Cloud storage services are exceptional, but nothing beats the portable flash drives. These tiny gadgets are the real deal because of numerous reasons. With USB flash drives, transferring data becomes a breeze. It’s quick and easy, how we like in this modern age.
USB drives are one of the most remarkable innovations of the modern era. Although cloud services have taken over many organizational architectures, how do you handle things when you’re offline?
What’s an Encrypted USB
Let’s admit it – Many of us don’t know the full form of ‘USB,’ let alone worry about the security of the data we carry inside them. It’s understandable, too, because flash drive encryption isn’t all that common among average users.
However, you must have peace of mind about their personal and confidential data. Hence, this is the point where flash drives with encryption come into play.
Usually, an encrypted flash drive is a USB device that protects your drive’s contents and prevents data leakage. More importantly, they are as simple as any other USB drive. These drives are easily accessible, making sure that there are no compatibility issues with any computer.
The Best Encrypted USB Drives
You can find several unique encrypted drives in the market. This post will talk about some of the best flash drives encrypted, offering top-level security, durability, and value-for-money. This list will give you an idea of what to buy when it comes to encrypted drives.
Here are some of the top encrypted USBs for this year:
Apricorn Aegis Secure Key 3 NX Encrypted Flash Drive
This one features at the top of our list. It brings security literally to your fingertips, having the FIPS140-2 level validation with military-grade AES XTS encryption. It’s available in multiple capacities featuring an admin pin and much more.
The USV features AES XTS hardware encryption, which ensures high-quality data protection. With the onboard alphanumeric keyboard, you can easily set and enter a user pin with at least seven digits. The top feature in this USB is the independent user and admin PIN configuration. Therefore, it’s ideal for offices.
A rechargeable battery powers the security. It has a software free security design making it hard to crack. Moreover, it works with all major operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux.
You can reset the drive and destroy the information for both user and admin. It generates a new encryption key making your USB as good as new.
Pros
Cons
Lepin Flash Drive 256 Bit AES-CBC Encrypted USB Flash Drive
Lepin Flash Drive is a high-quality, advanced military-grade flash drive offering a range of capacities and data protection. It’s a USB for the corporate sector because of simple usage and top-quality 256 bit AES encryption and security algorithms. You can configure the USB to attain maximum protection for your most critical data.
The flash drive has software-free encryption, so it’s practically unbreakable. You can set a six to fifteen digit PIN to ensure privacy. It has cryptographic key management, which is quite innovative.
The idea of entering the PIN before connecting to the PC is quite different. However, Lepin USB works that way. It’s quite useful because no one can enter any PIN through the keyboard, so there is no chance of stealing it. There is a rechargeable battery inside that powers the security system.
Because of the top-notch security features, the USB is ideal for corporate offices and government services. You can also use it with independent and admin PINs. Moreover, it self-destroys in case the PIN is incorrect for ten consecutive times.
This unit has an automatic lock-on feature for extra peace of mind when you unplug the drive from the USB port of a computer or in the event of the USB port powering down. It can’t be left unlocked accidentally. The device will erase the key and encrypted data.
The USB comes in a sturdy Zinc-alloy shield, which is water and shock-resistant. If you don’t need a large capacity, it’s one of the best options for your home and office use.
Pros
Cons
Farsler Encrypted Pen Drive With Fingerprint
In terms of security and protection, it’s hard to beat fingerprint recognition. The Farsler Encrypted Drive features a fingerprint security feature that allows it to secure data quickly. It has a versatile capacity range too, which makes it an appealing product for most users.
In terms of speed, it has the USB 3.0 standard, so it’s incredibly fast. Moreover, it’s compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux Systems. Hence, it’s ideal for smaller files transfer.
The biometric verification process is quite fast. It has a particular folder that you can access through biometric verification only. Therefore, it’s partially encrypted but good enough for low-end applications. Moreover, its price range makes it a highly affordable USB.
Unlike other encrypted USBs, it doesn’t require any activation password. You can keep the essential files in the hidden folder that is accessible through fingerprint only.
The USB has a compact and sturdy housing, making it long-lasting and easily portable. Moreover, you can use it for office work and educational purposes as well.
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Integral Crypto Drive FIPS 197 Encrypted USB
Integral Crypto is a military-grade hardware-encrypted USB, featuring the FIPS 197 certification. It’s one of the perfect USB drives for low-storage applications with a maximum capacity of 32 GB. Also, it has a sturdy casing and top-quality encryption.
It has 256-bit AES hardware encryption, making it an unbreakable USB. You don’t need any software installation to encrypt the drive. Moreover, it uses the embedded unique ID, making it work without admin privileges.
You can set and rest an alphanumeric password of eight to sixteen digits. There is a password hint in case you forget the password. Also, you can edit the contact details without having to access the data in the drive.
Upon six failed attempts, it erases all the data from your drive. It’s un-hackable because it keeps the count of failed attempts, so you cant unplug in the hope of resetting the fail count.
