Your data travels. So does your risk.

Handing over design data to a manufacturing partner, taking documents on a trip or providing a large volume of data without a network connection: such tasks arise well outside VS-NfD projects. Together with you, we select the suitable standard edition based on capacity, connector, handling and recipient system. What matters is that the authorized person can reliably open the data and that unauthorized parties do not gain easy access to the stored content if the medium is lost.

With only a few media, a clear issuance and deputy process is often enough. As the number grows, you need an inventory, designated owners and clear rules for replacement, return and reuse. That is why, in addition to the product, we also look at the management of access credentials, the separation of transport and access data, and the procedure in the event of loss. Encryption does not replace malware scanning: before data is transferred or read in, an agreed file scanning process may also be useful.

External storage media become relevant wherever data is to be deliberately taken along or handed over to a specific recipient. Deciding on a form factor alone is not enough here. Who assembles the data, who receives the medium and on which system is the content opened? These questions determine the requirements for issuance, access and return. We discuss the complete process with your team and select Kobra Drive VS or Kobra Stick VS to match. Planned data volume, required capacity and available interfaces are specified in detail in the quote.

Encryption protects confidentiality under the intended conditions. It replaces neither the check of the files it contains nor the recipient’s authorization to process this information. That is why we consider the storage medium together with the source and target systems. A transfer between segregated networks may require additional approvals and checkpoints. Where files are to be checked for malware before they are imported, the process can be combined with a separately planned file check. This requires the encrypted content to be accessible in a controlled way at a permitted point.

Anyone who receives a storage medium needs a clear process for using it. That is why, as early as the selection stage, we discuss how access credentials are issued, who may read or modify data and who takes on administrative tasks. A shared medium calls for different rules than a device assigned to one person. For existing ID cards, we clarify whether the intended combination is suitable. This lets your team prepare the rollout instead of deciding on responsibilities and handling only after delivery.

Organizational changes are also part of the concept: an employee changes projects, a recipient needs access only temporarily or a medium has to be returned. For these cases, we define the required approvals and points of contact. Your request should also state whether central administration already exists and which tasks should be consolidated there. We match the desired process against the specific model and the permitted settings. For classified information, the current approval evidence remains part of this review.

A uniform device fleet makes issuing and support easier. Besides form factor and capacity, we therefore consider how your storage media should be tracked in the inventory and clearly assigned in everyday use. If custom equipment is required, we include it in the inquiry and clarify which model can be supplied. Before a larger procurement, a coordinated pilot with the intended workstations and the users actually involved is advisable. The pilot is used to review the planned handling and the organizational processes together.

For the quote your procurement team receives, we compile products, models, quantities and the deployment region. This gives you a basis for assessing the scope of delivery and project terms. If the rollout is to cover several sites, we jointly define the sequence and the preparation required. Where special protection requirements apply, outstanding evidence is clarified before a deployment decision is made. This keeps product selection connected to the actual workflow, from the initial requirement to the orderly handover to users.

OTOKO® offers Kobra Drive VS and Kobra Stick VS as a partner and distributor for MENA, APAC and the EEA. In addition to the quantity required, the deployment region, model and procurement period are relevant to your request. We bring this information together in a specific quote. Attractive project terms are agreed based on your needs; fixed discount rates or a specific stock level are not assumed as a general rule. This lets your procurement team check the equipment, scope of delivery and commercial framework before ordering.

With multiple sites, device selection should fit a shared usage concept. Who takes charge of issuing and taking back devices, which points of contact support the users and what information must be documented at a handover? An agreed process helps avoid differing local habits. The distribution region is not an automatic approval for every data transfer: deployment location, recipient and information category are considered for the specific project. A cross-border delivery of the product and the later transfer of classified information are separate matters.

The entry provided lists Kobra Drive VS and Kobra Stick VS, version 1.0, from DIGITTRADE GmbH under BSI-VSA-10737 as encryptable mass storage devices up to VS-NfD. It states May 1, 2023 as the approval date, April 27, 2026 as the as-of date and June 25, 2026 as the expiration date. The entry also lists RESTREINT UE/EU RESTRICTED and NATO RESTRICTED, each dated May 1, 2023. These dates document the available entry. They are not presented here as confirmation of an approval valid beyond the expiration date.

The extension of the approval has been confirmed. The new expiration date and the corresponding evidence will be added to the documentation. Before deployment with classified information, we compare the exact product version as well as the deployment and operating conditions against the current documents and align the planning with the responsible authorities. Even once valid product evidence has been provided, the intended data path and the authorizations of those involved still need to be reviewed. An approval for NATO RESTRICTED is also not a general approval for higher NATO classification levels.