IronKey
{{Short description|Brand of USB devices}}
File:Ironkey.jpg encrypted USB flash drive]]
IronKey is the brand name of a family of encrypted USB portable storage devices owned by Kingston Digital, the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
History
From 2005 to 2012, IronKey was an Internet security and privacy company based in California. IronKey's founding was partially funded by the U.S. federal government, with a grant of US$1.4 million through the Homeland Security Research Projects Agency.{{cite web|url = http://www.levp.com/cat-bin/filexfer/show/031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf?artist_id=365&folder=news_attachments&file=031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf|title = SOMETHING VENTURED: Uncle Sam Is Staking Start-Ups|publisher = VentureWire|date = March 12, 2008|access-date = August 5, 2009|archive-date = July 13, 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110713202820/http://www.levp.com/cat-bin/filexfer/show/031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf?artist_id=365&folder=news_attachments&file=031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf|url-status = dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.darkreading.com/security/perimeter/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208808181|title=10 Hot Security Startups|publisher=DarkReading|date=April 12, 2007|access-date=August 5, 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1218474924792.shtm#16|title=Command, Control and Interoperability Programs and Projects|publisher=Department of Homeland Security|date=April 2, 2009|access-date=August 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305162235/http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1218474924792.shtm#16|archive-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=dead}} Their products have been used by the U.S. government in various areas.{{cite web| url =http://www.iaem.com/committees/governmentaffairs/documents/DHSBudgetinBriefFY2010.pdf|title = U.S. Department of Homeland Security - 2010 Budget in Brief|publisher = Department of Homeland Security|year =2009|access-date = August 5, 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/xabout/gc_1244659918636.shtm|title=Department Responsibilities: Maximize Use of Science, Technology and Innovation|publisher=Department of Homeland Security|date=July 22, 2009|access-date=August 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090805015717/http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/gc_1244659918636.shtm|archive-date=August 5, 2009|url-status=dead}}
Imation acquired IronKey in September 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.eweek.com/security/imation-acquires-ironkey-s-usb-based-hardware-security-business/ |title=Imation Acquires IronKey's USB-Based Hardware Security Business |publisher=eWeek |access-date=Sep 20, 2011|author=Fahmida Y. Rashid|date=September 20, 2011 }} In October 2012, IronKey rebranded itself as Marble Security, and the IronKey brand became wholly owned by Imation.{{cite web|url=http://www.eweek.com/mobile/marble-cloud-launches-mobile-security-service-for-iphone-android/ |title=Marble Cloud Launches Mobile Security Service for iPhone, Android |date=16 October 2012 |publisher=eWeek|access-date=Oct 16, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://ir.imation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=73967&p=irol-newsArticle&id=1745084 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130713030053/http://ir.imation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=73967&p=irol-newsArticle&id=1745084 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2013 |title=Imation to Unify Mobile Security Portfolio around IronKey Brand |publisher=Imation |access-date=Oct 15, 2012 }} As part of Imation, the IronKey portfolio includes products and intellectual property from the former IronKey, as well as technologies from Imation acquisitions of MXI Security and ENCRYPTX.{{cite web|url=http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/imation-acquires-mxi-security-broadens-product-line/143308 |title=Imation acquires MXI Security, broadens product line|date=10 June 2011 |publisher=IT World Canada|access-date=June 10, 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/03/03/imation-acquires-encryption-and-security-solutions-company-encryptx/ |title=Imation Acquires Encryption And Security Solutions Company ENCRYPTX|date=3 March 2011 |publisher=TechCrunch|access-date=March 3, 2011}}
