Don’t make this USB mistake! Protect your data with this discounted encrypted gadget

The Kingston Ironkey D500S is an encrypted flash drive available for $78, a 22% discount, during the Amazon Big Spring Sale. 

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Carrying around unencrypted data on flash drives is asking for trouble. Losing a flash drive is bad enough, but having that data fall into the wrong hands could be a disaster.

Therefore, it makes sense to not only encrypt your data but to use flash drives that do more than just allow you to store unencrypted data on them.

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That’s where we can turn to the Kingston IronKey D500S, a robust, military-grade flash drive that offers the best possible protection for your data, keeping it safe from prying eyes. 

Kingston IronKey D500S specs

• 8 – 512GB capacities
• USB-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface
• XTS-AES 256-bit encryption
• FIPS 140-3 Level 3 (pending) certified
• Brute force and BadUSB attack protection
• Rugged zinc casing built to the toughest standards
• Multi-password option with complex/passphrase modes
• Industry-first Dual Hidden Partition option
• Crypto-erase password
• Waterproof up to 1.2 meters 

Externally, the IronKey D500S looks like a rather bulky flash drive. Built with a ruggedized zinc casing, it’s designed to take knocks and even be immersed in water. The case is also the first line of defense against data being accessed. The internals of the drive are encased in epoxy, which provides a physical barrier against tampering.  

A serial number and barcode are laser-etched into the casing of the drive, which means the device can’t be surreptitiously swapped for another drive in the event of loss or in a situation where someone tries to infiltrate an organization with a rogue storage device.

On the inside, the IronKey D500S is just as well-engineered for security. On boot-up, the drive scans for over-temperature or voltage conditions leading to drive shutdown. It has digitally signed firmware, which makes it immune 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 crypto-erased. 

Losing the password means data is locked away for good, so the IronKey D500S supports up to three passwords: an admin, user, and one-time recovery. The admin can reset a user password, and also enable a one-time recovery password to restore access to data if the user password is forgotten. That’s a nice touch.

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On the password front, the IronKey D500S supports a traditional, complex password and a passphrase mode. Traditional, complex passwords can be between eight and 16 characters, using three out of four character sets, while passphrases can be 10 to 128 characters. 

The IronKey D500S also has an industry-first feature: a dual hidden partition option. This feature allows an admin to create two custom-sized secure partitions for the admin and user, allowing for a hidden file store that can be accessed by both parties. 

The IronKey D500S also supports two read-only/write-protected modes. These modes can be set per session to protect the drive from malware on untrusted systems, or the admin can set a global read-only mode that sets the drive to read-only mode until it is reset.

On the performance front, Kingston says you can expect the following speeds (which vary depending on 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

USB 2.0

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

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

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

Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

This article was originally published in September of 2023 and updated in March 2025.

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