Kingston has announced its IronKey Keypad 200 series hardware-encrypted USB flash drives, such as the KP200 and KP200C has achieved NIST FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation, which matches the earlier IronKey D500S for rigorously certified data protection solutions.
Designed as OS-independent keypad drives, the KP200 series can be used across Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, as well as iOS and Android via USB-A or USB-C, making them suitable for environments where encrypted storage is required to load or unload software from medical, scientific, industrial, and other USB-equipped machinery, while also fitting into Operational Technology infrastructure use cases where NIST now recommends enhanced USB security under its Special Publication 1334 guidance.
According to Kingston, the FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certification process was its most intensive and time-consuming effort in more than a decade, yet the company says this milestone makes it the world’s first hardware-encrypted USB drive supplier with three different models, namely the D500S, KP200, and KP200C, certified to this de facto global data security standard that effectively makes them a popular name within the hyper sensitive operations sector.
Beyond certification, the KP200 series supports dual Admin and User PINs to provide recovery options if one password is forgotten, while allowing administrators to enforce a Global Read-Only mode until reset or a Session Read-Only Mode to protect against unauthorized changes or malware when used on untrusted systems, and the drives are also IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.
Available in USB Type-A and USB Type-C variants with capacities of up to 512GB, the KP200 series can be further customized with co-branding as an additional service, as well as backed by a limited three-year warranty with free technical support..
