Amacom launches high security portable storage device

18 January 2005 16:29 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Amacom has launched a new range of high security portable hard drives with up to 192 Bit hardware encryption plus two ‘Secure Keys' to eliminate the need to remember complicated passwords.

The Encryp2disk will encrypt and decrypt the entire volume of a hard drive including boot sector, temp files, swap files and the operating system with real time performance and is totally transparent. As it encrypts everything with no speed degradation, there is no possibility that any data or credentials can be left unprotected on the hard drive and there is no need to establish an ‘encrypted folder'.

In addition to the insurmountable protection offered by the hardware encryption, Encryp2disk is supplied with two ‘Secure Keys' that contain and protect the encrypted password required to access the drive and its contents. Without inserting the correct Secure Key into the port on the drive, both the Encryp2disk and its data are invisible to the Operating System.

Encryp2disks are available in two types enabling users to choose a model that best suits their individual or business needs. The 2.5” drive with a capacity of up to 100GB is both smaller and more lightweight and is an ideal portable solution. The larger 3.5” drive offers a maximum capacity of up to 400GB and whilst slightly larger comes with a vertical stand to fit on the smallest of desks.

A hardware engine integrated into the Encryp2disk uses the encrypted password stored on the ‘Secure Keys' as the basis for the algorithm that is used to encrypt and decrypt the data stored on the Encryp2disk's hard disk drive. For example, a 40 Bit DES encryption level has a key length of 2 to the power of 40. This means that there are a total of 1,099,511,627,776 possible combinations for the encrypted password. An increase of 1 Bit in the key length (2 to the power of 41) doubles the total number of possible combinations to 2,199,023,255,552 and so on up to a maximum of 2 to the power of 168.

As the trend increases for individuals to use portable hard drives for storing sensitive and confidential data and save precious space on a PC, so too does the need for ensuring that the data is secure. The result of losing such devices and information, should they fall into the wrong hands, could prove to be disastrous.

Prices start at £112 (ex VAT) for 40GB 2.5" USB2 with 40 Bit H/W encryption.

Full tags

Hardware, Storage, Amacom