Kingston Digital Europe Co LLP has announced that its award-winning Kingston IronKey Keypad 200 series (KP200 and KP200C) hardware-encrypted USB flash drives have achieved NIST FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation.
The certification, issued under Certificate #5133, places the Keypad 200 series alongside Kingston’s IronKey D500S achieving certification status.
The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), are widely recognised as the global benchmark for cryptographic security.
While originating in the United States and used extensively by government and military organisations, FIPS certification is also trusted across Europe as a marker of strong cryptographic assurance. It aligns closely with EU and UK data protection expectations and complements Common Criteria-based frameworks such as EUCC, supporting high levels of security compliance across European markets.
FIPS 140-3 is the latest evolution of the standard for validating cryptographic hardware and software. It defines four levels of security, with Level 3 requiring robust physical tamper resistance, identity-based authentication, encrypted handling of private keys, separation of critical security interfaces, and protection against abnormal voltage or temperature conditions. Compliance is verified through extensive testing by NIST-accredited laboratories, with final certification granted following detailed review by NIST scientists.
The Kingston IronKey Keypad 200 series is designed for organisations and users who require strong, portable protection for sensitive data. As OS-independent keypad drives, KP200 and KP200C can be used across Windows®, macOS®, Linux®, ChromeOS™, and even iOS and Android™ devices via USB Type-A or USB Type-C® connections. This flexibility makes them particularly suitable for environments where software must be securely loaded to or from medical, scientific, industrial, or other operational equipment that relies on USB interfaces.
The certification also aligns with emerging guidance for Operational Technology (OT) environments. NIST’s new Special Publication (SP) 1334 recommends enhanced USB drive security for OT infrastructure, reinforcing the relevance of hardware-encrypted, certified solutions such as the IronKey KP200 series.
Commenting on the achievement, Oscar Escayola Kaloudis, EMEA Flash Business Manager and Sales Manager DACH, Middle East and Africa, Greece, and Israel for Kingston, EMEA, stated:
“The FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certification process by NIST has been the most intensive and time-consuming effort in over a decade, but due to our commitment in providing the best product solutions for our customers, Kingston is now the world’s first hardware-encrypted USB drive supplier with three different drive models – D500S, KP200 and KP200C – certified to this de-facto global data security standard. With FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certification, the IronKey KP200 and KP200C drives are exceptional for securing data-at-rest and meeting government and military standards worldwide.”
Kaloudis adds: “As data loss and theft continue to rise, these drives help organisations reduce the risks and costs associated with lost or stolen devices, while supporting compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, NIS2, CCPA, and other regional data protection standards.”
Beyond certification, the KP200 series includes a range of advanced security and usability features. Dual Admin and User PINs provide an alternative access method if a password is forgotten, while administrators can enforce a Global Read-Only mode or enable Session Read-Only Mode to prevent unauthorised changes or malware writes when the drive is connected to untrusted systems. The drives are also IP68 certified, offering dustproof and waterproof protection.
Available in USB Type-A and USB Type-C variants, the Kingston IronKey Keypad 200 series supports capacities of up to 512GB and can be customised with Co-Logo branding.
Each drive is backed by a three-year warranty and free technical support, reinforcing Kingston’s focus on long-term reliability and enterprise-grade data protection.
