Mighty Key, the new secure USB snake oil?

Anything labeled a "must-have" from a security company that we've never heard of is flips on our huckster radars, and a new startup called Atomynet purports to sell its new "Mighty Key" portable security solution. Basically it's a USB security key that supposedly encrypts data stored to the thumb drive using AES, provides remote encrypted storage, creates a secure connection to the internet, and deletes your browser's cookies and history files. Now that doesn't seem so offensive to begin with, until you find out that the company charges a monthly fee to use this device. Still not convinced that Atomynet could be playing you? Well, it doesn't help that their device is still only a mock-up, and yet they have "feedback" on the company's website, which, incidentally, reads like it was written by a D-average middle schooler. One reads (no, we're not making this up): "great, finally I can surf the internet without fear that my mom or dad knows what I do." Finally, we love how this Windows XP-only product is demoed on an iBook in the demo video on the site. Still, if you do try it out and are convinced of its effectiveness, drop us a line in comments, we're intrigued.

[Farris @ Oct 12th 2006 2:43AM]

"o man, this is t3h gr8! i can serf the webs 4 pr0n and not be cot!"

I think i just summed up any possible comments from middle schoolers.

Pfft, why do you need a USB key to delete cookies and history anyways? Is it that hard to click 4 or so times?

[Anthony @ Oct 12th 2006 2:56AM]

Probably one of those incompetent CIA front companies.

[Ethrel @ Oct 12th 2006 3:01AM]

I totally agree. Windows provides easy access to cover your tracks. Why pay to have somebody else (which does give a very bad impression to me) to do it for you when you can click a total of 5-7 times (depending on browsers) to clear everything it stores, and quickly run a one-time config to secure your connection?

It makes no sense. Keep in mind, however, that the only information I have at this point is what Engadget is telling me. I may change opinions later.

[Farris @ Oct 12th 2006 3:06AM]

Ethrel, you bring up a good point with the "what Engadget is telling me" point. It could be that this product is a perfect product, and will soon be a household name and/or fixture.

But I'd like to side with Cyrus on this one and call it Snake Oil.

[logan @ Oct 12th 2006 3:21AM]

they should do a congressional rollout as a publicity stunt. probably would get some laughs

[tehuberone @ Oct 12th 2006 3:31AM]

Firefox= Ctrl+Shift+Delete then hit Enter
If that's to hard to erase your history then you shouldn't need to.

[RijilV @ Oct 12th 2006 3:37AM]

"Mighty Key protects your privacy by hiding the address of your computer. ... Giving out your computer address is the weakest point in the Internet networking structure!!! ... Everyone knows everything! ... any hacker who might be 'listening' on the line"
- Mighty Key website

My god, who writes this stuff? The weakest point in the Internet networking structure is the global routing table (which, btw, ipv6 doesn't fix...anyhow, back to the Mighty Key).

While I don't doubt that the MightyKey is an encrypted flashdrive, his product claims to protect you from identity theft by using a proxy. Identity theft has little to do with your IP address (if anything..)

The other feature of using an 'encrypted' (read SSL) channel to the proxy and saving your history and cookies on the flashdrive itself is nice. If you used different computers frequently that could come in handy. I wonder if you need to use IE ...


The irony here is their website sets a cookie....

[tekdroid @ Oct 12th 2006 5:38AM]

Portable Firefox www.portableapps.com

TrueCrypt in 'traveler mode'
www.truecrypt.org

open source, free.
(and far better, and no subscription...)

[Bigbro69 @ Oct 12th 2006 6:32AM]

"...or the table next to you at a Wi-Fi caf� steals your credit card information as you shop online."

I hate it when the tables steal my information :(

[OberonMSU @ Oct 12th 2006 9:02AM]

Hey guys. I was actually a beta tester for Mighty Key. The reason they charge a subscription fee is it backs up your data offsite. It's really easy to use, and gives people who don't know how or are too lazy to encrypt their stuff and back up their data an option.

I know most serious techies delete their cookies, clear their histories, and encrypt their stuff, but the average user doesn't, and that's what their goin for.

