Mercury Systems has announced the start of customer design engagements for its new MISSION-Stor portable secure solid state drive (SSD) with integrated security and performance-enhancing algorithms. Although appearing very much like a commercial universal serial bus (USB), these new secure SSDs (see figure) have been designed and constructed to withstand the harshest military operating environments while providing protection for the most sensitive data. These drives are ideal for applications where mission instructions must be securely transferred to a military platform operating in a potentially hostile threat environment.
This MISSION-Stor memory device combines advanced NAND flash memory with Mercury Systems’ sixth-generation ARMOR microprocessor and 256-b encryption. It is supplied in a compact form factor optimized for size, weight, and power (SWaP) that is small enough to fit in the pocket of a flight jacket for ease of transport. The memory device is designed for protection of the most sensitive mission-critical data, up to and including the Top Secret (TS) designation.
A secure, military-grade SSD uses 256-b encryption and a rugged housing to protect sensitive data on the battlefield.
These MISSION-Stor SSD devices support encryption, key purge, sanitization, and self-destruct capabilities. The memory device is engineered to the standards of the Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) 140-2 and the National Security Administration’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program. The memory device is expected to receive FIPS 140-2 certification approved component listing for the CSfC program in 2018.
“Today, we openly invite government agencies, defense prime contractors, and other valued customers to engage with us as we field our new MISSION-Stor device,” said Iain Mackie, vice president and general manager of Mercury’s Microelectronics Secure Solutions group. “As the preeminent commercial supplier of secure military-grade SSD devices, our new MISSION-Stor product sets the bar for removable data storage with integrated security.
“Our Phoenix Advanced Microelectronics Center is proud to continue designing and manufacturing innovative security solutions purpose-built for government agencies and our military forces,” he added
The new memory device is available with either a high-speed nonvolatile memory express (NVMe) interface or a serial ATA (SATA) interface. Users can configure the memory device to operate in either an extended-life or extended-capacity mode based on mission requirements. The memory devices are manufactured in Mercury’s Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA)-certified Advanced Microelectronics Center (Phoenix, Ariz.)
