Imation does make some interesting products, and this can even be seen in their tinier options, including the Imation IronKey Basic S1000 USB 3.0 Flash Drive. This thumb-drive has a backup battery and has an optional self-destruct mode (more on this later). Design and feature-wise, it looks very much to be like that of the IronKey Basic S1000 2.0 Flash Drive, but with a faster performance. This is a military-grade flash drives when it comes to physical design and security.
The Imation IronKey Basic S1000 USB 3.0 Flash Drive is a Military-Grade Portable Storage Device
The Imation IronKey Basic S1000 USB 3.0 Flash Drive has only 3.2 x 0.8 x 0.4-inches for its dimensions. It is very lightweight as it only weighs 1.12-ounces. The body is made completely out of solid metal, which gives the device some heft but still compact enough to carry around in the pocket.
On one end of the device, there’s the USB 3.0 connector. This is covered with a metal cap that is filled with rubber to provide a more secure fit. Users should still be warned that the cap is not attached to the flash drive itself, so it can still be misplaced and can therefore be lost.
On the other end, there’s a light that will blink red when the device is plugged in. Said light will turn green when it is reading or writing files. Still on this end, there is a metal hole that will allow users to attach the IronKey Basic S1000 USB 3.0 Flash Drive to a lanyard or keychain.
Upon insertion to a computer, the IronKey software will pop up. A window will open with the IronKey Unlocker (which is a program that will read the drive) and other several files in it. These will include all the certifications and licenses for the device, and the app. Once you open the IronKey program, you will then be prompted to create a password. Afterwards, it will ask you to have the flash drive on Self-Destruct mode or Reset mode.
Self-destruct mode is optional, but it will give added security to your files. It will activate if someone tampers with your device without your consent. When this happens, the drive will become permanently unusable. However, in Reset mode, it does the same but instead of the extreme way of rendering the drive permanently unusable, it will just erase all the files within.
With a metal casing and military-grade features, the Imation IronKey Basic S1000 USB 3.0 Flash Drive has a price as you would expect it to have – hefty. However, you are paying for a wide array of security options for your files. It even has top-grade encryption which makes it an ideal compact drive for government employees.