The SSD gadget that keeps my private data secure (while making me feel like James Bond)

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Most of us already know that carrying unencrypted data on portable drives is a bad idea. The consequences of that data falling into the wrong hands can range from embarrassing to damaging to potentially opening up you or your company to legal headaches.

But encrypting data on external drives can also be a pain. If you have to run separate applications, things quickly become a big hassle, and that’s how data gets left unencrypted.

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But what if there was a way of easily encrypting and decrypting data without messing with any applications? Well, there is, and I guarantee you that you’ll feel like James Bond every time you use the Kingston IronKey.

The SSD looks like any regular SSD, except it has a screen. It’s a touchscreen, and you use this to input your passcode and change the drive settings.

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This drive is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to encrypt data when moving. The initial setup for this drive took seconds — I had to input my secret passcode — and it was ready to use. 

And use it I have. 

This drive has been with me in a handful of countries across three continents and all across the UK, and it’s going strong. 

And while this drive is very good at securing data thanks to the XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption, it does a lot more than that. For example, it has a randomized on-screen keyboard (so finger smudges don’t give away your passcode), a read-only mode to prevent data (or malware) from being written to the drive, and an automatic timeout in case you forget to eject the drive.

Why I recommend this product

There’s a lot that I like about the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 SSD. It’s also available in four capacities, so you’re only buying the amount you need. Mine was the 960GB version, which is fine for me, but if you’re a data hog, you can get one that is 7.6TB (that’ll set you back a cool $965). 

I also like how intuitive this drive is to use. Everything you need to know is on the touchscreen, so you don’t have to decipher what some combination of blinking lights means. A screen makes all the difference, and making it a touchscreen makes it convenient and familiar to use. 

I’ve tried a lot of different encrypted drives, but I keep returning to this one. I love how simple it makes encryption. That’s quite a challenge, yet the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 SSD accomplishes it with ease. Simply put, it’s an incredible drive to secure your data. 

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