Kingston launches IronKey D500S flash drive: TS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption

Kingston has recently launched an IronKey D500S hardware-encrypted USB flash drive. Officials claim that the flash drive “has flagship military-grade security features” and has passed FIPS 140-3 Level 3 (pending) certification. , has hardware-based XTS-AES 256-bit encryption.

▲Image source: Kingston official website

The specifications and parameters as follows:

 interface

     USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A)
     capacity

     8GB, US$79.99 (Note: currently about 589 RMB)

     16GB, $104.99 (currently about 773 RMB)

     32GB, $128.99 (currently about 949 RMB)

     64GB, $163.99 (currently about 1207 RMB)

     128GB, $218.99 (currently about 1612 RMB)

     256GB, $291.99 (currently about 2149 RMB)

     512GB, the official price has not been announced, and it has not been listed on third-party e-commerce stores yet.
     speed

     8GB – 128GB: 260MB/sec read speed, 190MB/sec write speed

     256GB: 240MB/sec read speed, 170MB/sec write speed

     512GB: 310MB/sec read speed, 250MB/sec write speed
     size

     77.9 mm x 21.9 mm x 12.0 mm

Design-wise, the flash drive features a “rugged zinc casing” that results in IPX8 protection, and is filled with a special epoxy resin to protect the internal components from penetrating attacks.

▲Image source: Kingston official website

Officials claim that the D500S will perform a self-check at startup and shut down the hard drive if it detects excessive temperature or voltage. For added peace of mind, the D500S integrates digitally signed firmware, making it immune to BadUSB malware and brute force attacks. Brute force password attack protection is always enabled to prevent password guessing attacks that will eventually cryptographically wipe the drive if the number of invalid password retries is exceeded.

▲Image source: Kingston official website

The D500S supports traditional complex password or passphrase modes, allowing passwords of 8-16 characters to be entered using 3 of the 4-character set, and passphrase lengths can be 10-128 characters.

In addition, the D500S includes the “industry’s first dual hidden partition option,” which allows administrators to create two custom-sized secure partitions for administrators and users, allowing for the use of hidden file storage that can make files available to user partitions as needed. When using an untrusted system or shared hard drive, the hidden file store keeps its data safe and invisible unless accessed appropriately.