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Icloak Stik

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Boot any computer from the Icloak Stik and you've got your own isolated leave-no-trace operating system, with the Tor Browser and some useful tools built in. - Privacy
3.5 Good

The Bottom Line

Boot any computer from the Icloak Stik and you've got your own isolated leave-no-trace operating system, with the Tor Browser and some useful tools built in.

Pros & Cons

    • Bootable operating environment lets you browse anonymously and leave no trace.
    • Effectively immune to malware.
    • Includes Tor Browser.
    • Built-in password manager.
    • Includes text editor, word processor, and spreadsheet.
    • Needs pruning to remove unneeded features and settings from Linux-based environment.
    • Expensive.
    • Connection not encrypted except through HTTPS.
    • Only supports 64-bit processors.

They're onto you. You've pilfered the secret plans, but you can't transmit them to spy HQ without giving away your location. And all the available computers are crawling with government-installed spyware. What's a secret agent to do? Why, plug your Icloak Stik into one of those computers, boot from it, and contact HQ over a secure channel using the built-in Tor Browser, of course! This device isn't cheap, but it effectively puts a whole secure computer on your keychain. Of course, you don't have to be a secret agent to make use of this cool device. Anyone who values anonymity can benefit.

Your $99 one-time purchase gets you a 16GB USB drive that's barely bigger than a dime. The drive comes with proprietary operating system installed and preloaded with a number of useful utilities. The OS is based on Linux, but don't worry; all the scary Linux bits are hidden. Security updates are free indefinitely. If the company makes any feature upgrades, you get them free for a year; after that, each year of updates costs $50. As an alternative, you can pay $149 initially and get free feature upgrades for life.

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Final Thoughts

Boot any computer from the Icloak Stik and you've got your own isolated leave-no-trace operating system, with the Tor Browser and some useful tools built in. - Privacy

Icloak Stik

3.5 Good

Boot any computer from the Icloak Stik and you've got your own isolated leave-no-trace operating system, with the Tor Browser and some useful tools built in.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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