While having access to an encrypted SSD — like the new Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 — is nice, sometimes you want something smaller and more convenient to carry around with you.
Enter the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50.
Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50
While the IronKey Vault Privacy 80 is an SSD, the IronKey Vault Privacy 50 is a USB flash drive, and as such is a lot smaller and more suitable for smaller amounts of data that you want to have with you.
Packed into what looks like a standard yet FIPS 197 certified USB flash drive is an XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption engine. The business end features a regular USB-A connector compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 1, giving it broad compatibility (if you want to use it on a device with USB-C ports, you’ll need a dongle or an adapter) and good performance.
Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50
The drive is compatible with Windows and Mac, and you have to run an application on the drive to unlock the drive and access your data. Unlike the IronKey Vault Privacy 80, this drive is not operating system independent.
- FIPS 197 certified
- XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption
- Brute force and BadUSB attack protection
- Multi-password option with support for complex/passphrase modes
- Passphrase mode
- Dual read-only (write-protected) settings
- Up to 250MB/s read, 180MB/s write speeds
Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 features a cap retainer on the read and a lanyard hole to allow you to put the drive on your keys
The drive offers built-in protection against attacks such as BadUSB, as well as brute force attacks.
Speeds for the drive are rated at around 250MB/s for read speeds, and 180MB/s write speeds, and in testing I was able to get read speeds of 225MB/s and write speeds of 150MB/s.
The drive features a lanyard hole that you can use to attach your drive to your keys, and the cap fits well and clips onto the rear of the drive when use, giving it a fighting chance against loss.
Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 (left) and Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 (right)
So you only have to buy the storage you need, the IronKey Vault Privacy 50 comes in a range of sizes, from 8GB all the way up to 256GB, which offers great flexibility.
I can’t fault the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50. It’s an excellent way to secure your data when out and about, and comes highly recommended.
