StealthSurfer II USB Review -- Surf the Web Safely and Anonymously

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Considering computers collect and record data on almost everything you do on and off-line, it's relatively easy for someone to get their hands on your personal information. We're not just talking about which websites you've visited, but also things you'd like to keep private like your address and credit card information. Stealth Surfer offers a nice solution for those looking to browse the web securely and privately.

There are a lot of ways to protect yourself online, and in many cases, buying extra software for your personal computer is a great idea. But any time you use a shared internet connection or a shared computer, you're putting yourself at risk. The StealthSurfer II (SSII) offers the protection you need in these cases, all in a self contained USB drive that's easy to configure and use.

How StealthSurfer II Works

The Stealth Surfer II is essentially a USB drive with self-contained applications needed for secure web browsing. To use it, you simply plug the drive into any Windows 2000/XP machine and launch the applications on the drive. When using StealthSurfer II, all your sensitive Internet files such as cookies, internet history, and cache are stored on the StealthSurfer USB device instead of your computer. And should you lose the SSII, the device itself is protected by password, so it's useless to anyone else.

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What's Contained on the StealthSurfer II

The thumb drive includes everything to keep you safe while surfing online. Contained on the drive are the following applications:

• FireFox -- High-speed/high-security web-browser
• Anonymizer - offers anonymous surfing, complete network security and IP masking
• RoboForm - a "one-click" form-filler with secure user ID/password management application
• Thunderbird -- E-mail client for portable POP3/SMPT email, news groups, RSS feeds, and blog access
• Hushmail - a high security web based e-mail service (2MB storage)

FireFox
I have been using Mozilla FireFox for a couple of years now. In my opinion, it is one of the best, if not the best web-browsing software. A couple of reasons FireFox is so popular is its great layout, speed and automatic spyware, phishing and pop-up blocking. The core benefit when coupled with the SSII though is the integrated FireFox Web browser saves all cookies, cached files and other downloaded images privately on this secure removable USB device rather than the machine you're using. So when you pull the USB drive, your data goes with you, no breadcrumbs left on the host computer for others to find.

Anonymizer
Anonymizer masks your true IP address, protecting your true identity and location. My normal address would be at wi.rr.com located in Waukesha, WI. With just a few clicks to start surfing securely, my IP address shows that I am in a random city in California (See below). Anonymizer works by creating an encrypted path is created between a host computer and the Internet using 128-bit SSL technology and spoofing your actual IP address. This helps to defend users from privacy and security threats like identity theft, phishing attacks, and online tracking. When used on a wireless laptop, Anonymizer secures all data sent over the wireless connection to protect against the act of sniffing packets.

RoboForm
This program has an automatic plug-in/toolbar at the top of the Mozilla browser to help you fill in things like e-commerce ordering forms and account logins more quickly. You enter and store your information in a secure user profile for recall later. Data such as name, address, phone number, credit card number, bank accounts and passwords for websites can all be housed within RoboForm's profiles. This data can be stored for a single user or multiple users by setting up separate user identities in the program. Additional benefits and features of RoboForm include:

• Auto-fills and auto-saves passwords
• Logs users into an online account with just one click
• Protects passwords and other personal information with strong encryption
• Can generate hard-to-guess passwords (and remembers them for the user
• Organizes logins, bookmarks, credit cards, bank accounts and address books - keep all data securely in one place

Thunderbird
This program is for checking your POP/SMTP e-mail accounts. Thunderbird, made by Mozilla, is comparable to Outlook Express. Through this program you can securely access all your e-mail accounts at one time. Thunderbird is also designed to block viruses and spam e-mails.

Hushmail
Included with the SSII is a free e-mail account with Stealthsurfer.com. This option is found at the bottom of the FireFox browser. This e-mail account gives you encrypted e-mail account with limited storage. Hush E-Mail uses industry standard algorithms to ensure the security, privacy and authenticity of your email. Encryption and decryption are transparent to the user, and email is even protected from employees at Stealth Surfer since the data is encrypted with your USB device.

Conclusion

All-in-all the SSII is a great product for anyone wanting to secure their Internet activity and potentially critical for those who use shared computers and Internet connections. It's easy to use, and the security suite is top-notch. This a great way to keep your data secure, while leaving behind no trace of your activities. We're not recommending you use this device to circumvent Internet usage policies at your school or office, but if you happen to be looking for a way to do so, this product would be a good place to start. Otherwise, consider picking one up to add an additional layer between you and the bad guys when you're online.

Pros:

• Portable security, works on any compatible machine
• Surf the web with total security and privacy
• Will not leave any trace of your activity on the host computer
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Only works on Windows 2000/XP
• Starting at roughly $100, device is expensive

Purchase Info:

The StealthSurfer II comes four sizes, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB. Order directly from the Stealth Surfer site.

 

So is stealth surfer just a USB key with those 5 programs?

Couldn't someone just get those 5 programs and put it on a USB key?

I liked the info in your review. Thanks.

 

Yup.

\\ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_portable_applications

 

Good review Bruce. Yeah it is pretty weird that they are selling that for $100 when you can get most of those programs for free and install them on your own flashdrive. Here is another link with some of those very same programs.
Tim

 

Anonymizer is the only thing missing from free portable apps... it's a commercial product you have to pay for. Also, check this out for another opinion:

http://spamhuntress.com/2005/12/08/stealth-wifi-surfing/

 

I belive Roboform and Anonymyzer you have to pay for...also the encryption on the key isn't free either. From what I have read. So it somewhat justifies the cost.

 

Yeah, most of that stuff you can get on your own. Personally I find it kinda silly.

 

I don't know, I think that for a person who really values time, such a person would rather spend a few dollars more than buying a thumb drive and the programs that require purchase to have it all in one plug-and-play bundle.

 

Right, the deal here is the simplicity and support. As the programs are updated, you can get the updates copied to your card. Sure there are some DIY options, but they're DIY.

 

Why not just use Torpark ? Its free , works just fine...

 

I do agree with all you previous posters - to buy any cheap USB-stick and install freewares the freewares by yoursef (which is silly easy) is a much more economically.

Previously I've been using Portable Firefox and Portable Thunderbird, but now I've switched to a portable, and free, version of Opera instead wich I can highly recommend! U can download it here: http://www.opera-usb.com/


// Alex