List Price: $136.99 Our Price: $120.50 You Save: $16.49 (12%)

Product Description

The IronKey 4 GB secure hardware-encrypted flash drive protects your data, online passwords, and Internet privacy with hardware-based encryption. Now you can safely carry your digital files with you wherever you go and surf the Web privately through almost any network--even across unsecured wireless hotspots. Furthermore, the IronKey is optimized for speed and designed to be waterproof and tamperproof. The IronKey Cryptochip uses hardware-based encryption, which is faster, more secure, and easier to use (no software or drivers to install) than software-based encryption.

Although it employs advanced military-grade security, it is a cinch to use and requires only a password to unlock it. Manage all of your online accounts and passwords in one place with direct access and protection against keystroke-logging spyware and other online threats. If Cryptochip detects any physical tampering by a thief or a hacker, it will self-destruct. And if your IronKey is ever lost or stolen, you can easily restore your lost data and passwords to a new IronKey.

The IronKey, designed to be the world's most secure flash drive, protects your data, on-line passwords, and Internet privacy. Now you can safely carry your digital life with you wherever you go - with confidence and peace of mind. While it uses advanced security technologies previously only available to government agents and other secret operatives, it is simple to use and requires only a password to unlock it.

Customer Reviews:

• Not Market Ready!
  I've had mine for nearly a year now...promises, promises, promises, and still no firmware fixes/patches to correct far too many issues. Way too many functional issues than space would allow to describe here. Suffice to say that on the surface it looks pretty but far from tested. It is secure but not ready for prime time. Don't waste your money. Until the company devotes the same time to it's public sector customers as it does the military..stay away from this less than polished USB drive....more info
• Works as promised
  The product performs as promised. I particularly like that it works on my Mac(Intel). When you plug it in, it mounts a CD image on your desktop. When you look in the CD you can click on an application that accepts your password and mounts the encrypted volume. The encrypted volume appears to work as a standard USB volume allowing me to copy files back and forth to it. I haven't tried to time the file copying, I assume it is slower since it's going through additional processing before it is stored but it hasn't been particularly noticeable to me....more info
• Excellent security product
  I have the Iron Key 4gb and I cannot live without it. As said in some other reviews and as admitted by IK themselves, there are some convenience features that would be nice to have. They are very open on their forum about both strengths and weaknesses, reasons why they did things as they did and plans for the future.
  
  This is not a toy, it is a high security device. If you really want a flash drive with some extras like TrueCrypt, this is probably not the best value. If you want a drive that has the most solid encryption for the money, this is it. Good security does come at some price of convenience though.
  
  The "Secure Sessions" feature is a very nice feature for people who need to communicate on the web while hiding their location or preventing local intrusion to their messages. An example of legitimate use would be someone who is being stalked and does not wish their place in the world known. It is also useful for security administrators who wish to investigate intrusions without tipping their hand that they are aware of the intrusion.
  
  As with all security systems, if you really are counting on privacy and security then you should carefully read about the features and be sure you are using them correctly.
  
  I have started storing things on my IK that I would not store even on my home PC in cleartext....more info
• Absolute necessity for carrying data
  I purchased one IronKey (1 GB) because I needed a secure way to carry a very large number of records files, mostly Word and Excel files. Because I had tried a number of flash drives and other hardware, I didn't think any kind of flash drive would be adequate. However, I was surprised: the IronKey performed beautifully, was simple to use and very secure. Perfect!
  
  I have only minor complaints, fewer than I've had for other new products. The secure password storage feature is very handy, but it can be an annoyance on occasion. And I can't use two IronKeys simultaneously on one computer, when that would make it much easier to back up from one IronKey to another.
  
  But I have purchased two more: one for my wife (2 GB) a 2 GB for me. Now I use my first one for data backup to my larger one. They are soooo easy to carry about: I attached a cell phone mini lanyard and keep them clipped inside my planner.
  
