But what immediately separates the Padlock Pro from the pack, however, is its data-securing features. Even if some hardcore data thief manages to physically remove the hard drive from the Padlock Pro’s shell, Apricorn still has your files protected with 256-bit AES encryption, the same kind approved by the U.S. government.

Aside from the built-in encryption, the drive’s main security feature is a button panel that lets you protect your data with a password. When you plug in the Padlock Pro for the first time, you can immediately set up your own administrative PIN number, which can be any simple code of at least six digits. In addition to your main PIN, the Padlock Pro can also support up to 10 unique user passwords, which is great if you want to share the drive among friends or co-workers. Moreover, you can edit your user password without admin privileges on the fly, so you thankfully won’t have to worry about everyone remembering two sets of PIN numbers.

As a final failsafe, the Padlock Pro also has protection against brute force attacks as a last resort for securing your data. Most people have likely seen this in Hollywood movies—hackers who input every possible code to find the single working PIN number. Luckily, the Padlock Pro has to be power cycled after every six failed attempts, and after the 50th, a manual reset is required for continued use of the keypad. After the 100th attempt, the hard drive will lock permanently, and nothing but reformatting the drive will activate it again. Long story short, if you ever lose your Padlock Pro, your data is most likely never going to be unearthed by any unsavory characters.

Read entire Macworld review