Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80: External SSD with touchscreen and encryption

The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 is Kingston’s first innovative external SSD that works independently of an operating system and is hardware encrypted. It features a touchscreen and protects against brute force attacks and BadUSB with digitally signed firmware.

Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 in detail

At first glance, the Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 looks like an MP3 player that is a bit too big. But it is an exciting and particularly well-protected external SSD complete with touchscreen.

It has a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C interface and slim dimensions of 122.5 mm x 84.2 mm x 18.5 mm. The scope of delivery includes a waterproof neoprene travel sleeve. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS and any other system that supports a USB mass storage device.

What makes the external hard drive stand out above all is its strong encryption with FIPS 197/ XTS-AES 256-bit encryption and features a Common Criteria EAL5+ (CC EAL5+) certified secure microprocessor. To guard against brute-force attacks, the VP80ES erases the entire drive after 15 incorrect password entries.

Easy to use

The manufacturer promises that the Vault Privacy 80 can be unlocked as easily as a smartphone. The color touchscreen is used for this purpose, which can be used to set the certification method.

A multi-password option for data recovery can be set up in the admin settings with the corresponding access rights. Furthermore, a Ready Only mode can be set there or additional password rules can be defined. Here you can set the number of incorrect entries until locking or the minimum password length from 6 to 64 characters, as well as numeric or alphabetic rules. Alternatively, the external SSD can be unlocked via a PIN.

Different users can be created, who store their data in individual folders. If an authorized person forgets their password, the administrator can access the data and restore access.

It’s also possible to set the timeout before the drive locks, set up a random key layout, and use Secure-Erase to trigger the deletion of all passwords and encryption keys.

The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 is offered in 480GB, 960GB and 1,920GB capacities and achieves read and write transfer speeds of up to 250MB/s.

Pricing and Availability

The external SSD Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 will be available in stores soon. It will be offered in the online store of Cyberport and Alternate, but is not listed there yet. The manufacturer has not yet revealed the MSRP, but the first retailers in the US list the SSD starting at $437 for the 480 GB model. The 960 GB version is $535, while the 1,920 GB variant is $762.