Apricorn has releaser their Aegis Vault portable storage suite. What strikes most is the very name of the product and the manufacturer has managed to make a somehow redundant statement in terms of security when joining Aegis (the Greek equivalent for protection) and the Vault. In some respects, there is no overstatement, since the portable storage system features AES-128 bit hardware encryption with password protection. This way, the data stays secure even when the drive is removed from its enclosure and tampered with.

The 2.5-inch drive is dedicated to mobile users and is powered via the USB bus, which adds a plus of portability, since there is no need to carry a secondary adapter. This is where the encryption system proves its efficiency, since a portable hard drive is subject to misplacing, losing or even theft. You bet you would like your confidential data to be inaccessible. The Vault’s encrypted partition is accessible only after the authentication password has been entered correctly. The drive can be configured to support multiple data partitions with public access.

There is no need for the user to install additional software or drivers in order to access the private partitions. It only takes a Windows based machine and, of course, the hard drive. This feature qualifies the drive for government and executive sector usage, as well as any other business that involves data security.

“We’re pleased to extend the Aegis family with this extremely portable, secure, cost effective storage solution”, explains Mike McCandless, Apricorn’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Compatible with Windows PCs, the Aegis Vault’s sleek, slim, self-powered design makes it the perfect traveling companion while providing the ultimate in flexibility and security. The Aegis Vault gives our users the option of storing sensitive files in the encrypted partition of the drive and creating public partitions for sharing personal flies like photos, music or video documents.”

The Vault external storage solution comes bundled with a robust 16-point omni-directional shock mounting as well as a solid USB cable, especially designed for prolonged usage. The storage solution comes in 80GB, 120GB, 160GB and 250GB capacities and makes for an ideal way of supplementing system storage should you ever run short of space.

The Aegis Vault features robust 16-point omni-directional shock mounting,so you could probably juggle this baby without harming your data (though I am not advocating that you do that). It comes in 80GB, 120GB, 160GB and 250GB sizes, and comes with a three year warranty. Prices range from $139 to $269.