Abstract: Multiple letters, characters, numbers, strokes and symbols to be assigned to a given physical key on a physical keypad residing on a physical keypad integrated into, or attached to, an electronic device used for electronic financial transactions such as an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or Point of Sale (POS) terminal, that is used for data entry on the display screen of an electronic device and the methodology of automatically displaying and inserting the characters assigned to that physical key on the display screen of said electronic device. As the user continues to touch/press said physical key on the electronic devices keypad, the first software module will display and bring into focus the characters assigned to the appropriate time duration of the continued touch/press of said physical key in a visual manner on the display screen of said electronic device and will continue rotating thru the assigned characters as long as the physical key touch/press continues.

Abstract: External data storage device queries the user for a password on at least the first attachment. The password is escrowed in encrypted form. If the user elects this option, the password is then passed to an encryption module which unlocks the encrypted file or partition and upon subsequent attachments of the external data storage device may automatically unlock the encrypted file or partition using the securely escrowed password. The escrow of the encrypted password is managed in an external storage device containing the encrypted file or partition.

Abstract: The present invention consists of methods whereby local/mobile computing devices are registered by collecting a set of hardware and/or software distinctive identifiers to be saved in a validation database residing on a validation database server/Web server, such that the local/mobile computing device can be used as a digital hardware key for right of access and authorization of electronic transactions. This is done by comparing a regenerated set of hardware and/or software distinctive identifiers with those previously registered in the validation database in order to validate the identity of the local/mobile computing device. The invention consists of a first software program executing on a local/mobile computing device that generates the set of hashed and/or encrypted hardware and/or software distinctive identifiers and a second software program resident residing on a validation database server/Web server that manages the validation database.