A secure storage device, comprising: a casing; a memory disposed within the casing and configured to store encrypted data; a physical input device disposed at an outer surface of the casing and configured to facilitate unlocking of the secure storage device, wherein the physical input device is configured to receive an input from a user, wherein the physical input device comprises at least one of the following input devices: an acoustic input device, a speech input device, a visual input device, a touch input device, a tactile input device and/or a sensory input device; and a controller disposed within the casing and coupled to the memory and the physical input device, the controller configured to: determining whether the secure storage device is in a configuration-ready mode, the configuration-ready mode indicating that the secure storage device is allowed to communicate with a host, to configure the secure storage device, wherein the controller is configured to determining without using any information from outside the secure storage device, wherein the host is external to the secure storage device; receiving configuration data from the host for configuring the secure storage device when the secure storage device is determined to be in the configuration-ready mode; and preventing the secure storage device from receiving the configuration data from the host when the controller determines that the secure storage device is not in the configuration-ready mode, wherein the controller is configured to cause: prior to determining whether the secure storage device is in the configuration-ready mode, setting the secure storage device into the configuration-ready mode, and wherein setting the secure storage device into the configuration-ready mode comprises: setting an encryption key in the secure storage device, wherein when the secure storage device contains data stored prior to setting the encryption key, the encryption key is unusable for decrypting the data stored prior to setting the encryption key. a casing; a memory disposed within the casing and configured to store encrypted data; a physical input device disposed at an outer surface of the casing and configured to facilitate unlocking of the secure storage device, wherein the physical input device is configured to receive an input from a user, wherein the physical input device comprises at least one of the following input devices: an acoustic input device, a speech input device, a visual input device, a touch input device, a tactile input device and/or a sensory input device; and a controller disposed within the casing and coupled to the memory and the physical input device, the controller configured to: determining whether the secure storage device is in a configuration-ready mode, the configuration-ready mode indicating that the secure storage device is allowed to communicate with a host, to configure the secure storage device, wherein the controller is configured to determining without using any information from outside the secure storage device, wherein the host is external to the secure storage device; receiving configuration data from the host for configuring the secure storage device when the secure storage device is determined to be in the configuration-ready mode; and preventing the secure storage device from receiving the configuration data from the host when the controller determines that the secure storage device is not in the configuration-ready mode, determining whether the secure storage device is in a configuration-ready mode, the configuration-ready mode indicating that the secure storage device is allowed to communicate with a host, to configure the secure storage device, wherein the controller is configured to determining without using any information from outside the secure storage device, wherein the host is external to the secure storage device; receiving configuration data from the host for configuring the secure storage device when the secure storage device is determined to be in the configuration-ready mode; and preventing the secure storage device from receiving the configuration data from the host when the controller determines that the secure storage device is not in the configuration-ready mode, wherein the controller is configured to cause: prior to determining whether the secure storage device is in the configuration-ready mode, setting the secure storage device into the configuration-ready mode, and wherein setting the secure storage device into the configuration-ready mode comprises: setting an encryption key in the secure storage device, wherein when the secure storage device contains data stored prior to setting the encryption key, the encryption key is unusable for decrypting the data stored prior to setting the encryption key.