IT security firm IronKey has taken the wraps off what it promises to be the most secure Flash drive in the world.

The S200 device is aimed at government and enterprise customers, and offers hardened physical security, the latest Cryptochip technology, active anti-malware and enhanced management capabilities.

AES 256-bit encryption, and a tamper-resistant and tamper-evident rugged metal case mean that the S200 is the first USB Flash drive to get the FIPS 140-2, Security Level 3 certification.

"Our new IronKey S200 family of secure USB Flash drives puts a whole new level of security into the hands of government, military and enterprise customers at an affordable price," said David Jevans, chief executive at IronKey.

"The S200 is the first and only USB Flash drive to achieve the demanding FIPS 140-2, Level 3 security validation, giving even more proof that IronKey is the world's most secure Flash drive."

The drive features AutoRun lock-down and a default read-only mode when used on uncontrolled PCs. It also includes optional anti-virus and anti-malware scanning.

The S200 is also fast, boasting a dual-channel architecture to speed up read and write performance, as well as extended-life Flash memory for high-bandwidth applications such as data backups, virtual machines or bootable mobile desktops.

IronKey is also releasing a suite of new enterprise remote management features available either as a hosted service or through on-premise server software. These include Mac support for its Silver Bullet service, which allows IT managers to better control removable devices through remote wipe, tracking and reporting.

A new configurable time-out policy enables the device to be automatically locked after a specified period of inactivity, as well as offering search, backup and restore features.

The S200 drives are available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities, with prices ranging from £52.67 to £132.67. A 16GB version is due out next month. The management software is priced at £1.33 per user.