
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 choice. 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 odd USB flash drive.
What I have been utilizing is a hardware-encrypted USB flash drive, the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50.
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Externally, this appears to be like like every other premium-quality flash drive. On the enterprise finish is a daily USB-A connector appropriate 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 quite a lot of tech. On the coronary heart of this drive is an XTS-AES 256-bit {hardware} encryption engine that at all times retains all the information on the drive encrypted. The info is rarely left in plain textual content at any time, making this a really safe alternative.
Additionally: 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 pressure and BadUSB assault safety, assist for complicated/passphrase modes, and a write-protected mode. It additionally has built-in bodily protections, corresponding to being crammed with epoxy resin to stop tampering.
It is excellent for on-the-go information safety. No energy is required, there is no battery to cost, and there is no 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 a couple of 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 sort 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 will survive being in my pocket for an prolonged interval, it is a very sturdy gadget.