  The IronKeys seem to use a bit more power resource than some flash drives, probably a reflection of the fact that so many of the features are hardware based. So it you put it in a usb slot shared by other energy intensive hardware, such as a web cam, it could keept he other from working smoothly. But I have not run into a problem that couldn't be solved easily. Works with Vista or XP.
  
  Tech support and forum support are great. Responsive and fast, but not needed very much.
  
  A truly indispensable bit of hardware at a great price. Really great as replacements for my Zip and Jazz drives, and handier than mini hard drives. I'm really, really pleased with IronKeys. ...more info
• Great for protecting data from your little brother
  First of all, this is a slick product. It is very easy to use, and if you have low grade security needs I would highly recommend it.
  
  Now, how secure is it actually? It's much toted self destruct feature basically allow you to choose very bad passwords, and still get away with it. So if you want to use your middle name, feel free, the chance of guessing that in ten tries is fairly low.
  
  Now, other than allowing you to get away with choosing bad passwords, does this actually buy you any improvement over say truecrypt or some other software solution? No, and I would trust it even less than a software solution that had source code available.
  
  I find it telling that Ironkey's solution for providing Linux support was to create only a *binary* executable. Basically, they do not provide any substantial public documentation on how the product actually works at a level that would allow you to verify that the basic operation is secure. Have they done stupid mistakes in the implementation of sending the password to the device? Beats me, and they aren't providing the information to check this. I would recommend reading through the faq and notice how many of the answers to "is this secure" type questions are basically, trust us. Note that if you have firmware version 1.3, it has received FIPS-140-2 Level 2 validation, so there is that assurance that a third party looked at one version of it, but I trust this far less than if anyone could check the security.
  
  How about the self destruct feature? FIPS-140-2 Level 4 (a higher level than was achieved by Ironkey) requires that the critical security parameters (such as keys and such) are zeroed. I actually haven't figured out if the thing really self-destructs or just zeros out the keys. If it really does become inoperable, then that seems excessive and more like security theater than actual security.
  
  Basically, this comes down to do you trust Ironkey? If I turn up my paranoia level, I can envision creating the Ironkey company solely to steal secrets from other companies. Think about it, Ironkey is running *their* code with access to *your* data (possibly even on the crypto chip that is protected inside the device), and if you use their internet tools, they even have access to information that you want to keep secret, and an encrypted connection to the internet. Ironkey probably is not doing this, but ask yourself, how important is protecting your data?
  
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• Not labeled properly on Amazon
  This item works well, but is not labeled as "Personal" Ironkey which wants you to setup a web account and such. Luckily, you can skip this and get "basic" functionality. Seems to be built like a tank and works as advertised....more info
• Don't but this from Amazon\ AntOnline.
  Great product. Would highly recommend. Do not buy from Amazon. They use third party broker AntOnline who is a deceptive company. They duplicated my shipment and charged my ccard the same. Now they want to charge a restocking fee. They will not return my calls and Amazon refuses to help. Do not buy from third party suppliers....... Newegg and TigerDirect have a better price anyway....more info
• Nothing else like it, an almost perfect security solution.
  I trust this device and keep my most confidential data on it vice my own computer. The install is easy, painless and proceeds securely through the Ironkey website. Firmware/software updates are similarly easy and Ironkey has just released an update allowing user programs to be installed and run from the device's main program screen. The password manager is sufficient but not as robust as what I have been using, so I installed my PW program onto the Ironkey drive and run it from the main screen. The DOD has banned the use of flash drives on its computer systems due to the introduction of malware programs targeting those drives and users unwittingly loading such programs on them. Ironkey is working on anti-malware solutions at this time and should be releasing them shortly as the DOD is one of their target customers. With anti-malware in place, I would definitely rate this item 5 stars in a class all by itself. ...more info
• With Ironkey, my data is secure and speedy!
  I'm an ex-military relic of the "Cold War", and have a deep appreciation for safeguarding vital information. When I began my search for a secure portable data solution, I expected to sacrifice speed. Speed is not spared when using the Ironkey!
  