[Deadturtle @ Oct 12th 2006 9:12AM]

I fell out of my chair when I read the 'Wow you guys thought of everything' line in the FAQ. Just seems like a money sink to me. But hey it says Mighty! and Key! and that ummm must make it like cool and stuff right?

[Oddmanout @ Oct 12th 2006 10:04AM]

"Is it that hard to click 4 or so times?"

No...but if they've just FINISHED surfing porn, touching the mouse to erase incriminating evidence from the hard drive might leave incriminating evidence on the mouse...

[Chris von Eitzen @ Oct 12th 2006 11:14AM]

Surf using TOR (The Onion Router) from any USB/Other drive. This IS FireFox portable modified...

"Run Torpark.exe and it will launch a Tor circuit connection, which creates an encrypted tunnel from your computer indirectly to a Tor exit computer, allowing you to surf the internet anonymously. How much does Torpark cost? IT'S FREE.

You may have heard about those heavily advertised second-rate software packages like Anonymizer, SafeSharing, InvisibleIP, SecretSurfer, etc. Well, not only do they charge you money and/or a subscription fee, but they are bloated and full of useless components. They also require an installation which leaves tracks on your computer. How is that anonymous? Try Torpark; its small, portable, clean, open-source, free of spyware/adware, and free. "

http://www.torrify.com/

No, I don't work for them. No, I won't make any money from this. I just work for a computer related company (Think Best Buy). And no, I don't sell computers... I just love this app and everyone that I've shown loves it too. Anyone have alternatives / add-ons?

[macstibs @ Oct 12th 2006 12:15PM]

Is that a "D average" that's been hyphenated or is it a "D- average" but you forgot to put the space in? Just wondering exactly how bad the copy reads...

[SamuelDr @ Oct 12th 2006 1:00PM]

http://www.mightykey.com/
Signed up for the trial

This site seems more professional than the "multivu" one.

[SamuelDr @ Oct 12th 2006 1:02PM]

An update:
It seems I'm probed into all my orifice while trying to register.
I'm needed to tell everything from my life to them.

Don't know if I'm going to make it alive.

[Blayne @ Oct 12th 2006 2:44PM]

That's funny Oddmanout.

[Bob @ Oct 12th 2006 6:48PM]

i tried it. it works. they put few products into one and make them all less complicated. say what you want but it obvious they are serious and invested here a lot of development and 6 dollar a month its not much and they give the key for free.

[frogger @ Oct 12th 2006 7:33PM]

"When Mighty Key is plugged in:
a) it opens access to your computer files"

lol
can i get one??? please?!?!

[Mike @ Oct 13th 2006 8:24AM]

I ordered the product, and tried it.
I think the writter didn't.
The added value if this product is the simplicity of use for any user ,
and not only for computer geeks like us.

Besides it gives you remote data bank services to save all my important data.
As a student i backed up all my works, and presentations (almost 1G is saved now, and i am relaxed now).

I think the product has great potential, and people should try using it before critising.

[DaveTehWave @ Oct 13th 2006 2:51PM]

It appears that the people responsible for those 'D Average' reviews may be gracing us w/ their presence here in the comments section...

Anyway, no thanks. I'll take open source and Free over crap-ware anyday.

[Jack @ Oct 13th 2006 4:33PM]

ok,
so I looked at the site, FAQ could be little lame at some points
but I wonder, how many of you who laugh at the product, which is like 3 days old, are from competing companies, huh?
I would suggest you take a look, the adress is somewhere in the article, and dont trust those comments,

BTW I'm not going to use it, but that's becouse I know how to protect my computer with out paying, but I did suggest it to my father

[Eugene @ Oct 14th 2006 3:41AM]

"If all Internet files, history and cookies stay on your computer, it is like keeping snakes and lions in your home. An outsider seated after you on the computer might release those snakes and lions, and you might have a surprise when you return home. Plus, software is not mobile and will not assist you to maintain your privacy elsewhere. "

Somehow I can't help but feel that analogy is flawed...

