‘PC on a Stick’ Secures Desktop and Data for Telecommuters, On-the-Go Workforce

Today’s mobile workforce can now trade in their laptop for a flash drive, thanks to an innovative new mobile computing technology from Lockheed Martin and IronKey. The new IronClad(TM) USB drive shrinks a laptop’s hard drive — including the entire operating system, software applications, and files — onto a secure flash drive.

The result is a totally secure “PC on a stick.” Users on-the-go can plug the flash drive into just about any computer or laptop in the world, and have instant, secure access to their own personal desktop and files. The IronClad technology runs the operating system directly off of the flash drive, meaning the user’s files never touch the hard drive of the borrowed computer, and the device leaves no trace that it was ever there. Each IronClad device is fully encrypted and delivers hardware-level protection against today’s most insidious malware threats, including nearly undetectable rootkits.

“Imagine leaving the office at the end of the day and, instead of slinging a laptop bag on your shoulder, you tuck a flash drive the size of a stick of gum in your pocket,” said Charles Croom, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Cyber Security Solutions. “With IronClad drives, employees who need to work at home or on travel, or field operatives who deploy around the country or around the globe, can carry not just their files but their entire computer on a three-inch USB drive. We’ve built a smart network around each drive, so IT managers have round-the-clock control of and visibility into the status and security of every device.”

Steve Ryan, senior vice president at IronKey said, “USB storage devices are rendered relatively useless without the proper authentication and security precautions in place. IronKey is a security company first and foremost, and IronClad drives leverage IronKey’s highly secure architecture design. We are very pleased to be working with Lockheed Martin to deliver this trusted, secure product with hardware-only password checking, secure virtual desktop and remote management capabilities.”

IronClad technology works by integrating advanced features at the hardware, software, and network levels:

  • Rugged, Secure Hardware: Built on IronKey’s proven secure USB drives, each IronClad drive includes at least 8GB of 256-bit encrypted storage, wrapped in a rugged, water- and shock-resistant metal casing.
  • Patent-Pending Mobile Computing Software: Custom Lockheed Martin technology lets users run their entire desktop — from the operating system to specific applications and files — directly off of the USB drive. Built-in advanced virus protection lets users plug into any shared or public computer with confidence.
  • Network-Wide Management: Each IronClad drive is a node on a centrally-managed network that lets IT organizations control security policies, keep watch on each drive, and carefully manage the applications that can or cannot be installed on the drive.

Croom noted that IronClad technology is envisioned as a key component of an organization’s cyber security strategy. “Data at the ‘edge’ — carried by your mobile employees on laptops and smart phones — is significantly harder to physically protect than the data inside the walls of your building,” he said. “The enterprise management tools built into each IronClad drive make it significantly easier to monitor, control and manage your cyber security profile. We envision this system as a key component of any IT organization’s smart, layered cyber security architecture.”

IronClad technology will be featured at the 13th Annual Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee Kickoff Technology Policy Exhibition, on January 26, 2010. The Exhibition will highlight some of the key pointed issues that will continue to impact policy-making in the 111th Congress. The event runs from 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Hart Senate Office Building, Room 902. For more information visit www.netcaucus.org/events/2010/kickoff/

IronClad drives and enterprise management software are available directly from Lockheed Martin and will soon be available via Lockheed Martin’s GSA schedule purchasing vehicle.

Source: Lockheed Martin


HSPA+ Modem Combines Innovative Design with Cutting Edge Mobile Broadband Technology to Keep Telefonica Espana Customers Connected

Telefonica and Novatel Wireless, Inc. a leading provider of wireless broadband access solutions, announced the launch of the Ovation MC996D High-Speed USB Data Modem, an HSPA+ Mobile Broadband device.

HSPA+ is the next evolution of high-speed packet access (HSPA) wireless broadband technology with greater capacity for data throughput compared to standard 3G networks. With peak data speeds of up to 21.6 Mbps on the downlink and 5.76 Mbps on the uplink, the MC996D delivers unprecedented performance with upload and downlink speeds of up to three times those of current HSPA mobile broadband devices.

