Summary of Contents for Apricorn Aegis Secure Key 3.0
Page 1
Aegis Secure Key User’s Manual Remember to save your PIN in a safe place. If PIN is lost or forgotten, there will be no way to access data on the key. Data Security at Your Fingertips...
Table of Contents About the Aegis Secure Key 3.0 PIN Requirements Battery Note First-Time Use LED States and Their Meaning Waking the Key Locking the Key Unlocking the Key Admin Mode Adding a New User PIN Deleting the User PIN...
About the Aegis Secure Key 3.0 Important: With its flash key size, the Aegis Secure Key also has relatively small buttons. For greater ease and better control of key commands, enter all PINs and command codes onto the Secure Key’s keypad PRIOR to plugging the device into the USB port for use.
First-Time Use Each Aegis Secure Key is shipped without a preset Personal Identification Number (PIN) installed on the key. A 7 to 16-digit Admin PIN must be established before the key can be used. This Admin PIN can be used to set any and all of the Admin Mode Features of the key, as well as to access the key’s data.
Waking the Key When the key is not in use, it will enter a sleep state. While in this state, the key is locked and cannot be accessed. To wake the key so it can accept keypad inputs, press the UNLOCK button once. The LED will glow solidly (standby state.) Note: If the key has never been used, the BLUE...
Adding a User PIN The Aegis Secure Key can have one Admin and one User, making a total of two working PINs. Adding a User is a perfect way to securely share the key or deploy it for use where the User does not require access to the Admin features.
Changing the Admin PIN Changes to the Admin PIN can only be made while the key is in the Admin mode. Enter the Admin mode. (Hold UNLOCK + 0 for five seconds – with the LED blinking, enter the Admin PIN and press the UNLOCK button.) The BLUE LED will glow solidly.
Setting Read-Only or Read / Write From the User Mode NOTE: When changing Read-Only or Read / Write settings, do not make these changes with the key attached to an operating system. This may cause confusion within the operating system about the proper status of the key and the key may not function properly until the operating system has been restarted.
Setting the Unattended Auto-Lock Feature To protect against unauthorized access if the key is unlocked and unattended, the Aegis Secure Key can be set to automatically lock after a predetermined period of inactivity. In its default state, the Aegis Secure Key’s Unattended Auto-Lock feature is turned off. The Unattended Auto-Lock can be set to activate after 5, 10 or 20 minutes of inactivity.
Setting a Self-Destruct PIN For certain users, it’s important to have a “last-resort” level of security where sensitive data falling into the wrong hands would be catastrophic. The Secure Key’s Self-Destruct PIN defends against physically compromising situations by erasing the key’s contents, leaving it to look as if it never had any data written to it.
Aegis Secure Key Brute-Force Protection What is Brute-Force Attack? A Brute-Force Attack is a means of breaching a cryptographic data defense scheme by systematically running an astronomical number of decryption possibilities. With AES 256 having never been cracked, the data stored on a Secure Key is going to be more than well-protected against brute-force.
Performing a Complete Reset NOTE: A complete reset will erase encryption keys and PINs and leave the Secure Key in an unformatted condition. There may be circumstances (forgotten PIN, redeployment, return to factory default settings) when you need to completely reset the key. The complete reset feature will perform a crypto-erase on the key, generate a new encryption key, delete all users, and return all of the settings to factory default.
Page 14
Initializing and Formatting the Aegis Secure Key After a Complete Reset A complete reset of the Aegis Secure Key will erase all information and partition settings. You will need to initialize and format the Aegis Secure Key again after reset. To initialize your Aegis Secure Key, perform the following steps: After a complete reset, press UNLOCK + 9.
Select the Aegis Secure Key from the list of keys and volumes. Each key in the list will display its capacity, manufacturer, and product name, such as 232.9 Apricorn Secure Key. Click the Erase tab. Enter a name for the key. The default name is Untitled. The key’s name will eventually appear on the desktop.
Diagnostic Mode The keypad has a manual diagnostic mode built-in to verify proper keypad function and troubleshooting key issues. This mode will not allow access to any data or admin function. It can only be used to identify the firmware level and to test button recognition.
Lock-Override Mode Certain users may encounter a case where they need the key to remain unlocked during a reboot, passing the key through a virtual machine or other similar situation which, under normal circumstances, would cause the key to lock. To help facilitate this use case, “Lock-Override Mode” will allow the key to remain unlocked through USB port re-enumeration and will not lock again until USB power is interrupted.
Troubleshooting This section contains troubleshooting information for the Aegis Secure Key. If you encounter any of the following problems when using the Aegis Secure Key, refer to the corresponding answers. Q: What can I do if I forget the User PIN? A: Use your Admin PIN to enter the Admin Mode and create another User PIN.
Page 19
A: If an Admin PIN has been previously set, the Admin PIN can be used to unlock the key and recover the data. If you forget the PIN and do not have an Admin PIN, the key can be reset so it can be used again, but the data cannot be recovered. Q: Why does the LED indicate an error when I try to change the PIN? A: PIN requirements for this key must meet a minimum security level.
NO OTHER WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OR MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, HAS BEEN OR WILL BE MADE BY OR ON BEHALF OF APRICORN OR BY OPERATION OF LAW WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT OR ITS INSTALLATION, USE, OPERATION, REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR.
Need help?
Do you have a question about the Aegis Secure Key 3.0 and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers