# IronKey

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Brand of USB devices

IronKey IronKey S250 8GB encrypted USB flash drive Product type USB flash drive Owner Kingston Technology Previous owners Imation Website www.ironkey.com

**IronKey** is the brand name of a family of encrypted [USB portable storage devices](/source/USB_flash_drive) owned by Kingston Digital, the flash memory affiliate of [Kingston Technology](/source/Kingston_Technology) Company, Inc.

## History

From 2005 to 2012, IronKey was an Internet security and privacy company based in California. IronKey's founding was partially funded by the [U.S. federal government](/source/Federal_government_of_the_United_States), with a grant of [US$](/source/United_States_dollar)1.4 million through the [Homeland Security Research Projects Agency](/source/HSARPA).[1][2][3] Their products have been used by the U.S. government in various areas.[4][5]

[Imation](/source/Imation) acquired IronKey in September 2011.[6] In October 2012, IronKey rebranded itself as Marble Security, and the IronKey brand became wholly owned by Imation.[7][8] As part of Imation, the IronKey portfolio includes products and intellectual property from the former IronKey, as well as technologies from Imation acquisitions of MXI Security and ENCRYPTX.[9][10]

On February 8, 2016, [Kingston Technology](/source/Kingston_Technology) Company, Inc., announced it had acquired the USB technology and assets of IronKey from Imation.[11] On the same day, [DataLocker](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=DataLocker&action=edit&redlink=1) announced it had acquired Ironkey's Enterprise Management Service (EMS) and other assets from Imation. [12]

In November 2018, Kingston announced that the IronKey had new features and was now FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified.[13]

In early 2021, a reported 7,000 Bitcoin were stranded in an IronKey flash drive due to a forgotten password. The owner, programmer Stefan Thomas, did not utilize the Enterprise Management Service for password recovery. [14] In 2023, a company named Unciphered found a way to unlock IronKey USB sticks similar to the one Thomas used.[15]

### Windows To Go portable workspaces

Among Imation's IronKey products are flash drives certified by Microsoft for [Windows To Go](/source/Windows_To_Go).[16] Windows To Go is an enterprise feature of [Windows 8](/source/Windows_8) that enables the creation of a workspace that can be booted from a USB-connected external drive on PCs that meet Microsoft certification requirements, regardless of the operating system running on the PC. A Windows To Go product, the IronKey Workspace W300, received the Editors' Choice accolade from *PC Magazine* in February 2013.[17]

## Products

### Secure Portable Storage

- IronKey Enterprise S250 and D250 USB flash drives

- IronKey F200 Biometric Flash Drive

- IronKey Basic S250 and D250 USB flash drives

- IronKey F150 Flash Drive

- IronKey Personal S250 and D250 USB flash drives

- IronKey H100 External USB Hard Drive

- IronKey H200 Biometric External USB Hard Drive

- IronKey F100 Flash Drive

- IronKey D80 Flash Drive

- IronKey H80 External USB Hard Drive

- IronKey D300S USB Flash Drive

- IronKey D300SM USB Flash Drive

- Ironkey D500S USB Flash Drive

- IronKey S1000 Encrypted USB Flash Drive

### IronKey Secure Workspaces

**Windows 8:**

- IronKey Workspace W700 Windows To Go (Microsoft certified, FIPS Certified)[18]

- IronKey Workspace W500 Windows To Go (Microsoft certified)[19]

- IronKey Workspace W300 Windows To Go (Microsoft certified)

