I am an enormous fan of my encrypted SSD, and that drive and I’ve traveled the world collectively. However there are occasions when lugging an SSD round will not be an possibility. That is the place having one thing a bit lighter and extra compact is helpful.
Possibly even one thing that may be connected to a keychain, like a USB flash drive, however not an bizarre USB flash drive.
What I have been utilizing is a hardware-encrypted USB flash drive, the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50.
Additionally:Â 10 tiny tools I carry with me everywhere – how they work
Externally, this appears to be like like another premium-quality flash drive. On the enterprise finish is a daily USB-A connector suitable with USB 3.2 Gen 1, giving it broad compatibility and good efficiency (as much as 250MB/s learn, 180MB/s write speeds). If you wish to apply it to a tool with USB-C ports, it will work, however you will want a dongle or an adapter, or to get the USB-C version of the drive.
However packed into the alloy shell is a variety of tech. On the coronary heart of this drive is an XTS-AES 256-bit {hardware} encryption engine that all the time retains all the information on the drive encrypted. The info isn’t left in plain textual content at any time, making this a really safe selection.
Additionally:Â My new favorite keychain holder can carry up to 14 keys (and is trackable by phone)
The drive has all of the options of a high-end, high-security, encrypted drive. It has built-in brute drive and BadUSB assault safety, help for complicated/passphrase modes, and a write-protected mode. It additionally has built-in bodily protections, comparable to being full of epoxy resin to forestall tampering.Â
It is excellent for on-the-go information safety. No energy is required, there isn’t any battery to cost, and there isn’t any software program to put in on the host system.
Why I like to recommend this product
Firstly, this drive simply works. I’ve had my Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 for just a few years now, and it has been improbable. It nonetheless appears to be like and works like new. I’ve even managed to not lose the drive cap, which is kind of an achievement!
One thing else I like about this drive is that it is available in varied capacities — 16GB as much as 512GB — and it is competitively priced, beginning at solely $57. Sure, you are paying a premium for an encrypted flash drive, however a really modest premium.
If this may survive being in my pocket for an prolonged interval, it is a very sturdy gadget.
