This is a necessary step to enable certain services - such as online password backup, device and software updates - and to access IronKey's encrypted Web-surfing service, which uses Mozilla's Firefox.īesides creating an online username and password, you'll be asked to supply answers to three supplemental authentication questions that will verify your identity in case you ever lose your username or password. (There is little about setting up this device that is fast, including read/writes, but keep in mind that you're sacrificing speed for security.) To use the IronKey flash drive, you need to activate an online account.

The first thing the IronKey drive asked me after I plugged it into my laptop's USB port was to set up my username and password and configure a secure Web browser, which takes about two minutes. This drive is the size of a thin pack of gum - perfect. I'm not a big fan of mini-USB flash drives for the simple fact that they're too easily lost (I know this from experience). Security-wise, what I liked right off the bat about this drive is that the case cannot be pried open because there are simply no seams. The drive comes in a sleek, stainless-steel, waterproof case that feels sturdy and quite heavy compared to other USB drives I've used. The IronKey Cryptochip uses government-approved AES CBC-mode 128-bit encryption at the firmware level - meaning you can't open the case, remove the chip and access the data. I don't know about the iPod comparison, but from a security standpoint, this flash drive is impressive. IronKey compares its Secure Flash Drive to an iPod, saying it's a hardware, software and online service all rolled into one product.

Ironkey usb flash drive