Apricorn, the leading global provider of quantum-resistant hardware-encrypted external storage solutions, today announced that its Aegis Secure Key 3.0 (ASK3) has achieved FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation (Certification #5517) through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP).
The ASK3 is the first product in Apricorn’s portfolio to receive validation under the latest generation of Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), marking an important milestone in the company’s broader transition from its eight previous FIPS 140-2 validations spanning the majority of its encrypted product line.
The validation confirms that the ASK3 cryptographic module has completed independent testing against the security requirements defined by FIPS 140-3. Level 3 addresses critical areas including physical security, identity-based authentication, cryptographic key management and environmental failure protection.
For federal agencies and contractors that require FIPS-validated technology, the ASK3 now provides a high-capacity option for securing data both at rest and in motion between endpoints, remote locations and air-gapped systems. The same assurance is relevant to organisations in other highly regulated industries such as defence, aerospace, healthcare, finance, and legal/digital forensics.
“Receiving FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation for the ASK3 is a major milestone for us and for the customers who depend and standardise on Apricorn to protect their most sensitive data,” said Jeanclaude Toma, CEO at Apricorn. “We designed the product around the latest NIST standards from the beginning, then took it through demanding independent testing and review processes with no revisions or resubmissions. The result is a portable drive that gives federal agencies, defence contractors and regulated organisations independent assurance that its core security controls perform as intended. This is also the first step in bringing FIPS 140-3 validation across our broader portfolio.”
The ASK3 combines the portability of a USB flash drive with a bespoke mini solid-state drive architecture, delivering capacities up to 4TB. Like all of Apricorn’s secure storage devices, the ASK3’s onboard keypad keeps authentication separate from the host computer, while 256-bit AES XTS hardware encryption protects all data written to the drive without the use of software. The device also includes a tamper-resistant outer casing and is designed to maintain security across operating systems and environments.
“The previous version of the ASK3 was already the fastest hardware encrypted memory key on the market, and this re-engineered version has write speeds that are nearly 20 per cent faster,” said Kurt Markley, vice president of sales. “At the same time, we were able to double our industry leading 2TB size to 4TB, which is approximately eight times the capacity of its nearest competitor. With the FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation, customers have a product that ticks all of the necessary security, compliance and performance boxes they need.”
Apricorn also engineered the ASK3 to protect the device and its data when operating conditions move outside of safe ranges. An integrated environmental protection circuit shuts the drive down before temperature or voltage conditions can cause damage. Once conditions return to an acceptable range, the device can be brought back into use. This approach addresses FIPS 140-3 environmental requirements while helping prevent the hardware failure and loss of access that extreme conditions can cause in the field.
