Depbit's Microchip SAM D21-Powered ZeroKeyUSB Looks to Keep Your Passwords Safe as Can Be
Storing up to 64 credentials in EEPROM with 128-bit AES encryption, the ZeroKeyUSB targets those who value offline security.
Depbit's Bruno Escobar is preparing to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a compact gadget designed to safely store your passwords yet automatically enter them for you on request: the ZeroKeyUSB.
"ZeroKeyUSB is more than just an offline password manager — it's a portable, hardware-based vault that lets you securely carry your most sensitive credentials anywhere, without relying on apps, clouds, or internet access," Escobar writes of his creation. "Designed for professionals and teams who need to move fast and stay secure, it stores up to 64 encrypted credentials in secure EEPROM memory, protected by a PIN-based authentication system with signature verification."
The gumstick-form-factor ZeroKeyUSB looks, at first glance, like a flash drive:" there's a USB Type-C connector at one end of a rectangular black plastic body. Hiding underneath the plastic, though, is a 128×32 OLED display — while to the left is a five-way direction pad, acting as the device's user interface. Inside the housing is a Microchip SAM D21 Arm Cortex-M0+ mcirocontroller, which stores up to 64 usernam4e and password pairs in its EEPROM — protected by AES-128 encryption.
"No internet connection or third-party software required," Escobar promises of the device's operation. "Works on any computer or smartphone that supports USB HID. Your credentials remain securely stored in encrypted hardware memory, accessible only through direct, physical interaction. This robust, offline system is designed for those with higher-than-average security needs."
Escobar isn't the first to design a device that provides higher security than cloud-based password management systems: in 2014 Stephan Electronics launched the Mooltipass, followed by the Mooltipass Mini and wireless Mooltipass Mini BLE: offline password managers, like the ZeroKeyUSB, offering high-capacity storage for credentials, keys, and arbitrary files, protected by a PIN and a cryptographic key stored on a supplied physical smart card.
Escobar plans to launch crowdfunding for the ZeroKeyUSB on Crowd Supply in the near future; in the meantime, more information is available in the project's GitHub repository — where, Escobar says, schematics, firmware, and hardware design files will be made available under the permissive MIT license.
