IronKey Secure USB Devices
Protect Against BadUSB Malware
Overview
IronKey Secure USB devices are not vulnerable to BadUSB malware which was revealed at Black Hat on August 7. BadUSB is the first USB malware designed to attack the device itself instead of attacking the data on the device. IronKey's leadership in security, including its use of digital signatures in all controller firmware, makes its products immune to this new threat. To help reduce the impact of BadUSB, the company is offering a GoodUSB Trade-Up Program that provides discounts on its secure USB products.
As revealed at the Black Hat session on BadUSB, the attack changes the firmware that controls the behavior of the USB hardware, allowing the USB device to become a host that can subsequently infect other computers and USB devices. The modified controller firmware cannot be detected by today's anti-malware solutions, and in many cases, may remain undetectable.
As explained by the researchers, the best protection against this vulnerability is to use code signing for firmware updates. If the signed firmware is modified, the device cannot authenticate the firmware and simply will not operate. This prevents the infection from spreading but results in an unusable device. That is why in addition to using signed firmware, IronKey protects the mechanism used to update the firmware with hardware-based security keys. This prevents tampering with the signed firmware, which would leave the device unusable.
Additional key security features available for IronKey Secure USB:
- Secure, military-grade 256-bit AES full disk hardware encryption
- FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) 140-2 Level 3 validation
- Centralized management supporting remote wipe/disable of lost or stolen devices
- Multifactor authentication
- Built-in password protection policies
- Ruggedized, waterproof metal case to resist physical break-ins and is tamper evident
- Virus/malware protection