Preparing for the Loss of an IronKey

First, read this.

1. Do an Online Backup of the Identity Manager.
2. Make a Secure Backup of the current IronKey.
3. Find a phrase that you like, a lyric for a song maybe, or a passage from a favorite book, and make a complex passphrase you can remember. practice it in a volatile medium that defies snooping or recording.
4. Encrypt the entire Secure Backup with strong encryption software, like openssl or some 3rd party vendor you trust.

Then:
- If you have the money, buy a second IronKey (SLC) and restore the Secure Backup onto it.
- Burn the encrypted backup twice to DVD
- Label & store the second IronKey and your DVD in a highly secure, yet separate locations.
- Never write your passphrase down or store it in any file. If you must, put it into some kind of password management tool like Password Safe or KeePass.