[Ryan @ Oct 17th 2006 9:16AM]

it sounds like it bundles alot of the tools I use into a more consumer friendly package for those who aren't as geeky as us here. So far from reading their website, it looks like it contains an encryption app w/ offsite encrypted storage (presumably this is alot easer for the average user to use.... whereas I would use truecrypt and setup a ftp server or vpn connection to my home network) Also it sounds like theres an encrypted proxy tool, which again is probably alot easier / more transparent for the average user to use. I use a solution that was described in hackaday several months ago: I have a proxy server setup on my home network and I tunnel all browser traffic through a SSH connection...this gets me through work's proxy server, and when I'm out using unencrypted wifi connections, It encrypts everything that would be sniffable out at the access point I'm using.


It sounds like a good product... and If I was on the road and had a more "critical" need for this kind of thing, I might actually pay the $5.95/mo to use a proxy thats presumably being watched by a team of IT guys, vs mine at home that's subject to power outages, connection and hardware failures w/o anyone to fix the problem while I'm out on the road.

[Eytan @ Dec 21st 2006 5:06PM]

In Brazil, where I currently live, many people pay to their ISP several dollars a month for an Antivirus software that can be downloaded for free. I would rather pay for a service like this Mightykey, which really gives added value. Hope they will offer such a product here...

[joeG @ Dec 28th 2006 11:24AM]

ok so now i got it,it is paying for a free thing, as Chris von Eitzen wrote above. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpark

[Dave Westport @ Feb 24th 2007 10:24AM]

Not everyone that uses a computer is geek enough know, care, nor have the time, nor to take the time, to click four times to accomplish one thing, or to click five times to accomplish another thing. Most computer users simply "use" the computer for work, recreation, information, etc. IF this product is legit, and IF the company that markets this proudct is ethical and IF they stand by the product, then it might be just the right solution for lots of consumers. BUT, the amature way in which the product is described, written, and presented, might be concerning, as it might reflect a poorly operated company or product.

[Morcov @ Mar 4th 2007 8:38PM]

And that comes from somebody that spells "amature"...

[Imnotageek @ Feb 24th 2007 10:30AM]

I am not a techie, or a geek, just a green pc user. I saw the commercial and went to the website...nice advertising. I do however know enough to go surfing for comments and found this forum. I do pay bills on line, I do have business back ups & programs, but my concern is...If i was to look up this "Free ware" your mentioning.Would I understand what to do? Or would this "KEY" be a easy answer, and will it protect my credit card #'s or is there a chance someone can still get into my pc and get info? There are so many things that are greek to me, I just wanna get my email and simplify my life by being able to transfer funds when my bank account overdraws...hehe. I would appreciate learning more on this free ware and can the "layman" use it easily or is there a lot of techie terms...? thanks!

[marie @ Feb 25th 2007 5:03PM]

anyone know what happens to your stored offsite data
if you do not pay the 6.00?

[larry @ Mar 24th 2007 2:05AM]

l got my key after the mail lost the first one, the service from mighty key was very good. while l haven t yet used all the options yet l like it a lot. As far as cleaning cookies and my cache go l have window washer so thats no big deal. l like the backup but for the most part l bought it for the encryption and proxy server, in the post nine eleven enviroment privacy is important, like 99 percent of people l have nothing to hide as to where l am going on here l just dont think its any bodies god damm business ! To each there own on that one l guess . As for the snide comments about about how they present this l guess some of these smart asses have never heard of the kiss principal KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! it really is to bad more tech companies dont understand that fact, there would be more people in there 40 s 50s and even 60 s buying computers if they did. Bottom line l like it.

[bergamott @ Mar 8th 2008 3:25PM]

I took a look at the web site in August of 2007. I never ordered anything yet received two credit card bills of $37.50 each. One bill on 8/8/2007 7:03:20 PM said I placed an order. Another bill on 2/8/2008 11:07:57 AM was a subscription bill. I don't even have a Mighty Key in my house. I have contested both charges and VISA has reversed them. Proceed with caution regarding this company.

[luva_boyd @ Mar 26th 2009 12:56PM]

I actually had an interview with this so called Atomynet startup. The interview took place at a Starbucks. They were so secretive about their product that they didn't tell me much about. Well i didn't get the job and I'm glad i didn't. A few month after they finally release the product i wasn't impressed at all. When i saw their business model of charging a monthly fee, i was like WTF!