Kingston Technology announced the release of its first Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)*-validated USB Flash drive, the DataTraveler BlackBox, available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities. Gaining FIPS 140-2 certification requires a validation process that meets federal requirements set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)**, and the Communications Security Establishment of the Government of Canada. This is critical because many governmental agencies in the United States and Canada mandate that sensitive "data at rest" (i.e., all information not in the network) must be encrypted with the FIPS 140-2 standard.   

The FIPS Level 2 standard requires the DT BlackBox to run a power-on self test which verifies that the encryption architecture is functioning each time it is plugged into a USB port. Beyond the NIST certification, the DataTraveler BlackBox features 256-bit hardware-based AES encryption via a dedicated processor which automatically encrypts and decrypts data on the fly. The drive automatically locks down after ten consecutive failed password attempts, thus helping to prevent unauthorized access if the drive is lost, stolen or misplaced. To view Kingston 's FIPS 140-2 Validation Certificate No. 929, please visit: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140crt/140crt929.pdf Detailed information about FIPS security levels and procedures can be found at: http://www.csrc.nist.gov/cryptval/140-2.htm http://www.csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips140-2/fips1402.pdf

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