Abstract: A device (10) for protecting data, comprising a first interface (18) for connection to a computing device, a second interface for connection to a data storage (20), an encryptor (22) located in-line between the first interface (18) and the second interface, a control system (30), and a memory (24). The memory (24) includes program data (26) executable on the computing device to perform user authentication, the control system (30) is configured to initially expose the memory (24) to the interface to facilitate user authentication and to expose the encryptor (22) to the interface only upon successful user authentication, and the encryptor (22) is operable to encrypt on the fly data received from the first interface (18) and to forward the data once encrypted to the second interface and to decrypt on the fly data received from the second interface and to forward the data once decrypted to the first interface (18).