seremify007
Junior Member
Based on my work, I am always in need of encrypted drives to protect my data given a lot of it is either customer data or market sensitive. All of my business/work-related machines have pre-boot encryption software, and my employer has provided me with Kingston Data Traveller Vault hardware-encrypted usb drives (which are not subject to the same security flaw which plagued previous secure USB drives which relied on software encryption)... but what about when I need to back up data which is much larger in size?
After some research I came across hardware encrypted hard drives such as the Aegis Apricorn Padlock and the Lenovo Thinkpad Secure Hard Drive which offer fully encrypted hard drives. Better yet, they do not require a software interface to pass the passcode to the device to unlock it but instead rely on the physical keypad on the device.
In the end I bought the Apricorn hard drive in 256-bit 1TB form for $250usd including taxes at B&H in NYC as I couldn't find the Lenovo one for sale other than online (but it would've matched my T420 laptops much better aesthetically). The hard drive came exactly as described and looks the same size as a normal portable USB-powered drive. The cable tucks tidily into the side and has nice big keys.
So far I've found the drive to be perfect. The interface is a little bit difficult as you need to have the manual next to you (reminds me of programming those old home alarm systems where you have to press buttons, wait for a LED to flash a different colour, then press something else)... but it works entirely on the device and isn't computer-dependent (i.e. it doesn't matter whether it's a Mac or a PC as long as the USB port can provide power). Once the code has been entered, the drive light turns from red to green and it becomes visible on the computer it is attached to. It also works on other devices as long as they are capable of reading any USB hard drive (unlike my above mentioned secure USB which would require the device to support the software interface for the user to type the password in).
I like the fact the drive offers both user and admin modes which enable you to set passwords for administrator access (to control other passwords), and user passwords in case you ever need to share the drive with someone but don't want to give them your admin password.
Other positives are the keypad is nice and easy to press, the simplicity of the device is great (compared to say Truecrypt) and it works on anything since it doesn't require software to be installed. There is also shock proofing of the drive which will apparently freeze/lift the heads off in the event of a drop as well as cushioning around the hard drive to protect the contents upon impact. The drive also came with a nice soft pouch and extra leads in case the single USB cord isn't sufficient to supply power and/or reach the hard drive.
Downside would be price (at $250 for 1TB, that's pretty darn expensive), the interface COULD be supplemented by a PC UI of some form but I guess this could expose it to risk of hacking or something, and there is no way to segment user access to certain folders/etc.
Given that I bought this for my sole use, and I'm not planning to share the password with people, I'm pretty happy with it. Works well with FBackup. As far as I can tell, there is no real noticeable slowdown in normal everyday use of the hard drive.
Product URL: http://www.apricorn.com/apricorn-padlock-256-bit-aes-encrypted-usb-drive.html
After some research I came across hardware encrypted hard drives such as the Aegis Apricorn Padlock and the Lenovo Thinkpad Secure Hard Drive which offer fully encrypted hard drives. Better yet, they do not require a software interface to pass the passcode to the device to unlock it but instead rely on the physical keypad on the device.
In the end I bought the Apricorn hard drive in 256-bit 1TB form for $250usd including taxes at B&H in NYC as I couldn't find the Lenovo one for sale other than online (but it would've matched my T420 laptops much better aesthetically). The hard drive came exactly as described and looks the same size as a normal portable USB-powered drive. The cable tucks tidily into the side and has nice big keys.
So far I've found the drive to be perfect. The interface is a little bit difficult as you need to have the manual next to you (reminds me of programming those old home alarm systems where you have to press buttons, wait for a LED to flash a different colour, then press something else)... but it works entirely on the device and isn't computer-dependent (i.e. it doesn't matter whether it's a Mac or a PC as long as the USB port can provide power). Once the code has been entered, the drive light turns from red to green and it becomes visible on the computer it is attached to. It also works on other devices as long as they are capable of reading any USB hard drive (unlike my above mentioned secure USB which would require the device to support the software interface for the user to type the password in).
I like the fact the drive offers both user and admin modes which enable you to set passwords for administrator access (to control other passwords), and user passwords in case you ever need to share the drive with someone but don't want to give them your admin password.
Other positives are the keypad is nice and easy to press, the simplicity of the device is great (compared to say Truecrypt) and it works on anything since it doesn't require software to be installed. There is also shock proofing of the drive which will apparently freeze/lift the heads off in the event of a drop as well as cushioning around the hard drive to protect the contents upon impact. The drive also came with a nice soft pouch and extra leads in case the single USB cord isn't sufficient to supply power and/or reach the hard drive.
Downside would be price (at $250 for 1TB, that's pretty darn expensive), the interface COULD be supplemented by a PC UI of some form but I guess this could expose it to risk of hacking or something, and there is no way to segment user access to certain folders/etc.
Given that I bought this for my sole use, and I'm not planning to share the password with people, I'm pretty happy with it. Works well with FBackup. As far as I can tell, there is no real noticeable slowdown in normal everyday use of the hard drive.
Product URL: http://www.apricorn.com/apricorn-padlock-256-bit-aes-encrypted-usb-drive.html
