You can’t get in without a PIN!!!
Our physical and personal safety is always important, but how often do you think about your data? Now you may feel confident having securing your desktop computer or laptop, but it’s so easy to overlook those handy and convenient USB Flash drives – often called USB sticks or thumb drives.
Easily portable, USB sticks are often toted around in pockets, purses, knapsacks and even on keychains. They are typically used for easy backups sharing data or to move files from one device to another – but what if they have your latest tax returns, sensitive personal information or even family photos? What happens if they are lost, stolen or inadvertently damaged?
No IN without a PIN
Enter the datAshur PRO+C from U.K.-based iStorage Ltd. It’s literally indestructible and a solid solution to keep your data safe from hackers, prying eyes or accidental incident. It’s a rugged, water and dust resistant portable flash drive with aluminum sleeve that is designed to withstand a 4m drop onto concrete, the weight of a 2.7 ton vehicle or being submerged in up to about five feet of water for a half an hour.
Its secure design also offers a double-layer of protection. First, it encrypts your data on the drive, meaning it’s unreadable to the naked eye then it requires you to enter an 8-15 alphanumeric PIN for authentication on its built-in keypad to gain full access. So, without the PIN, you can’t get in!
The drive is also physically tamperproof. The internal components are coated with an ultra-tough epoxy resin making it virtually impossible even for tech-savvy individuals to gain access to them without totally destroying the drive. For added security, thekeypad is also polymer coated, making the keys wear-resistant, so it doesn’t easily give away the identity of the more commonly used keys on the traditional keypad which show wear through continuous use over time.
Tamper resistant
To keep any hackers at bay, the drive also features the latest FIPS 140-3 Level 3 scheme. This is a certification for tamper resistant identity-based authentication and while it’s not quite like what Ethan Hunt may encounter in a Mission: Impossible movie, the data, if necessary, can be configured to “self-destruct,” i.e., erased the in the event of a brute force attack.
In a more typical use scenario, datAshur PRO+C can be configured for both Admins and Users and can be set to read-only mode and then auto-lock when removed. This can be particularly handy, if the drive if shared with various staff around the office, sending data to the accountant or simply amongst family members to ensure no-one deletes or adds anything or forgets to set back on the security.
The datAshur PRO+C has a built-in lithium-ion battery and the encryption is also done right on the device. So, if you are securing big files like videos or large amounts of data, this will surely help speed up the process and without bogging your devices CPU.
The iStorage datAshur is lightning-fast, offering read speeds up to 310MB/s and write speeds up to 246MB/s. It’s quite simply, easy-to-use and does not require any drivers or software to be installed. It works easily with any device with a USB port and almost any operating system.
While a flash drive like the PRO+C does require an investment significantly higher than your typical barebones off-the shelf thumb drive, you have to ask yourself what the monetary and non-monetary cost would be to you if your data fell into the wrong hands?
The datAshur PRO+C offers you data protection and peace of mind. It comes standard with the latest USB 3.2 Type C connector with a USB C-A adapter included. It has a respectable three-year warranty, life-time technical support and comes in various data capacities ranging from 32GB to 512GB with prices starting at $126.25. They are available from select retailers or you can order one directly from the iStorage on-line shop on Amazon.
Find out more at iStorage https://istorage-uk.com/product/datashur-proc/. You can also listen to the Podcast below.
Podcast
The syndicated edition of the article appears at Troy Media and 32 affiliated syndicated sites as well in NextHome’s Active-Life Magazine. Podcasts also appear at either Toastcaster.com or Toastmasters Podcast.com.
Greg Gazin, also known as the Gadget Guy and Gadget Greg, is a syndicated veteran tech columnist, communication, leadership and technology speaker, facilitator, blogger, podcaster and author. Reach him @gadgetgreg or at GadgetGuy.ca.
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