Teardown and feasibility study of IronKey -- the most secure USB Flash drive
This research addresses security concerns for users of IronKey devices by evaluating their hardware protections and exposing vulnerabilities, though it is incremental as it builds on prior evaluations of other encrypted USB drives.
The study conducted a teardown and feasibility analysis of IronKey USB drives, which are marketed as highly secure and certified for top-secret use, to assess their actual security level and identify potential flaws.
There are many solutions for protecting user data on USB Flash drives. However, the family of IronKey devices was designed with the highest security expectations. They are definitely standing above others by being certified to FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and also claimed as certified by NATO for Top-Secret use. Many encrypted USB drives had been evaluated and found insecure, however, no public research on IronKey devices was made. This feasibility study fills the gap by looking inside the IronKey family of devices. As a result the users of the IronKey devices could be assured about the real level of the security protection they get. Several generations of devices from IronKey family and competitors are teared down, their hardware solutions discussed and evaluated for possible attacks. Some potential flaws are exposed and those findings are likely to stimulate further research into specific solutions aimed to protect user data.