In case the screen saver is activated, the drive goes into an auto-lock mode. Moreover, the flash drive locks automatically when removed from the PC.
There is a particular focus on the housing of this USB. It’s water-proof and can bear shocks so you can take it everywhere.
Pros
Cons
Forrader Encrypted USB Flash Drive
The Forrader Encrypted Flash Drive is a unique fingerprint based model. It has the best security features, mainly because of the biometric verification mechanism. This model comes at a highly affordable price, making it a competitor among other 140-2 level 3 encrypted flash drives.
This USB is ideal for academic and office work. It offers up to 64 GB storage space, allowing immediate access to data because of its fast fingerprint processing tools. You can add up to six fingerprints, so there is a back up if your finger gets damaged. Moreover, it also allows multiple users to access the USB, making it a useful office work item.
A public sector and a private sector lets you allocate capacity as per your convenience. Moreover, it has a 10 MB/sec reading speed, which isn’t the best but good enough for small files transfer.
The Forrader has a metal-coated structure. It keeps the USB from dust and abrasion. Moreover, it may not be the best-protected USB among the other USBs mentioned above, but it’s still a high-quality encrypted flash drive among the biometric devices.
Pros
Cons
Some More USBs to Lookout For
Here are some more of the best USBs you can go for:
San Disk Extreme Flash Drive
- FIPS 140 – 2 Level 3
- 16 GB to 64 GB capacity
- File encryption
- Password protection
Kanguru Solutions Defender Elite
- AES Encryption
- 4 GB to 128 GB Capacity
- Password protection and encryption
- FIPS 140-2 Level 2
What to Focus On While Buying an Encrypted USB
You must have observed some significant features in all of the mentioned USBs. Let’s summarize the key attributes in a USB that make them stand out:
Capacity
Capacity is the primary feature in any storage drive. If you want to store and secure more extensive data, say, in terabytes, you are better off with a hard drive. USB flash drives are ideal for data transfer rather than storage. Therefore, they don’t offer as much capacity as a hard drive, but they are convenient in portability and maintenance.
Protection
For an encrypted USB, protection is its main parameter. Typically, encrypted USB drives have password protection and fingerprint scanning.
Some of these USBs also feature the Apricorn Aegis Secure (AES) protection. The 256 bit AES is widely used in encryption. It comes with different standards. Moreover, other standards, such as the ECB, CBC, and XTS algorithms, are also available in different brands. Also, the best USBs generally have the FIPS 140 2 level encryption.
Data Transfer
USB 3.0 flash drives are best for transferring data at a considerable speed. Therefore, if you transfer data a lot, it’s a good idea to use the 3.0 because it takes less time and the transfer is reliable too.
Encrypted USBs – Are They Safe?
Encrypted USBs are suitable for numerous reasons. Firstly, they are much safer than regular USBs. Since the data encryption is not entirely based on the software, there is an added security element. Moreover, these flash drives load much quicker than regular USBs.
Most of these USBs feature Aegis secure FIPS 140-2 level 3 encryption, so they are pretty safe and secure. Moreover, there is an added advantage in USB 3.0 flash drives. They are much faster at file transfer.
Why Encryption Helps
Encryption is essential for numerous reasons. Data is often termed as the modern-age fuel. Therefore, if you accidentally lose your encrypted flash drive, you can still keep your information safe. Hence, the use of an encrypted flash drive will be helpful in many ways, such as:
Customer Info Protection
Customers are everything for businesses. If your customer information is leaked, there is a considerable risk of losing potential customers, let alone the existing ones. Therefore, companies prefer encrypted USBs to operate within their setups to ensure there is no data leakage. Otherwise, it can be fatal to an organization.
Total Privacy
Besides financial losses, you can also secure your data, such as family photos, contact numbers, etc. It’s critical because it can save you from any uninvited family trouble too. Moreover, your kids can keep their homework and educational data well-protected as well.
Sensitive Data Security
There are countless examples where organizations suffered huge losses due to data leakage. It’s one of the reasons why large organizations can spend almost anything to secure their private data.
In the case of budget constraints, companies prefer encrypted USBs because of added security. They are generally password-protected to provide an extra protective layer.
In a nutshell, encrypted flash drives can be more convenient as compared to un-encrypted ones. Hence, it’s better to spend a few more bucks than to risk your documents’ security.
Can You Unencrypt a USB?
Although encryption is excellent, at times, it can be a problem if you don’t have access to your files. It’s easy to forget passwords and lose file access. Therefore, there must be a method to decrypt a USB.
Decryption is the process of unlocking your files in the USB. For this purpose, many software tools can help in decrypting or restoring your files. However, many decryption processes include the formatting of a drive, in which case, you can lose essential data.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to create a data backup, especially for sensitive files, so that you can avoid such situations.
Conclusion
Now that you know the best options for an encryption flash drive, it should be much easier to choose the one that fits your needs. Also, this list isn’t exhaustive. Many other famous brands are offering the best USB flash drives.
We have mentioned the best-rated ones here. However, if you’re getting similar specifications in other known brands, it’s still quite a safe investment.
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