  Not only is my data secure with the Ironkey, but accessing the data is amazingly fast. This appears to be the added benefit of hardware-based data encryption. I strongly recommend it to all of my friends.
  
  With the specter of identity theft peering over everyones' shoulder, I'd say the Ironkey is a definite must-have when accessing financial, and/or personal files while away from home.
  
  Maybe I should pass this bit of intel on to my friends at the VA, huh?...more info
• Great security device for the paranoid
  The IronKey is an awesome security device - for the person serious about it. It's extremely rugged (practically indestructible), waterproof and with some amazing features.
  
  The physical design leaves nothing to be desired in regards to security, it's rock solid and can take a serious beating. Only lack it has is the cap; it's not attached and can easily get lost.
  
  The encryption is as good as it gets. You can put you worried mind at ease by storing your sensitive information on this device. (see all about it on [...] )
  
  The TOR (the onion router) is run through IronKey's own servers, making it incredible secure and fast, not like public TOR systems, where you don't know if they keep logs of the traffic etc. The IronKey TOR is an absolute gem.
  
  I would recommend this device to anyone serious about security....more info
• Going to War
  If I was going to war, I would take my Iron Key with me. Seriously, this device means business..no it means secure business. The setup is easy and it performs flawlessly. It is also one of the fastest USB drives I have tested. The Secure Sessions function is fast and represents what the TOR (The Onion Router) network can be. The on board Firefox browser is the best choice and is hands down the best browser in the world. There is one annoyance with this drive, however. The Portable bookmarks cannot be organized in any logical order; they are simply saved chronologically. This does not facilitate finding one of them 100 bookmarks later. Iron Key developers do however reveal that a solution is in the works, along with other upgrades in a future firmware release. If 4 gigs is to skinny for you I suggest delaying your purchase until they release the 8 gig model. It could be this year from what I've read on their forums. This product deserves a "5" but I handed it a "4" just to leave room for improvement. My buddy, James Bond (MI6)disagreed with me and gave it a "5".
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• Centralized password management, secure file storage AND it looks cool
  I purchased my first Iron Key, the 2MB model, on a lark. It seemed 'way cool' - military grade encryption in a brushed metal finish... I was like a kid on December 23rd while I was waiting for it to arrive. It did not disappoint.
  
  The key features:
  1 - Uncrackable, even with an electron microscope. Your files will be secure on this device, period. Rather than keep any personal files on my work computer, I leave them on the Iron Key and access them from there.
  
  2 - Centralized password management. If you're like me, you have online accounts at dozens of places - banks, credit card companies, retailers, social networking, etc. It's insane to use the same username/password combination at all these sites, because if one site has a security flaw, hackers can get your username and password and then use that to go after your accounts on the other sites. Unfortunately, I can only remember so many passwords, and I don't like to keep a written list. The Iron Key solves that problem by giving you a centralized password management system. All you need to remember is the password for the Iron Key.
  
  3 - If you lose it, you can still recover your data IF you were smart enough to back it up. I have recovered data from 3 lost Iron Keys (just once with my own key). All you do is insert the new drive, point it to your backup file, enter the password used to encrypt the backup, and press enter. In a few minutes, your bookmarks, passwords and files are all recovered. The only problem I have with the backup is that it shows the individual files in the backup, so if you have a file named 'Current Resume', it's available for anyone with access to the backup to see - though the contents of the file are completely inaccessable.
  
  We have upgraded people from the 2GB to the 4GB to the 8GB as needed. All of these devices are worth the investment if you take security and privacy at all seriously....more info
• IronKey Is A Good Solution to the Complex Problem of Encryption
  IronKey represents a significant step forward in protecting sensitive information including ePHI from disclosure in the event the device is lost. USB devices are lost all the time. The problem with software based solutions (opposed to hard-ware based encryption such as with IronKey) I have found is that the learning curve for the average user is to steep. The software while having options that may meet government standards these options must be affirmatively selected. The best algorithm in the world will not solve the human factor issue.
  
