FIPS 140-2, or Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 is a set of security requirements for cryptographic modules.  FIPS 140-2 is overseen by CMVP (Cryptographic Module Validation Program) which is a  joint effort between the United States and Canadian governments.  CMVP is a partnership put in place by NIST of the United States, and CSEC of Canada.  There are four increasing levels of security (levels 1-4) as well as several specific certifications within FIPS (FIPS 197, etc), each level achieving a higher concentration of certain criteria by the federal government, depending on the level of security and quality of testing necessary.  The areas of concentration include basic design and documentation, physical security measures, cryptographic algorithms, module interfaces, and so on.  The National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) reviews their FIPS standards every five years, and their standards have been adopted by the Canadian government’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE), as well as many other countries and institutions.
By achieving the security requirements of the FIPS 140-2 Cryptographic Module, Kanguru demonstrates recognized security and proficiency which government and commercial customers can rely on.  Through discriminating examination, rigorous testing, and analysis,  Kanguru has demonstrated that its certified products meet these quality standards for data security.  Where FIPS level 1 usually focuses on software or basic hardware modules, Kanguru has met or exceeded FIPS level 2 and level 3 requirements based more on hardware, developing a highly robust and easier-to-use security product for our customers.  Kanguru’s Defender Series, for example, needs no software installation, as the encryption is built right into the hardware.  The Defender 3000 has achieved FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Certification, one of the highest levels of security, with military-grade hardware encryption, brute force protection, and performance. But it might be interesting to note that despite the good intentions of the FIPS process, it is a strict evaluation of cryptographic modules and does not directly review all aspects of the overall product set.  Since Kanguru Solutions takes data security very seriously, we take it one step further by pursuing Common Criteria as well.
Kanguru Products & FIPS 140-2 Certification
Defender 3000: Level 3
Defender Elite300: Level 2
Defender 2000: Level 3
Defender Elite200: Level 2
Defender HDD300: Level 2