14 DAY TRIAL // Purism, the maker of Linux-powered laptops, announced today that it partners with Nitrokey, a maker of Free Software and Open Hardware USB OpenPGP security tokens and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), to create a OpenPGP-based security token called Purekey.
Purism has always tried to offer its customers some of the most secure and privacy-aware laptops with the Librem 13 and 15 lineups, and it is now working to deliver the privacy-focused Librem 5 smartphone powered by PureOS, a Debian-based operating system that Purism uses on all of its Librem laptops. Now, the company has partnered with Nitrokey to create a so-called OpenPPG security token that will make security and cryptography more accessible by integrating it with the hardware and software of its Librem laptops.
"Often security comes at the expense of convenience but Purekey provides a rare exception. By keeping your encryption keys on a Purekey instead of on a hard drive, your keys never leave the tamper-proof hardware. This not only makes your keys more secure from attackers, it makes using your keys on multiple devices more convenient. When your system needs to encrypt, decrypt, or sign something, just insert your Purekey; when you are done, remove it and put it back in your pocket," said Kyle Rankin, CSO at Purism.
Purekey will be available for purchase by itself or as an add-on with a Librem laptop
Earlier this year, Purism announced that it partnered with cryptography and GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) pioneer Werner Koch to create a new encrypted communication standard for its security-focused devices, and now the company promises to reinforce the security of its devices and continue the mission to make security and cryptography more accessible to its customers with Purekey, literally putting the security keys of their devices in their hands. Purekey is, in fact, a USB token designed to ease the management of secure keys.
With Purekey, Purism also aims to offer its customers a tamper-evident boot protection by integrating it into their tamper-evident boot software with all new laptop shipments, and a way to more securely unlock their encrypted laptops. This way, customers will be able to know if the hardware of the device has been tampered with from the moment it left the factory and until it arrives at their doors. Purekey will be available for purchase in the coming weeks, and you can buy it as a standalone device if you already own a Librem laptop or as an add-on with a new Librem laptop purchase.