If you carry around unencrypted data on a flash drive, you’re in trouble. Losing your flash drive is bad enough, but when that data falls into the wrong hands, it can be catastrophic.

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Therefore, it makes sense to use flash drives that can not only encrypt data, but also store unencrypted data.

That’s where you can rely on the Kingston IronKey D500S. This is a rugged military-grade flash drive that provides the best possible protection to keep your data safe from prying eyes.

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Kingston Iron Key D500S

Kingston IronKey D500S USB is a FIPS 140-3 Level 3 (pending) certified military-grade security flash drive with upgrades for strong security and attack protection for government and military applications.

Kingston IronKey D500S specs

• Capacity from 8 to 512GB
• USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface
• XTS-AES 256-bit encryption
• FIPS 140-3 Level 3 (pending) certified
• Protection from brute force and BadUSB attacks
• Rugged zinc case built to the most stringent standards
• Multi-password option with compound/passphrase mode
• Industry’s first dual hidden partition option
• Encrypted erase password
• Waterproof performance up to 1.2 meters

On the outside, the IronKey D500S looks like a fairly bulky flash drive. Constructed with a sturdy zinc case, it is designed to withstand shock and water immersion. This case is also the first line of defense against access to your data. The inside of the drive is coated with epoxy, which provides a physical barrier against tampering.

The serial number and barcode are laser-engraved on the drive case, so if you lose it or someone tries to break into your organization with an unauthorized storage device, you can discreetly replace your device with another drive. You can’t. .

Inside the IronKey D500S, it’s equally well designed for security. During startup, the drive scans for overtemperature or voltage conditions that will lead to drive shutdown. It also has digitally signed firmware, making it resistant to BadUSB malware and brute force attacks. Brute force password attack protection is always enabled to prevent password guessing techniques. Too many failed attempts will result in the drive being cryptographically erased.

If you lose your password, your data is locked forever, so IronKey D500S supports up to three passwords: administrator, user, and one-time recovery. Administrators can reset a user’s password or enable one-time recovery passwords to restore access to data if a user forgets her password. it is a good feeling.

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In terms of passwords, the IronKey D500S supports traditional complex passwords and passphrase modes. Traditional complex passwords can be 8 to 16 characters using three of the four character sets. Passphrases, on the other hand, can be between 10 and 128 characters.

The IronKey D500S also has an industry-first feature: dual hidden partition options. This feature allows administrators to create two custom-sized secure partitions for administrators and users, allowing for a hidden file store that is accessible to both administrators and users.

IronKey D500S also supports two read-only/write protection modes. These modes can be set per session to protect the drive from malware on untrusted systems, or administrators can set global read-only mode to keep the drive in read-only mode until reset. You can also.

In terms of performance, Kingston says you can expect the following speeds (this varies by interface and model):

USB 3.2 Gen 1

• 8GB – 128GB: 260MB/s read, 190MB/s write
• 256GB: 240MB/s read, 170MB/s write
• 512GB: 310MB/s read, 250MB/s write

USB2.0

• 8GB – 512GB: 30MB/s read, 20MB/s write

I tested a 128GB drive using MiniTool Partition Wizard and found very good performance. These are fast drives.

Kingston IronKey D500S is available in the following range of capacities: 8GB to 512GB, prices start at $75. The IronKey D500S is a rugged, reliable, rugged drive that is easy to set up and configure. Once you’re up and running, all you need is a password and you can be sure no one else is accessing your data.