USB security dongle ideal for providing application software and physical system access

22nd July 2008, Future Technology Devices International today announced the availability of its USB-Key security device. Using a unique, hard-coded identification number, the device can interface to any USB host or hub to provide application software access control (security dongle) or as part of a more sophisticated key-based physical access control. During manufacture, the USB-Key has a unique FTDIChip-ID number burnt into it. This number is only readable over the USB interface, making it ideal for PC or embedded security developments. The USB-Key, compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 specifications, derives its power from the USB interface and does not require any external supply or battery.

In addition to providing a unique identification number, a user writeable EEPROM area is available to allow further encryption techniques. Examples include reading the FTDIChip-ID, further encrypting it and writing it back to the EEPROM. By using this approach, industry standard encryption techniques such as DES, AES, or Blowfish could be implemented.

Also available is an ActiveX control, SafeGuard-IT, which can utilise the FTDI-ChipID feature of the USB-Key to provide asymmetric public and private key encryption. Encrypted information based on the FTDIChip-ID, the private key and an optional password can be programmed back into the USB-Key’s integrated EEPROM. This provides an easy to deploy method of software protection with a high level of security. With this approach, SafeGuard-IT protected software packages need only be compiled once and can then be distributed with just two additional files to decrypt the information, the public key and the SafeGuard-IT DLL.

FTDIChip-ID drivers, supporting all popular operating systems, together with further programming documentation and code examples are available for free download at http://www.ftdichip.com/Projects/FTDIChip-ID.htm

The SafeGuard-IT ActiveX control and the SafeGuard-IT DLL file can be downloaded free of charge at http://www.ftdichip.com/Projects/SafeGuard-IT/SafeGuard-IT.zip
The FTDI USB-Key is available now priced $8.99 for 1,000 piece orders.

About FTDI

Future Technology Devices International (FTDI) specialise in the design and supply of silicon and software solutions for the Universal Serial Bus (USB). FTDI offer a simple route to USB migration by combining easy to implement IC devices with proven, ready to use, royalty-free USB firmware and driver software. The company’s single and multi-channel USB peripheral devices come with an easy to use UART or FIFO interface. These popular devices can be used in legacy USB to RS232/RS422 converter applications or to quickly interface an MCU, PLD, or FPGA to USB. A wide range of evaluation kits and modules are available to evaluate FTDI’s silicon prior to design-in.

Vinculum is FTDI’s brand name for a range of USB Host / Slave Controller ICs that provide easy implementation of USB host controller functionality within products, and utilise FTDI's tried and tested embedded firmware to significantly reduce development costs and time to market.

FTDI is a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Glasgow, UK, and has regional offices in Oregon, USA, and Taipei, Taiwan. More information is available at http://www.ftdichip.com