GoldKey USB Data Security Token Review

Performance Testing and Conclusion

After reviewing the Goldkey Master and Token combo pack, we were very impressed with its ease of use and also its deep functionality. Being relatively inexperienced with advanced data security options, I was quickly comfortable with the basic functionality the GoldKey solution provides. The GoldKey software made the process of establishing a secure drive very intuitive and accessible to a novice user.

For more advanced users, however, the GoldKey solution allows for advanced functionality such as active directory integration as well as flexible grouping options. The security feature did introduce a performance penalty. Our OCZ Vertex 120GB Solid-State Drive (SSD), which normally copies files to itself at about 70MB/s in the laptop used for testing, resulted in only a 35MB/s rate when copying from the primary storage drive to the secure drive.

Though we noticed a fairly significant penalty in our testing, it is unlikely a user without a fast SSD drive would notice a performance impact. We reached out to GoldKey and this is what they had to say regarding performance:

“In a Windows installation without a solid-state drive, the performance difference with or without GoldKey is typically negligible. In comparison to many competing encryption products, GoldKey is about 50 percent faster on encryption / decryption.”– GoldKey

GoldKey also provided some information that compared GoldKey’s system to a computer that was encrypted using Windows XP’s and Mac OSX’s built-in encryption options.

In testing, they found a hard drive secured by GoldKey was about 50 percent faster than the hard drives encrypted with the built-in options. They also found that the performance impact of GoldKey encryption was negligible on a standard 7200 RPM laptop drive. So, ultimately, it is only those users who are using a solid state drive that will detect any performance impact at all, and even then, it appears the GoldKey software is faster than other encryption options.

The combo package we reviewed is available for $199 from the Goldkey Store. Clearly, this is a serious security tool for home or corporate users who require advanced data security options. The flexibility of the GoldKey system allows one solution to serve both small and medium/large users. Ultimately, we think the GoldKey package deserves consideration for any usage scenario where data security is a concern.

Legit Bottom Line: GoldKey provides an excellent all-in-one software and hardware solution for large or small users that provides excellent data security.