Kingston Digital Europe Co LLP, the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, announced its IronKey D300 Encrypted USB Flash Drive series has achieved NATO Restricted Level Certification. This indicates that, after a detailed validation process, the Kingston IronKey D300, IronKey D300S and IronKey D300SM have been listed in the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue (NIAPC) for security products that meet NATO’s nations, civil and military bodies’ operational requirements.
The NIAPC is established under an INFOSEC Directive and ensures only cryptographic products which are developed in a NATO member nation are evaluated and approved to use in accordance with NATO Security Policies. The IronKey D300 series is now included on this list, which means it is qualified as an encrypted Flash drive that meets the data protection levels established by NATO to protect information against loss or cyber-attacks. Sensitive data-in-transit needs to be protected as any loss or breach can result in harm to NATO’s forces, its members or its mission.
“We are pleased that the IronKey D300 series drives are now certified, joining some of our previous encrypted USB drives that were certified in the past, like the D100 and D200. This signifies to customers that IronKey is a well-known and trusted brand throughout NATO and its member government agencies for securing data on a restricted level,” said Oscar Escayola, BM Flash Manager EMEA. “Kingston is committed to creating encrypted USBs that protect military and government level data, so customers with strong data protection requirements can be assured that it will meet their data security demands when sensitive data is in transit.”
The IronKey USB drive series is FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified, which means it meets key government requirements such as physical anti-tampering security, strong cryptographic key management and enhanced authentication capabilities. FIPS 140-2 is a series of requirements and standards for cryptographic modules to maintain the integrity of the data protected by the module. The Level 3 certification calls for tamper-evident physical security to protect malicious users from getting to the cryptographic module. The IronKey USB series is manufactured with a rugged zinc casing and data onboard is protected by military-grade 256-bit AES-XTS hardware-based encryption, with the internal cryptographic module epoxied to the casing for the highest level of tamper protection.
The drive uses digitally signed firmware, making it immune to BadUSB malware and enforces complex password protection to prevent unauthorized access. The IronKey D300S serialized version includes a unique serial number and barcode that can be scanned and used by security administrators for easy tracking and organization-wide deployment processes. In addition, IronKey D300S offers a virtual keyboard where the password is entered with mouse clicks to thwart keyloggers and screenloggers.
Available in capacities from 4 GB up to 128 GB, the stylish IronKey D300 series is an affordable and easy-to-use drive that is a powerful tool for NATO-member countries.