Apricorn announces Aegis Secure Key 3NX
Apricorn developed the Aegis Secure Key 3NX family in response to the demand for encrypted storage devices generated by the data privacy regulations, the most recent being the EU’s GDPR which affects businesses operating within EU nations as well as all companies from other countries that are doing business in the EU and United Kingdom.
Other regulations like FISMA, FERPA and HIPAA all require that sensitive data be protected by various means including encryption. And California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) coming into effect in 2020 will be the prototype for a new wave of data protection regulations. Encryption regulations will soon apply to every business that deals with customer data.
“We set out to reduce the cost of this product group and enhance our existing security features,” said Mike McCandless, vice president of sales and marketing at Apricorn.
“Beyond delivering lower price points across the board, we have expanded the capacity offerings on the lower end to better align with the needs of the consumer. In other words, if all you need are 2GB or 4GB drives, you don’t have to settle for an 8GB.”
In addition to operating 25 percent cooler than its predecessor, the 3NX includes a patent pending RM / FD toggle feature that allows the user to configure the device as Removeable Media or Fixed Disk.
Combined with the 3NX’s embedded keypad, the 3NX is compatible with embedded systems that recognize Removeable Media storage devices (e.g. instrumentation, radios or other equipment that lacks a keyboard and precludes the use of devices that employ software in the authentication process).
Designed for high volume corporate deployments, the Aegis Secure Key 3NX has the same feature set as the Secure Key 3z, plus a range of capacities from 2GB to 128GB.
Other standard features include onboard keypad authentication, 256-bit AES XTS hardware encryption, cross-platform compatibility, read-only option, separate admin and user access, data recovery PINs, programmable PIN lengths, and Aegis Configurator compatibility.
The 3NX family is pending a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation, which is expected later this year.
The security advantages of Apricorn’s hardware encrypted USB storage devices include:
- Software-free – There’s nothing to keylog or to hack,
- OS agnostic and cross-platform compatible,
- Onboard keypad — Authentication takes place within the device itself,
- All data, passwords and encryption keys are 256-bit encrypted at rest,
- Setup, authentication, and encryption involves no host computer,
- Forced enrollment – No default PINs to ensure that data is not put at risk by employees who fail to supplant a factory preset PIN with a complex PIN before deployment,
- IP-67 validated against water and dust damage.