IronKey thumb drive

IronKey boasts 'world's most physically and cryptographically secure' thumb drive

This isn't the first time we've seen one of IronKey's encrypted USB thumb drives 'round these parts, but if you're an enterprise user, government contractor, or some sort of renegade corporate spy you'll want to take note of this next item. The S200 is being touted as the world's first and only USB flash drive certified for FIPS 140-2, Security Level 3, and features: hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption in CBC mode, a tamper-resistant and tamper-evident rugged metal case, hardware-based malware protection, trusted network restrictions (which prevent the device from unlocking on untrusted PCs), and all the other goodies you expect from the company. Of course, this level of protection doesn't come cheap -- with their consumer grade products starting at $79.99 and ascending pretty quickly from there, we can only imagine what enterprise customers are shelling out. Then again, if you have to ask what it costs, this one is probably not for you. PR after the break.

IronKey Unveils World's Most Physically and Cryptographically Secure USB Flash Drive
IronKey S200 is the First and Only USB Storage Device to Achieve FIPS 140-2, Level 3 Validation; Delivers Advanced Cryptochip Featuring AES-256, Tamper-Resistance and Self-Destruction Circuitry
LOS ALTOS, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- IronKey, maker of the world's most secure flash drive, today announced the launch of its S200 device for government and enterprise customers, featuring hardened physical security, the latest Cryptochip technology, active anti-malware and enhanced management capabilities.
Highlights of IronKey S200:

• The first and only USB flash drive to meet the rigorous government security requirements of FIPS 140-2, Security Level 3.
• Hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption in CBC mode.
• Tamper-resistant and tamper-evident rugged metal case.
• Secure management of encryption keys.
• Anti-malware capabilities in hardware provide an unprecedented layer of protection from malware and prevent its spread onto enterprise and government networks.
  • AutoRun lock-down protects against worms.
  • Read-only mode prevents malware on infected hosts from infecting IronKey devices.
  • Trusted network restrictions prevent IronKey devices from unlocking on uncontrolled PCs.
  • Optional anti-virus/anti-malware scanning cleans the devices in the background.
• Dual-channel architecture enables significant performance when writing large and small files to the drive.
• Includes extended-life flash memory capable of running high-bandwidth applications such as data backups, virtual machines, or bootable mobile desktops.
• Enterprise Management Cloud Service over the Internet for the enforcement of security policies, security and anti-malware updates, and the tracking and auditing of hundreds or thousands of devices.
• Optional Enterprise Management Server that customers can host themselves.

IronKey FIPS 140-2, Level 3 Validation:

• The IronKey S200 USB flash drive has been awarded FIPS certificate 1149.
• IronKey S200 includes the ability to prevent intruders from gaining access to Critical Security Parameters (CSPs ) held within the cryptographic module.
• The physical security mechanisms required at Security Level 3 validate that IronKey thumb drives can detect and respond to attempts of physical access, use or modification of the cryptographic module.
• IronKey includes the physical security mechanisms required for the validation including the use of production-grade components, hard potting material to encapsulate the chip circuitry and a hard metallic enclosure.

Enterprise Management Service Enhancements:

• Mac support for Silver Bullet service provides remote wipe, comprehensive tracking and rich reporting capabilities.
• Configurable time-out policy enables the ability to automatically lock devices after a specified period of inactivity.
• Search capabilities help to locate device information by user name, email address, serial number or other specific information.
• Enhanced backup and recovery capabilities from previous Password Manager to the Identity Manager.
• Management capabilities are available as cloud-based SaaS or on-premise server software for flexibility in meeting organizational requirements.

Supporting Quotes:
David Jevans, CEO at IronKey said:
"As one of the world's leading information security companies, IronKey is continually innovating to push the boundaries of security and ease of use. Our new IronKey S200 family of secure USB flash drives puts a whole new level of security into the hands of government, military and enterprise customers, at an affordable price. The IronKey S200 is the first and only USB flash drive to achieve the demanding FIPS 140-2, Level 3 security validation from NIST, giving even more proof that IronKey is the world's most secure flash drive. We are also releasing a suite of new enterprise remote management capabilities, available over the Internet from the IronKey managed service, or from our enterprise server software that companies can install and operate themselves."
Scott Crawford, research director for the security practice at Enterprise Management Associates said:
"FIPS 140-2, Level 3 is most often associated with devices such as high-confidence security hardware typically found in the data center. To have implemented this in a USB form factor is a noteworthy achievement--yet is just one of the many measures IronKey has integrated with its products, which speaks to IronKey's commitment to extending a distinctively high level of security to portable media devices."
SOURCE IronKey