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The security and the privacy factors are quite important when it comes to browsing the Internet or just the normal usage of the computer. The IronKey’s 1GB secure USB Flash Drive not only encrypts the data kept on it but also protects the applications and the online activities.

At a first glance, the product doesn’t really look any different from any other flash drive, except perhaps for the polished aluminum. But the shiny look also has a purpose – its makers claim that the drive is waterproof (by the US Military 810F standard – fully implemented); it stands high and low pressures, extreme temperatures, rain, ice, dust, sand and gunfire vibration.

The USB IronKey comes into three versions: the 1GB, 2GB and the 4GB one as storage capacity. The encryption is powered by a cryptography chip that uses the complex algorithms of AES, RSA-2048 and SHA-256 – in order to protect the stored data, and also to encode and to mix it so that nobody else would be able to see its contents. This level of security is achieved through hardware and not software like other USB drives have, and also the encryption keys are not held in the Flash memory.

The USB drive comes with its own software which invites the user to set the password as soon as it is plugged into the computer for the first time after purchase. It also has a valid portable and secure copy of Firefox so that you can start browsing the web as soon as you finish setting the drive up, from the IronKey Control Panel utility, and so all the cookies, bookmarks, settings and preferences remain only on the drive, encrypted.

Here’s an interesting concept: all the passwords that you set into the Control Panel can be backed-up to the company’s online archive – and there goes the question – how secure is this drive really? Can the company access your password? Well, the Control panel has quite a capable password generator and so you can change new passwords as often as you like but don’t share it with anyone or store it somewhere else.