System and method for providing a secure computing environment

A method of providing a secure computing environment on an untrusted computer system comprising:

• providing a system comprising a carrier media and an interface, the interface being connectable to a computer to enable communication between the computer and the carrier media, the carrier media encoding a secure computing environment and a boot system and preconfigured parameters;
• upon connection of the system via the interface to a computer system and booting of the computer system, the boot system taking over the boot process of the computer system;
• upon taking over the boot process, authenticating the user;
• upon successful authentication, loading the secure computing environment on the computer system, the secure computing environment using the preconfigured parameters to prevent predetermined interaction from outside the secure computing environment when it is running;
• monitoring operation of the computer system whilst under the control of the secure computing environment;
• and,
• erasing data stored in volatile memory of the computer system upon shut down of the computer system including the steps of installing a memory wiping process in physical memory of the computer system, the memory wiping process, upon determining no other processes are running, wiping physical memory not occupied by itself.