Apricorn

What a nifty, brilliant device! That's my first reaction when I opened up the nonretail packaging that Apricorn sent it in. On the outside it is rather nondescript but when you pull the cover off it looks like a mini Fort Knox with three LEDs, 10 buttons for inputting your pin number and a slightly larger button with a key symbol on it. Is this the most secure USB key? Well, let's put in the default pin to get started and let's find out.

When you need to transport highly sensitive data, sending it in email or over the Internet may not be such a great idea. Transporting a physical drive holding the encrypted data significantly reduces points of possible exposure. Even so, a determined hacker could attack the decryption software, possibly compromising the data. The fully self-contained Aegis Secure Key ($65 direct) uses an onboard PIN pad rather than relying on software. That $65 price gets you a 4GB unit; 8GB and 16GB devices can be had for $95 and $125 respectively.

Since no software is needed, you can use the drive with any USB-capable device, regardless of the operating system. Windows, Mac OS, Linux—even a proprietary device with a proprietary operating system would be fine as long as it supports USB.

Button-based Configuration

In many ways Aegis Secure Key resembles LOK-IT Secure Flash Drive ($76.25 direct, 4 stars). That's only natural, as both license some basic technology from the same source. Both work with any USB-capable operating system, both use an onboard PIN pad for access, both destroy the stored data after ten bad guesses, and so on. However, there are some significant differences.

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Apricorn's upgrade kit lets you use SATA 3.0 hard drives and SSDs in an older PC.

Read entire product review at Computerworld

If you're contemplating the cost of a new Windows-based computer to catch up with SATA 3.0 hard drives, you might be able to get away with just a $49 investment rather than a complete PC overhaul. Apricorn's Velocity Solo upgrade kit gives you access to SATA 3.0 hard drives and SSDs -- all you need is an x1 PCIe 2.0 slot -- and a SATA 3.0 drive, of course.