hub, in the same session. With nsquared documents you associate an NFC tag with your account the first time you use the application.

In the first version we released you could connect to your OneDrive for Business account using your Office 365 account. In version 2.0 we expanded nsquared documents to support your SharePoint and Dropbox accounts. You still only need a single NFC tag and you can access any of the accounts you have added to your profile.

This latest release enables you to also add your OneDrive personal account to the same tag.

With nsquared documents 2.1 you and your team can access files from Dropbox, Office 365, and OneDrive personal accounts.

Create an NFC tag to connect to any of these cloud document stores

Add other cloud document stores to your tag in nsquared documents 2.1

If you are using a Surface Hub, please download the free trial of nsquared documents from here

If there are any features you would like to see added to nsquared documents please let us know.

For more details please watch the video

Microsoft Surface Hub - Whiteboard collaboration settings

At a recent Sydney Surface Hub user group meeting there was a question asked about preventing the Whiteboard app from sharing. 

There are a some settings that can be changed on the Surface Hub to enable or disable sharing of the Whiteboard. 

Disable Sharing

Hide entry points from the Share button, hiding export in the Share charm and Collaboration.

Disable Export

Users cannot send Whiteboards using email, thumb drives, or other mechanisms through the Share charm.

Please follow the link below for more information:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-au/surface-hub/manage-settings-with-mdm-for-surface-hub

Microsoft Surface Hub - BitLocker Issue

At a recent Sydney Surface Hub user group the topic was raised on how to recover a Surface Hub from a BitLocker locked situation.

If the Surface Hub is BitLocker locked for whatever reason without BitLocker code recorded, in addition to the option of sending a spare SSD, the other option is to ‘reset’ the locked device using ‘Cloud Recovery’. This feature is only supported in Creator’s Update. Refer to below screen flow for process. This process can take up to 2-3 hours.

1. Press 'Esc' on keyboard.

2. Press 'Skip this drive'.

3. Click 'Recover from the cloud'.

4. Press 'Yes'.

5. Press 'Reinstall'.

Design and Develop Apps for Surface Hub

In the second half of 2016, Dr. Neil, a director of nsquared, spent some time at Microsoft's headquarter office in Redmond, WA to present training in the design and development of apps for the Microsoft Surface Hub.

The Surface Hub has the potential to have a huge impact on the way we interact in office meetings. It is perhaps the ultimate window Microsoft has created; it is a portal to another room. Skype images appear high-quality and allow for natural conversation. Its touchscreen capabilities allow multiple users to interact with it like a simple whiteboard, a place to write up ideas and involve a group.

Designing for the Surface Hub presents its own set of challenges. How can it be accessible for all people, including those who may be in wheel-chairs, for example? How can multiple users interact with it effectively?

The work we have been doing at nsquared has provided a fantastic foundation to support the delivery of great Surface Hub apps. At nsquared we have been focused on building software for large multi-user interactive displays for over eight years. We know the value of large shared screen devices in public spaces and enterprise meeting rooms.

The lessons we have learned are shared and discussed in a series of training videos presented by Dr. Neil. From set-up, to design, to developing; these videos cover how to create great apps for Surface Hub. Presented with the help of Sankar Nemani and Jackie Giusti from Microsoft, they are essential viewing for prospective Surface Hub designers and developers. 

Click here to watch the training videos. 

Windows 10 is here!

 The Windows 10 Launch in Sydney  Source: Microsoft

This week, Windows 10 was launched in 190 countries in spectacular fashion. With select cities across the globe ushering in the new operating system with parties worldwide, a few of our team went to join the Sydney celebrations.

Having a number of our machines running the new operating system, the nsquared team have been testing Windows 10 in the office for a few months. As well as a fantastic vision into the future of computing (read our post on Microsoft Continuum here), Windows 10 is a beautiful new interface and we are excited to see the launch of an inspired, responsive system.

The next generation of products is a great way to reflect on the progress of technology, and we can see clear jumps from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, giving a good indication as to where Microsoft see technology heading. As Surfaces grow, ‘holographic’ technology develops and new team-oriented products such as the Surface Hub become a reality, we at nsquared are excited to see the parochial ‘single-user’ idea of technology breaking down, as the tools for collaboration get more and more traction. Hooray future!

Ok Cortana, you did good. You did good.

To get interesting updated on new and multi-user technology, follow nsquared on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.