The drive consists of software, which creates and encrypts the hidden area, and a 'key' that plugs into a USB port on your PC. If the key isn't plugged in, the hidden area on your hard disk will be neither visible or accessible.

To access the protected partition, you need a security PIN. The default PIN generated during the program's automatic setup routine is a pretty obvious 1234, so you'll need to change it at a later date. If you choose to install it manually, you can specify your own PIN and other security settings from the start. Once the software setup is complete, you just plug in your SafeKey, and the hidden partition will appear in 'My Computer' as another drive.

KeyDrive's automatic setup prompts you to choose a password. If you lose your PIN, you can reset it using this password. If you lose the USB SafeKey, you can order another one, and configure it to work with your software using your password and a recovery phrase which, unless you've changed it after the initial setup routine, will be identical to your password.

Because the KeyDrive uses both encryption and hardware authentication, your confidential information is doubly protected. If someone without the USB key starts your computer, they won't even know the hidden area is there. Even if someone does have the USB key, if they don't know your security PIN they won't be able to access the secure partition. The product supports several types of encryption, including Triple DES, which will keep your data safe from anyone but government spooks.

Be careful, though, of sharing your encrypted drive on a network. If you allow anyone access to the drive they will be able to see it all the time, and will therefore be able to access the information on it without a SafeKey or security PIN. This is an intentional feature, to allow you to share encrypted data, but it could trip up less technically minded users.

The technology behind KeyDrive II is top-notch. It uses industrial-strength encryption schemes that are as close to uncrackable as you can get. What could be improved on, though, is the way in which the system's setup allows for basic errors that can leave users' data unprotected. You should, for instance, be prompted to change the default PIN as part of the initial setup routine, even when you do an automatic install. Used with care, however, it will provide peace of mind for security-conscious types.

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