“The launch of the MC996D will help meet the growing demand for innovative high-speed mobile data solutions in Spain,” Carlos Vera, director of Business Marketing, Telefonica Espana. “With the introduction of the MC996D, Telefonica Espana is expanding its portfolio of mobile connectivity products, to provide our customers with a wide range of broadband solutions to meet their needs.”

The MC996D supports the 900 and 2100 MHz frequency bands and is designed to provide connectivity virtually anywhere in the world, allowing users to check email, download rich multimedia content and remain connected to family and coworkers. The MC996D offers unprecedented speed with a sleek design and form factor. Featuring an auto install connection manager, multi-color LED service indicator light and removable memory storage up to 32GB via MicroSD/SDHC, the MC996D is the ultimate 2-in-1 USB modem and storage device.

“Telefonica’s newly introduced HSPA+ Network is the ideal platform to support Novatel’s next generation mobile data devices such as the MC996D,” said Rob Hadley, CMO, Novatel Wireless. “Novatel is dedicated to developing the latest emerging technologies to support the ongoing growth and evolution of wireless broadband technology. We are very pleased to work with Telefonica to provide our combined customers with the world’s most advanced mobile broadband solutions.”

The Ovation MC996D is commercially available through a variety of Telefonica’s direct and business sales channels. The customers can purchase this modem for only euro 49, when employing the Tarifa Plana Maxi. This rate is aimed at professionals who make heavy use of mobile data and require maximum network speed. Moreover, during the first three months of access users will have a 50% discount on the monthly fee.

Source: Novatel Wireless, Inc.


Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it will replace certain secure USB Flash drives with new units designed with an improved security architecture.

The Kingston® drives affected are the DataTraveler® BlackBox (DTBB), DataTraveler Secure – Privacy Edition (DTSP) and DataTraveler Elite – Privacy Edition (DTEP). Kingston is offering its customers the following: a FIPS-certified replacement for the DTBB; and the DataTraveler Vault – Privacy Edition for the DTSP and DTEP.

Kingston was notified in December by a third-party security consulting firm that the DataTraveler BlackBox, DataTraveler Secure – Privacy Edition and DataTraveler Elite – Privacy Edition contained a potential security flaw. Kingston believes the best solution is to replace those potentially affected units.

“We have decided the best way to address this problem is to offer our customers replacement units that incorporate newer and stronger security architecture,” said John Holland, vice president, U.S. sales, Kingston. “Since we were first notified of the potential hack, we have concluded that exchanging drives is the proper solution for our customers.”

Customers who own one of the affected drives should contact Kingston’s Customer Service Department for full details of our standard return process. For the customer service phone number in your region, visit www.kingston.com/driveupdate.

Source: Kingston Digital, Inc.


DesignWare System-Level Library Adds SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Support

Synopsys, Inc.  announced the availability of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 transaction-level models (TLM) supporting the Open SystemC(TM) Initiative (OSCI) TLM-2.0 API specification. The models are TLM representations of the Synopsys DesignWare® SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Device and xHCI Host Controller IP. The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 models enable pre-RTL and pre-silicon software development, verification and architecture exploration. They are part of the DesignWare System-Level Library which features more than 100 TLM models, including models of the DesignWare Interface IP portfolio.

With the integration of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 into advanced SoCs and the increasing complexity of software stacks, the need to develop the associated embedded software as early as possible increases. The availability of ready-to-use SuperSpeed USB 3.0 TLM models, which are cross-verified with the corresponding DesignWare SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Interface IP and the associated Linux drivers, enables rapid development of virtual platforms for designs integrating the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Interface.

Virtual platforms enable the concurrent development and debug of hardware and embedded software using an executable model of the hardware long before RTL and first silicon are available. Like all models in the DesignWare System-Level Library, the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 TLM models work in any IEEE1666-compliant SystemC simulator, including Synopsys’ Innovator for virtual platforms and VCS for functional verification. Adhering to the TLM-2.0 specification allows for easy integration, with models coming from different sources, regardless of the simulation environment.

