Private Data Vault

Kingston IronKey VP50 USB flash drive
Private Data Vault

06/23/2022

By Matthew Breusch

One of the biggest security flaws for data transfers? Insufficiently shielded USB sticks! California storage giant Kingston now offers multi-hardened flash memory in the “private vault” category with a multi-password option and an anti-brute-force policy.

The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 (VP50) features XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption and is FIPS-197 certified. It supports one-time admin, user, and recovery passwords. The multiple password option allows access to stored data in case one of them is forgotten.

Traditional “complex” mode allows passwords of six to 16 characters and three out of four character sets. Passphrase mode lets you use a numeric PIN, phrase, list of words, or even a memorable phrase or lyrics of up to 64 characters.

Ten attempts before quitting

The VP50 protects against brute force attacks by locking out user or one-time recovery passwords after ten consecutive invalid attempts. The drive is eventually cryptographically erased if, in addition, the administrator password is entered incorrectly ten times in a row.

Malware ingress into the USB armor is prevented as long as the administrator and user set a synchronous forced write protection mode or session-based write protection for the drive. The key can also be personalized with a product identifier for integration into standard endpoint management software.

User-friendly options

“Enterprise-level data security” is what Kingston’s European Director, Christian Marhöfer, calls it. “We’ve added some of our customers’ most requested features to not only protect 100% of stored data, but also to make the drive easier to use.”

The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 is available in two variants:

• The USB 3.2 Gen1 version allows read and write speeds of 250 or 180 megabytes per second and comes in storage capacities from 8 to 128 gigabytes.

• The variant with a USB 2.0 interface allows 30 MB in read mode and 20 MB in write mode. Capacities range from 8 to 256 GB.

Type-A memory is compatible from USB 3.2 and below, survives one meter depth underwater, and can be used from zero to 60 degrees Celsius. It comes with a five-year limited warranty and free technical support.

Current eBook

Comparison of storage technologies

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• Tape: the art of long-term archiving

Download the free eBook “HDD, Flash & Hybrid: the right memory for every application”

(ID: 48408045)

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