  Recently the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") released guidance "specifying the technologies and methodologies that render protected health information unusable, unreadable, or indecipherable to unauthorized individuals for purposes of the breach notification requirements". PHI must be encrypted using a NIST approved algorithm and procedure to be considered unreadable. Electronic PHI is encrypted when "the use of an algorithmic process to transform data into a form in which there is a low probability of assigning meaning without use of a confidential process or key" (45 CFR 164.304) and key to decrypt the PHI has not been breached. Encryption identified by NIST and judged to meet this standard NIST's encryption standards is acceptable to render PHI unreadable. (Guidance at 16).
  
  Complete details on this analysis are available at [...]...more info
• Buggy and unsupported
  Great marketing, great idea, poor implementation. I had problems using just the basic functionality for this device on 3 different computers. Endless streams of error dialogs make it pretty much useless. IronKey provided no support - they claimed it was an "environment" problem. It definitely did not come even close to enabling me to "compute safely and securely anywhere". Save your money....more info
• Almost perfect USB Key
  This is the perfect marriage of use and security. You can pretty much expect that if you lose your key or it's stolen no one is going to get into your data. It has an on board copy of firefox and you can now "pin" items to their version of the start menu. It's a great product and does exactly what it says!...more info
• The most functional secure drive of its kind.
  I have tried the 1 GB 2 GB and 4 GB. They are all the same as far as the interface. You can lock out your drive forever if you lose your password. That is by design, obviously no backdoors, if there were believe me you would hear about it. Simplicity in itself the ten password lockout can't be fooled, once locked its locked. One of the innovations is the ability to manage the data and store encrypted copies that will only work on a different key with the original password. So if you lose it no one can get in unless you use "password" as your password etc.
  
  So you're safe far beyond any reasonable standard. Also there is multi layered levels of security that you choose so it can be stronger with a log and a needed email code confirmation to recover a password, or you can choose not just 3 security questions but 4 or 5 and there much more detailed and again the security is to the level where the weakest link is the one thing a product can't help with witch is password strength and security protocol.
  
  They are also a very quickly growing respected company right in Los Altos CA in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Same city the apple was born. Same city I used to live, my last apple was the IIC. But just to be clear I don't have anything to do with the company, except as a customer. The bottom line this is about security of data and the ability to use windows based computer without leaving any records or things behind. So if it's a solid secure key you are looking for nothing on the market comes close. Just remember this is for security it weighs a little more it does not say on the key weather it is 1 2 or 4gb which is nice for an inconspicuous key. The only thing is make sure to mark the key on the side where there is a soft plate you can engrave with a pen. And note the cereal number. They all look the same, this could be the one drawback in a lost and found situation, or networking meeting. Sorry for the strange all over the place review, I have been a customer for over ten years purchased the majority of books and media I would have otherwise bought in stores, around 500 items, recycled a lot of cardboard, I even remember the UPS Strike of 1997 I was able to place my first pre-order. but this is my first review, I am just trying to help I am not a writter as you can tell.
  
  
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• Waste of money
  If your main concern is whether or not you can submerge your flash drive in water or not, then this is the USB drive for you. If your concern is security only, then you can do the same thing for under $40. Check out this article here: http://www.bauer-power.net/2007/11/seriouslywhy-pay-more.html...more info
• Great idea, spotty execution
  I tried two 4 Gb IronKeys in a row, the second as an RMA replacement for the first. They did not work consistently, and when they failed, they required a low-level format to recover, which wipes all of the stored data. IronKey claimed "environmental" issues with the PCs I used, all of them, across multiple XP and Vista installations on several brands of workstations and notebooks. Not likely. I think this will be a great product if they work out the problems - that I'd guess are due to the USB power consumption based on the forum sleuthing I did. For now, though, I got my money back and will wait until these issues are resolved....more info