Skatter Tech

What happens if you were to loose flash drive? Unless someone is kind enough to return it, your data is probably available for just about anyone to view. One great solution to safeguarding data on the go is the IronKey. The folks over at IronKey, which is the name of the product as well, have created a flash drive with “military-grade” encryption. This means that your data is just about as safe as it could possibly be if it were stolen or found by a hacker. (This encryption technology hasn’t been broken, yet.)

Unlike a standard flash drive which brings up a window with your files, the IronKey will prompt the user for a password when plugged in. No data will be accessible without the right password. The IronKey’s security software is located right on the flash memory and runs right off it, therefore requiring no additional programs to be installed. The flash drive’s encryption is both hardware and software based. The Cryptochip on board automatically encrypts any type of files copied onto the flash memory. If a hacker were to extract the data, it would be encrypted and unreadable anyways. The drive itself is quite rugged, it is encased in metal housing which is strong enough to withstand just about any drops, being run over by a car, from high pressure, and is even waterproof. If someone was trying to guess the password and failed ten times or managed to break open the casing, the Cryptochip automatically initiates a self-destruct sequence, destroying ALL data! (The password limit prevents brute force.)

The IronKey sports a built-in password manager which stores user names, passwords, credit card numbers, or any any other type of data. This is probably the safest way to carry around important digital data without being afraid of it falling into the wrong hands if stolen or lost. Once enabled, the software on board can also automatically log you into any website such as banking sites using the without having to enter any data, therefore preventing key loggers from catching passwords. We don’t know the exact speed and would assume copying data onto or off of the flash drive would be slow since it has to be encrypted or decrypted, but according to IronKey’s website they claim it remains one of the fastest flash drives on the market. (Apparently uses high quality dual channel memory.) The final feature worth mentioning, is that IronKey allows backing up the encrypted data to the companies web server right from the flash drive in an well encrypted manner. This means if you were to loose your drive, the data is still recoverable from their server. The IronKey is available in 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB capacities for $69, $96, and $134 respectively. (MRSP is actually $79, $109, and $149)

Buy Now: IronKey (via amazon)
Link: Meet The IronKey | Demo (video)