Email, bank accounts, credit cards, bill payments, car insurance, online stores - with the rise of the Internet has come a plethora of passwords individuals need to keep secure. These number and letter combinations have overloaded our minds to the point where it’s nearly impossible to simply remember them all. For help, a new invention provides a handy – and safe – way to store all your private information.
Blackbox Innovations’ Tâke Personal Pocket Safe is a compact, 1GB USB flash drive that is designed to store – and secure – PIN numbers and passwords. Similar in appearance to the average memory stick but with a number pad that essentially functions as a lock, an individual must first enter a code before using the device. Once the correct code is punched, the device can be plugged in to a USB drive where it automatically opens up organization software. The main software screen features icons representing a variety of personal categories (e.g. – credit cards, financial accounts, website logins, vehicle records, insurance policies, real estate, etc.). When a user clicks on an icon, he or she then enters information, like usernames and passwords, into the spaces provided. Users also can attach vital documents or images for recording keeping (such as a vehicle license or registration). The encrypted data is auto-saved on the Personal Pocket Safe, and no trace of the software is left on the computer.
Along with requiring a personal code for use, the Take Pocket Safe also is equipped with a number of other security features designed to make sure no one accesses your information but you. For example, if the safe is plugged into a USB drive and left idle for more than 3 minutes, it will automatically shut down until the code is re-entered. The device also locks for a time if three incorrect PIN numbers are entered in a row (to prevent individuals from trying to code crack). And, even if the device is stolen and smashed open, the contents of the flash memory are immediately erased upon forced entry. Additionally, the Personal Pocket Safe is waterproof and features a lithium-ion battery that recharges every time it is plugged into a computer.
The major benefit of the Personal Pocket Safe is that it replaces the need to remember dozens of logins and passwords with a single PIN number. And the compact size of the device means it can be carried easily and covertly in a pocket. Any time a person forgets a Web site password, he or she has a quick and convenient means of referencing it that is much safer than, say, writing passwords down on a piece of paper and sticking them in a drawer. Of course, an individual does need to remember a code to access this device (yes, a person needs to remember a password to access other passwords). But users can register their codes on the Blackbox’s secure Web site just in case they ever slip out of mind. While some may take issue with keeping so much personal information in one place, in all reality, storing information in the Personal Pocket Safe is probably more secure than keeping it in a wallet or even a traditional safe.
The Personal Pocket Safe is available for purchase from the Tâke Web site for $49.95 plus shipping and handling.
