The theft of a computer can be inconvenient enough, but when the machine in question contains sensitive personal or work data, the loss can have much greater consequences. Keydrive II from the Secure Technology Group can alleviate this concern by rendering such files invisible with a combination of encryption and a USB key.

It works by creating a virtual encrypted volume - up to 10GB in size - on the largest partition to act as a secure container for important files. Without the USB key, it's doubtful that a casual thief would even be aware of the drive's presence and there's even less chance of them cracking the encryption.

Setup is straightforward and requires the insertion of the key into a free USB port together with a password, which also acts as part of the failsafe procedure in the event of a lost key. A four-digit Pin is then assigned which should be changed right away.

The virtual drive remains completely invisible until the key is inserted and the Pin entered. Remove the key and the drive disappears. It's completely integrated into the Windows shell and there's no noticeable encryption lag when accessing files. The key also provides 4KB of onboard memory for the safe storage of passwords and there's a secure logon and screen lock facility under Windows XP and 2000.

Keydrive may not be as polished overall as the rival Deslock system but it is less expensive and just as effective at keeping data secure.

Contact: Guildsoft 01752 895 100
www.guildsoft.co.uk

System requirements:

• Windows 98 or higher (Windows XP or 2000 for authenticated logon)
• Pentium processor equivalent
• 128MB Ram
• 30MB hard disk space
• USB port