Multiple passwords we use for all and sundry online services are relatively safe. But, if an ambitious hacker chose to become curious about our affairs, it would not take long to crack all the walls and look or, possibly, do something worse. Google's The Vault project should take care of that. A standard microSD card contains the security device and connects to any hardware with a suitable card slot. In essence, The Vault is a safe computer that protects the whole contents of its host.

The Vault is powered by a proprietary real-time operating system (RTOS) and has a vast number of cryptographic solutions. It encodes or makes chats invisible, and can also check user's authenticity, so your computer (or device using The Vault) knows it is you and not someone else using it. The small card has also an NFC chipset built in, allowing contactless communication with other devices in close proximity. A 4GB storage space is available and it works on all operating systems. While still at a prototype stage of development, Google intends to offer The Vault to corporate clients first and then also to the general public.