Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I wanted a USB flash memory drive that had some form of encryption and password protection, and I wasn't willing to spend hundreds of dollars on an "enterprise" unit for business, so I bought this one about a month ago. I'd had a U3 enabled flash drive previously for this reason and HATED the U3 thing. After doing a lot of research, I picked this one. This unit has a very simple, almost primitive interface (on a virtual CD partition) called "USB Disk Pro" or "Lock" (as called in the materials that come with it) for locking and unlocking the contents of the rest of the drive, which when locked is presumably encrypted until it is accessed via password. Password can be up to 16 characters. You can also enter a 32 character "hint" for remembering the password. Upon entering the correct password, you can change the password, or disable the password, though you still have to go through the software before accessing the rest of the drive.
Pros--
It seems secure, at least for a consumer-level product. If you don't enter a correct password in SIX attempts, it automatically formats (erases) the entire contents of the drive. I tested it myself and it does work that way. So no "brute force" attacks are possible. Manufacturer claims you could not access the encrypted data even if the drive was taken apart.
Once you have cleared entering the password, it seems very fast in data transfer, at least compared to my old USB drive.
Seemed like a VERY good value for the money (mine is the 8 GB one).
I think it's attractive if you care about that kind of thing.
Cons--
As another reviewer noted, it does indeed take some time for the darn thing to load up with the password protection interface, and then to get you into your data after you've entered your password.
Mechanically, the slider mechanism seems flimsy, though I've had no problems yet. I'd be reluctant to slide it many many times a day.
There is a TINY opening on the back edge of the drive that would NOT be appropriate for using on a key-ring. It's too small and probably would be easily broken. It is ONLY well-suited for a very fine woven lanyard cord, like the one that came with my old USB drive, so I will post a photo to show this, since I think others would want to know before they buy. They DID NOT include any kind of lanyard or any other accessories.
This isn't really the product's fault, but I wish the program that locks the unit allowed the user to put personal information such as an email or phone number that would be visible upon plugging in the device. This way, if it was lost, the owner might get it back while still keeping the data within secure.OVERALL, I'm very pleased with this drive and would readily purchase another despite a few down-sides.
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EMTEC S450 Secure Slider 16 GB High Capacity High Speed USB Flash Drive with AES EKMMD16GS450AES (Black and Chrome)EMTEC S450 USB Flash Drives are specifically designed for the security-conscious user. The tamper-proof AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) hardware ensures full security and integrity of all stored information. The user-friendly LOCK application program reinforces the built-in security by requiring user authentication via password. The streamlined design has a black rubber coated finish with a metallic chrome accent that offers a professional look and feel. The S450 employs a handy sliding mechanism to eliminate the risk of cap loss. EMTEC's S450 AES Flash Drives are available with storage capacities ranging from 4GB to 64GB and are compatible with major operating systems including Windows 7, Vista, XP, and 2000 SP3/SP4.
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