**Windows 7:**

- IronKey Workspace MWES USB Flash Drive with Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard (MWES) edition software.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["SOMETHING VENTURED: Uncle Sam Is Staking Start-Ups"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110713202820/http://www.levp.com/cat-bin/filexfer/show/031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf?artist_id=365&folder=news_attachments&file=031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf) (PDF). VentureWire. March 12, 2008. Archived from [the original](http://www.levp.com/cat-bin/filexfer/show/031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf?artist_id=365&folder=news_attachments&file=031208VentureWireITSEF.pdf) (PDF) on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["10 Hot Security Startups"](http://www.darkreading.com/security/perimeter/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208808181). DarkReading. April 12, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Command, Control and Interoperability Programs and Projects"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120305162235/http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1218474924792.shtm#16). Department of Homeland Security. April 2, 2009. Archived from [the original](https://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1218474924792.shtm#16) on March 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["U.S. Department of Homeland Security - 2010 Budget in Brief"](http://www.iaem.com/committees/governmentaffairs/documents/DHSBudgetinBriefFY2010.pdf) (PDF). Department of Homeland Security. 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Department Responsibilities: Maximize Use of Science, Technology and Innovation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090805015717/http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/gc_1244659918636.shtm). Department of Homeland Security. July 22, 2009. Archived from [the original](https://www.dhs.gov/xabout/gc_1244659918636.shtm) on August 5, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Fahmida Y. Rashid (September 20, 2011). ["Imation Acquires IronKey's USB-Based Hardware Security Business"](https://www.eweek.com/security/imation-acquires-ironkey-s-usb-based-hardware-security-business/). eWeek. Retrieved Sep 20, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Marble Cloud Launches Mobile Security Service for iPhone, Android"](http://www.eweek.com/mobile/marble-cloud-launches-mobile-security-service-for-iphone-android/). eWeek. 16 October 2012. Retrieved Oct 16, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Imation to Unify Mobile Security Portfolio around IronKey Brand"](http://ir.imation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=73967&p=irol-newsArticle&id=1745084). Imation. Retrieved Oct 15, 2012.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Imation acquires MXI Security, broadens product line"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110611012723/http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/imation-acquires-mxi-security-broadens-product-line/143308). IT World Canada. 10 June 2011. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Imation Acquires Encryption And Security Solutions Company ENCRYPTX"](https://techcrunch.com/2011/03/03/imation-acquires-encryption-and-security-solutions-company-encryptx/). TechCrunch. 3 March 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Mearian, Lucas (2016-02-08). ["Kingston buys encrypted flash drive maker IronKey"](https://www.computerworld.com/article/3031055/kingston-buys-encrypted-flash-drive-maker-ironkey.html). *Computerworld*. Retrieved 2020-02-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Inc, DataLocker (2016-02-08). ["DataLocker Acquires IronKey Enterprise Management Services (EMS) and Other Assets From Imation"](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2016/02/08/1228511/0/en/DataLocker-Acquires-IronKey-Enterprise-Management-Services-EMS-and-Other-Assets-From-Imation.html). *GlobeNewswire News Room*. Retrieved 2021-07-30. {{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: |last= has generic name ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#generic_name))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Kingston IronKey D300 encrypted USB drive"](https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/encrypted-usb-drive-15-11-2018/). *Geeky Gadgets*. 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2020-02-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** January 2021, Joel Khalili 19 (2021-01-19). ["IronKey maker couldn't liberate this locked $260m Bitcoin wallet, even if it wanted to"](https://www.techradar.com/news/ironkey-maker-couldnt-unlock-this-locked-dollar260m-bitcoin-wallet-even-if-it-wanted-to). *TechRadar*. Retrieved 2021-07-30.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Greenberg, Andy. ["They Cracked the Code to a Locked USB Drive Worth $235 Million in Bitcoin. Then It Got Weird"](https://www.wired.com/story/unciphered-ironkey-password-cracking-bitcoin/). *Wired*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1059-1028](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1059-1028). Retrieved 2023-10-25.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Microsoft Windows To Go Homepage"](http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/products-and-technologies/devices/windowstogo.aspx). *[Microsoft](/source/Microsoft)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["IronKey Workspace W300 (64GB)"](https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415960,00.asp). PC Magazine. Retrieved Feb 26, 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [FIPS 140-2 Non-Proprietary Security Policy](http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140sp/140sp2183.pdf)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Explore Windows 10 OS, Computers, Apps, & More - Microsoft"](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows). *www.microsoft.com*.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.ironkey.com/)

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