Get ‘Military Grade’ Security on a USB Key for Linux
DesktopLinux.Com reports that IronKey will be making their super secure storage device compatible with recent Linux versions. The specs/features:
# Capacity — 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB
# Read/write speed — up to 30MB/sec read; up to 20MB/sec write
# Hardware encryption — AES Cipher-Block Chained mode
# Encryption keys — 128 hardware DRNG
# PKI — 2048-bit RSA
# Hashing — 256-bit SHA
# FIPS Validations — 140-2 Level 2, 186-2, 197
# Encrypted web browsing — secure Firefox 3 browsing using Public Key Certificates and Open Authentication (Windows-based Personal and Enterprise versions only)
# Remote management and configurable policies — Windows-based Enterprise version only)
# USB — 1 x USB 2.0
# Dimensions — 2.95 x 0.74 x .35 inches (75 x 19 x 9mm)
# Weight — 0.9 oz (25 grams)
# Water protection — MIL-STD-810F
# Operating temperature — 32 to 158 degrees F (0 to 70 degrees C)
# Shock resistance — 16G rms
# Operating system — Windows XP, Vista, Windows 2000 SP4; encrypted storage support for Linux 2.6 and higher and Mac OSX
Make sure you’re aware of that last line…encrypted storage is supported for Linux, but not the encrypted web browsing and enterprise features. Although the Linux support is only partial, I’m pretty excited. This is just one more sign that major companies everywhere are finally beginning to support our OS…and that can only be good! Hopefully they’ll see some good sales and extend full support to the Linux platform.
Full Story: Military-grade USB key supports Linux desktops
Your link to desktoplinux.com has an extra l at the end of it (results in 404 error). As for these devices, you’re better off encrypting data on your own without resorting to something that uses “ciphers linked to an online IronKey account.” What if you lack net access, IronKey’s site goes down, or they go out of business? Or, since it’s tied to particular kernel versions, what if you need to access your data from a machine running a 2.4 kernel, Solaris/BSD, etc.? Better and more portable solutions (e.g., gpg, truecrypt) abound without such “limitations.” See PortableApps for similar options for Windows/WINE use as this provides.
Linux accounts for about 2.5% of desktops now, so the mentioned 30-40% growth rate means around a 1% change in the aggregate. The growth rate is a little higher in the sectors where a milspec device, especially one with an onboard encryption processor, might actually be marketed. It’s not targeted at your average Puppy user (heh) or for home use — look the price differential (4-6x/GB) over what similar-sized non-milspec devices cost today. Don’t get too excited about this.
Fixed the link. Yeah I don’t know how I feel about the online integration, and right now I’m encrypting my secure drive with Truecrypt, which is super easy to use and pretty much fully cross-platform. I’m still pleased to at least some *recognition* of our platform, though.