Project Vault is a security system on a microSD card

During day 2 of Google I/O 2015 the ATAP group showed off a number of new projects, including a unique new security device called Project Vault. At first glance, the Vault would appear to be nothing more than a typical SD card but there’s more here than meets the eye. Underneath the surface, the Vault contains its very own microprocessor running ARTOS, NFC for communication, and 4GB storage. As ATAP’s Regina Dugan puts it, “Project Vault is your digital mobile safe. Big security, small package”.

Thanks to its microSD form factor, the Vault works in just about any device with a microSD slot including computers, Android phones, Macs with SD slot adapters, and the list goes on. So what exactly does it do? In short, it allows secure storage no matter what, with no special drivers needed for the device it is plugged into. How the security works is obviously a bit more complicated, though in a demo ATAP showed off how Vault could be used to secure messages in a chat conversation by encrypting messages and providing extra layers of authentication. Bottom-line, Project Vault is a smart platform that uses various techniques to ensure the person accessing your important data and information is actually you.

As for when we’ll see Vault? No commercial plans have been revealed just yet, though ATAP says that it will be releasing the open source SDK from today and is aiming the project at the enterprise market at least for the time being. We’ll be sure to update you further as we learn more about this intriguing project.