On February 8, 2016, Kingston Technology Company, Inc., announced it had acquired the USB technology and assets of IronKey from Imation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/3031055/kingston-buys-encrypted-flash-drive-maker-ironkey.html|title=Kingston buys encrypted flash drive maker IronKey|last=Mearian|first=Lucas|date=2016-02-08|website=Computerworld|language=en|access-date=2020-02-27}} On the same day, [https://datalocker.com/ DataLocker Inc.] announced it had acquired Ironkey's Enterprise Management Service (EMS) and other assets from Imation. {{Cite web|last=Inc|first=DataLocker|date=2016-02-08|title=DataLocker Acquires IronKey Enterprise Management Services (EMS) and Other Assets From Imation|url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2016/02/08/1228511/0/en/DataLocker-Acquires-IronKey-Enterprise-Management-Services-EMS-and-Other-Assets-From-Imation.html|access-date=2021-07-30|website=GlobeNewswire News Room|language=en}}
In November 2018, Kingston announced that the IronKey had new features and was now FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified.{{Cite web|url=https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/encrypted-usb-drive-15-11-2018/|title=Kingston IronKey D300 encrypted USB drive|date=2018-11-15|website=Geeky Gadgets|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-27}}
In early 2021, a reported 7,000 Bitcoin were stranded in an IronKey flash drive due to a forgotten password. The owner, programmer Stefan Thomas, did not utilize the Enterprise Management Service for password recovery. {{Cite web|last=January 2021|first=Joel Khalili 19|date=2021-01-19|title=IronKey maker couldn't liberate this locked $260m Bitcoin wallet, even if it wanted to|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/ironkey-maker-couldnt-unlock-this-locked-dollar260m-bitcoin-wallet-even-if-it-wanted-to|access-date=2021-07-30|website=TechRadar|language=en}} In 2023, a company named Unciphered found a way to unlock IronKey USB sticks similar to the one Thomas used.{{Cite magazine |last=Greenberg |first=Andy |title=They Cracked the Code to a Locked USB Drive Worth $235 Million in Bitcoin. Then It Got Weird |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/unciphered-ironkey-password-cracking-bitcoin/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |issn=1059-1028}}
=Windows To Go portable workspaces=
Among Imation's IronKey products are flash drives certified by Microsoft for Windows To Go.{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/products-and-technologies/devices/windowstogo.aspx|title=Microsoft Windows To Go Homepage|website=Microsoft }} Windows To Go is an enterprise feature of Windows 8 that enables the creation of a workspace that can be booted from a USB-connected external drive on PCs that meet Microsoft certification requirements, regardless of the operating system running on the PC. A Windows To Go product, the IronKey Workspace W300, received the Editors' Choice accolade from PC Magazine in February 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415960,00.asp |title=IronKey Workspace W300 (64GB)|publisher=PC Magazine|access-date=Feb 26, 2013}}
Products
=Secure Portable Storage=
- IronKey Enterprise S250 and D250 USB flash drives
- IronKey F200 Biometric Flash Drive
- IronKey Basic S250 and D250 USB flash drives
- IronKey F150 Flash Drive
- IronKey Personal S250 and D250 USB flash drives
- IronKey H100 External USB Hard Drive
- IronKey H200 Biometric External USB Hard Drive
- IronKey F100 Flash Drive
- IronKey D80 Flash Drive
- IronKey H80 External USB Hard Drive
- IronKey D300S USB Flash Drive
- IronKey D300SM USB Flash Drive
- Ironkey D500S USB Flash Drive
- IronKey S1000 Encrypted USB Flash Drive
=IronKey Secure Workspaces=
Windows 8:
- IronKey Workspace W700 Windows To Go (Microsoft certified, FIPS Certified)[http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140sp/140sp2183.pdf FIPS 140-2 Non-Proprietary Security Policy]
- IronKey Workspace W500 Windows To Go (Microsoft certified){{cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows|title=Explore Windows 10 OS, Computers, Apps, & More - Microsoft|website=www.microsoft.com}}
- IronKey Workspace W300 Windows To Go (Microsoft certified)
Windows 7:
- IronKey Workspace MWES USB Flash Drive with Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard (MWES) edition software.
References
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