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Secure encrypted drives of the past were pricier, like the WiebeTech ToughTech Secure Q (2TB at 18 cents per GB), while current consumer drives with high-end features like Thunderbolt 2 may drive the price even higher, as seen on the LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 (1TB at $1.29 per GB). On the whole, that's not very expensive, but it is more expensive that non-encrypted consumer-grade drives, like the Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive (5TB) ($229.99 at Amazon) (Opens in a new window) (5 cents per GB). Our review unit was a 4TB hard drive for $409, which works out to about 10 cents per gigabyte. Since the epoxy layer is virtually impossible to remove without destroying the components within, there's no way for a hacker to physically attack the drive's components. One more layer inside defends the drive from physical attacks, with an epoxy compound coating the encryption chip and drive circuitry. Inside the aluminum enclosure is an encrypted 3.5-inch hard drive. Read Our LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 Review The keypad is wear-resistant, to prevent telltale patterns of rubbed-off numbers.
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The keypad is used to unlock the drive with a 7- to 16-digit lock code, allowing you to protect and access the encrypted drive without needing to enter in a password via PC, thus preventing password capture through use of a keylogger. This integrated keypad is quite similar to that seen on the Lenovo ThinkPad USB 3.0 Secure Hard Drive, but without the Lenovo's pocket-sized portability. The most prominent feature is a 10-digit keypad, with three indicator lights: a red locked padlock, a green unlocked padlock, and a blue "A." These indicate whether the drive is in Standby mode (locked), User mode (unlocked), or Admin mode, respectively. If you need to take your data protection to the next level, the Aegis Padlock DT ($328.86 at Amazon) (Opens in a new window) is our top pick, and the Editors' Choice for secure hard drives.Īs straightforward as it gets. Enter the Apricorn Aegis Padlock DT FIPS ($409, 4TB), a desktop-class external hard drive boasting full-disk hardware-based encryption and several layers of security against all manner of attacks. Data theft is big business, and if you're in a line of work that involves sensitive information-insurance companies, medical service providers, and anyone storing credit card data all come to mind-protecting your customer information is vital. Speedy performance and flashy designs may play well when it comes to consumer-grade storage, but if you're in a business that deals with sensitive customer data, security is your top concern. Bulky desktop design requires AC adapter for power.
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