Encryption bridge system and method of operation thereof

A method comprising:

• locking a user input module until a user has been authenticated;
• unlocking the user input module when the user has been authenticated;
• allowing a mass storage device to become accessible to a computer when the user has been authenticated in the user input module and the user input module has been unlocked;
• transferring encrypted data wirelessly or by wire to and from a mass storage device to and from the encryption/decryption control module in a first communication channel;
• encrypting or decrypting data in the encryption/decryption control module when the user has been authenticated in the user input module and the user input module has been unlocked;
• decrypting encrypted data to the computer from the mass storage device in the encryption/decryption control module when and the user input module has been unlocked and the mass storage device is accessible to the computer;
• transferring clear data wirelessly or by wire to and from a computer to and from the encryption/decryption control module in a second communication channel;
• and
• encrypting clear data from the computer to the mass storage device in the encryption/decryption control module when and the user input module has been unlocked and the mass storage device is accessible to the computer.

A self-authenticating encryption bridge comprising:

• a user input module for remaining locked until a user has been authenticated;
• an encryption/decryption control module responsive to the user input module for encrypting or decrypting data when the user has been authenticated;
• a first communication channel for transferring encrypted data from a mass storage device to the encryption/decryption control module;
• and
• a second communication channel for transferring clear data to a computer from the encryption/decryption control module.