Exelis’ Self-Encrypting USB Certified “Secret and Below” By NSA

Exelis’ self-encrypting USB drive has received "secret and below" certification from the US National Security Agency (NSA).

The drive is the newest device in a portfolio of NSA-certified Exelis information assurance products offering secure data-at-rest, data-in-transit, communications, and networking and storage solutions, the company announced in its press release on Thursday.

The USB drive's encryption capability and economical design are made possible by the industry-leading size, weight and power efficiency of the Exelis Assured Architecture Information Systems AARIS®-457 and AARIS-777 system-on-a-chip security modules. The AARIS-457 and AARIS-777 were NSA-certified in 2011 for applications "secret and below" and "top secret and below," respectively.

"Our technology expertise and our understanding of operational needs make us an excellent partner on information assurance projects with the highest security requirements," said Mark Adams, vice president and general manager of the Exelis specialty applications business.

"The knowledge that Exelis has gained during successive rounds of NSA certification will help guide our work on future projects, allowing us to streamline procedures and reduce the associated business risks for our customers."