BUSlink CipherShield encrypted hard drive prevents unauthorized access to your digital data. Using the latest cryptography algorithm software to protect sensitive file is nothing new. However, loading that same encryption into a removable CipherKey - that when removed not only makes all the data stored completely unreadable, but the drive itself becomes transparent and is completely invisible to the operating system. Plug the CipherKey in, the drive is once again visible and files immediately decrypted and accessible. Now that's new. The fact that this drive is portable, can plug into any USB port and immediately accessible on any operating system, is just icing on the cake. CipherShield design features a chip embedded in the access key which matches the chip on the controller board. Since CipherShield encrypts data independent of the operating system; removing the drive and connecting it directly to the SATA BUS will not defeat the encryption.