SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 04/17/12 -- SPYRUS today announced availability of a new version of Secure Pocket Drive that allows end users to build and distribute their own secure bootable Linux OS image. In addition to offering secure access to corporate networks, the Linux edition gives users the freedom to install and run their own applications and productivity software locally. Unlike Live CD, Secure Pocket Drive is hardware encrypted, has numerous security self-checks during boot-up and runtime, and can be managed and updated remotely by authorized personnel.

Secure Pocket Drive has received wide acceptance and strong demand in the public sector to meet Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and telework requirements, while allowing organizations to control the operating environment used by their employees.

Designed as a secure endpoint for Internet and cloud-computing applications, Secure Pocket Drive is the only trusted pocket-sized encrypting USB flash drive that boots Linux or Windows environments without the overhead of a virtual machine. Secure Pocket Drive has more than enhanced security features; it is optimized for performance. The Linux edition can be booted in seconds on most Intel-based Apple Macintosh and standard Intel and AMD-based Windows computers.

Secure Pocket Drive can be configured to prevent cross-contamination and the transfer of malware from the host computer by not mounting the internal hard drive. How many times has your network been attacked by a malware-infected personal computer, and how much time does your helpdesk spend supporting non-standard configurations? With Secure Pocket Drive, you configure and own the secure operating environment, no matter where it is booted.

Secure Pocket Drive is the ideal computing solution for telecommuters, road warriors, and continuity-of-operation initiatives. Since Secure Pocket Drive can boot on older computers that have as little as 1 GB of RAM, many customers are extending the life of these older computers, increasing their ROI. Road warriors and teleworkers can simply boot Secure Pocket Drive from these computers to securely connect to corporate networks, instead of buying new computers.

SPYRUS has build tools and customization services available for small and large customers who want to build and manage their own Linux operating system and applications for Secure Pocket Drive. Customers can use these tools to make a boot compartment read-only, a major advantage over current Linux installations on writeable USB drives which can be susceptible to malware attacks.

Secure Pocket Drive uses the same on-board hardware security that is built into the SPYRUS Hydra Privacy Card® family, including AES-256 CBC and XTS, ECDH, ECDSA P-384, and SHA-384. These together make up the National Security Agency's Suite B cryptography, a part of the US Government's cryptographic modernization program to replace legacy cryptographic methods, which have proven increasingly vulnerable to "sponsored" attackers. FIPS 140-2 Level 3 sector-based full disk encryption is based on XTS-AES 256 encryption (NIST SP800-38E). Additional protection from malware alteration is provided by a signed and hashed bootloader and a hardware-enforced read-only compartment.

"We were proud to introduce our multiple-award-winning Secure Pocket Drive to government users in 2010 and to private enterprise in 2011," said Tom Dickens, COO of SPYRUS, "and now we can extend this secure environment to the worldwide community of Linux users. Just boot directly from the Secure Pocket Drive for worry-free secure computing."

Multiple SPYRUS patents provide unique cryptographic defenses against modification to the boot loader and the operating system. The patented methods enforce on-the-fly integrity validation to enable fast, secure boot-up and enhance the user experience without suffering the performance or vulnerability penalties incurred by other bootable products. Secure Pocket Drive was designed from the ground up with strong FIPS 140-2 Level 3 hardware, US Government-approved, next-generation cryptographic algorithms, and extensive built-in self-checking functionality to protect the device, the operating system, and the enterprise environment.

To watch videos of Secure Pocket Drive in action or get information on ordering Secure Pocket Drive for immediate evaluation or purchase, see www.spyrus.com/products/secure_pocket_drive.asp.

About SPYRUS, Inc.

SPYRUS holds patents in the U.S. and abroad that enable solutions for secure authentication, secure communication, and full disk encryption, as well as patents relating to data protection and rights management for digital content. To prevent the insertion of untrusted components, Secured by SPYRUS™ security technology is proudly designed, engineered, and manufactured in the USA to meet FIPS 140-2 Level 3 standards. SPYRUS is headquartered in San Jose, California. See www.spyrus.com for more information.

Secure Pocket Drive is protected by U.S. Patents 7,757,100, 7,380,140, 6,088,802, and 6,981,149, with other patents pending. SPYRUS, the SPYRUS logo, Secured by SPYRUS, Hydra Privacy Card, Hydra PC, Secure Pocket Drive, and Security to the Edge are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SPYRUS, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other jurisdictions. All other company, organization, and product names are trademarks of their respective organizations.

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