Product Reviews

There are a number of things you can do if you're worried about your data falling into the wrong hands. Mac OS X now features on-the-fly encryption, dubbed FileVault, and with conscientious use of multiple users and - more importantly - strong passwords, you can be fairly confident your data is secure. However, SecuriKey from Griffin Technologies (not to be confused with the peripheral maker Griffin Technology) adds an extra layer of security.

The system works by tying your login details to a small USB 'token', a device that looks like a flash memory fob. When the token is connected to your Mac, you may log into your account as usual. The act of plugging the token into your computer doesn't automatically log you in. This would grossly undermine the security of the system, as anyone who found your key would have access to your data. Instead, you must still enter your password. The difference is that when the SecuriKey token isn't plugged into your Mac, even entering the correct password won't log you in.

The token has

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to be present at all times when you're using the Mac. Removing it prompts the Mac to perform one of three actions: it will either shut down or log you out (in both cases losing unsaved work), or it will simply flip you from your user to the login screen using OS X 10.3's Fast User Switching technology. This latter option is the most useful, as any current work is maintained and even continues to run while maintaining privacy. Yes, this uses up a USB port, but the key works even in the hub in Apple keyboards.

You get two identical keys when you buy the system, so if one is lost, you have a spare. Replacements can even be generated for £27 by Griffin as long as you register with the company.

The system is cross-platform, so you can also use the keys on any PC system running Windows 2000 or later. A comprehensive preference pane allows you to set different behaviours for different users, and to link them to different keys.

There are some quirks, though - for example, running Virtual PC in full-screen mode seemed to interfere with the logout when the key was removed - but we found this to be a generally robust and reliable system.

The Griffin Technologies SecuriKey shouldn't be thought of as a replacement for good passwords and encryption, as your data is still accessible using the FireWire Target Disk Mode workaround in which you start a Mac while holding down T in order, in effect, to turn the entire computer into nothing more than a hard disk. However, it's an excellent addition to your security regime. If only the system was cheaper, we'd all have a SecuriKey dangling from our key ring.