Info
The SmartDongle USB security Key from MicroWorks, Inc.
One year warranty
The product has been in production since 2003 with continuing firmware upgrades to improve performance and security.
32KB of NVRAM to store data. The memory is rated for 1,000,000 writes.
Data is stored in the NVRAM with 128 bit AES encryption. This is a maximum set by the state department. We adhere to this limit so we can sell these parts outside of the United States.
The firmware on the SmartDongle is stored in execute-only mode so that hackers cannot extract the part, put it into a harness, and read the program to get the encryption key value.
The LED can be programmatically set to off, red, or green. An API is provided to change the setting of the LED. This allows the developer to give feedback through the SmartDongle itself. We use this feature when we are programming the key values into the SmartDongles. When the light is red it means the process is underway. If the light flashes red it means that the process failed. When the light flashes green it means the process is finished. Using a batch of USB hubs we program a dozen at the same time. The lights tell us which SmartDongles are ready to ship.
We provide drivers for Windows, Linux, and Mac developers. We provide source code for all of our drivers and all of our APIs. The code has a very modest footprint which makes it appropriate for embedded systems.
Our security doesn’t come through ignorance, it comes through unique keys that are used by the application program and by the SmartDongle. (See the article in the security issue of Dr. Dobb’s Journal, October 2005 and the follow-up article in the June, 2008 issue of Dr. Dobb’s Journal.) These key values are never passed over the USB bus so they cannot be observed by spying eyes.
Available in a variety of colors (currently black, blue, gray, and beige). Developers can specify their own colors for orders of 500 or more.
The SmartDongle can be customized by applying a label in the recessed rectangle designed for the purpose. The rectangle size is 13.5 mm by 35 mm. Here is a picture of a SmartDongle with a label.
