Kingston has launched a new "ultra-secure" USB flash drive for government and enterprise organizations that place a high value on data safety. The DataTraveler 6000 boasts Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 Level 3 Validation and 100% encryption to ensure prying eyes can't access your top-secret information.
The encryption is handled by patented technology from Spyrus that supports 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption using the XTS block cipher mode, which is said to be more secure than modes such as CBC or ECB. The drive also uses elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), which is a part of the NSA's Suite B cryptographic algorithms.
The spec sheet is littered with tons of other impressive acronyms if you're fluent in security jargon. The drive forces a complex password so you aren't "protecting" your data with weak credentials and if someone tries to brute force it, the DT6000 locks down after 10 intrusion attempts and the encryption key is destroyed.
Don't think you need that level of security? Kingston cites a Ponemon Institute study that found nearly half of organizations surveyed lost sensitive or confidential information on USB drives over the last two years. On average, 12,000 customer records per organization were lost and many firms have yet to mitigate those risks.
"Having an unecrypted USB drive is a potential data breach in one's pocket," the company said. The DataTraveler 6000 is currently available in 2GB ($100), 4GB ($116), 8GB ($147), and 16GB ($208) capacities. It cites read and write speeds of 11MB/s and 5MB/s over USB 2.0 and units ship with a five-year warranty.