“A virtual platform software development environment, as provided by Synopsys, is critical to reducing our time to market and overall product cost when delivering our USB 2.0 and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 software stacks,” said Terry Moore, CEO of MCCI. “The Synopsys USB virtual platforms developed with Innovator and DesignWare System-Level Library have proven themselves invaluable to MCCI and to our customers many times over. Our USB stack is ported and available for the customer’s platform much earlier in their product development than without using virtual platforms. This saves us and our customers critical time.”

“As a leader in USB IP, Synopsys has the expertise to deliver and support a high-quality, comprehensive SuperSpeed USB IP solution,” said Frank Schirrmeister, director of product marketing for system-level solutions at Synopsys. “Providing SuperSpeed TLM-2.0 models of our DesignWare USB Interface IP enables our customers to concurrently develop hardware and software, for earliest time to market.”

The DesignWare System-Level Library is part of Synopsys’ Software-to-Silicon Verification Solution that offers the industry’s most comprehensive suite of proven embedded software development, system validation, functional verification and circuit simulation software, hardware, intellectual property (IP), methodologies and services for complex system-on-chip (SoC) development. The solution includes the Confirma rapid prototyping products, the VCS® high-performance simulator, DesignWare IP, DesignWare System-Level Library and Innovator, enabling hybrid virtual/physical prototyping environment for embedded software development and verification.

Availability

The DesignWare System-Level Library featuring the TLM-2.0 models for SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is available immediately; existing licensees receive it as a regular maintenance update.

Source: Synopsys, Inc.


IronKey responds to recent hack of encrypted USB Drives

IronKey Devices Employ Sophisticated Security Architecture to Avoid Widely Reported Vulnerability in Many USB Drives

In response to the reports that certain hardware-encrypted USB flash drives have been hacked on Monday, Jan. 4, IronKey, maker of the world’s most secure flash drive, today announced that its devices are not vulnerable to the serious architectural flaw that has compromised many ‘secure’ USB storage devices. IronKey customers remain safe.

Reports detailing the vulnerabilities, and how to hack these devices, have been published by German security firm SySS. The vulnerability is a major flaw in the design of the affected products. In short, the products use software that runs on the host PC to verify the correctness of a user’s password. This is an inherent design error, and is not secure. It is equivalent to a single shared backdoor password for all of these devices. Security analysts were able to write a simple unlocker tool patching the software and unlocking any of those devices instantaneously without the user’s password.

“This security flaw means that data on the affected products is at risk of disclosure,” said Dr. Dan Boneh, a leading authority in the fields of cryptography and computer science, and professor of computer science at Stanford University in applied cryptography and computer security. “FIPS 140-2 security validation is a useful tool in assessing the security of encryption products. However, it is not a guarantee that a product is secure. Implementing an encryption algorithm is only a part of a security implementation. Vendors building encryption products need to be skilled at security architecture, design, penetration testing and vulnerability analysis.”

Designed to be the most secure portable storage devices in the world, IronKey devices verify the correctness of a user’s password in hardware on the device. The security of IronKey devices does not depend on software on the host PC, which as this attack illustrates, can easily be tampered with. Additionally, IronKey devices do not have unlock codes or backdoors. Every IronKey device has unique random AES encryption keys that are generated on the device when a user initializes it.

“The products that were hacked were made by storage companies that primarily manufacture consumer memory products for cameras and MP3 players,” David Jevans, CEO at IronKey said. “IronKey is first and foremost a security company. This incident illustrates that securing portable storage devices requires deep architectural understanding, threat modeling, security review and attention to detail in implementation.”

Many years of security architecture and threat modeling have been applied to the design and development of IronKey devices. IronKey S200 and D200 products are validated to FIPS 140-2, Level 3, a far higher standard than FIPS 140-2, level 2 for the products affected by this hack. Level 3 has much higher requirements for encryption key management, authentication, design assurance and physical security.

Supporting Resources:

IronKey will host a webinar on this topic on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 10:00am PST.

Register to attend at: https://ironkeyevent.webex.com/ironkeyevent/onstage/g.php?d=665879884&

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVVQUnaEqpY

Source: IronKey





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