New USD Thumb Drive Data Storage Devices / Hardware-Core \ PC Hardware Information

NEW USB THUMB DRIVE DATA STORAGE DEVICES, FASTER AND BIGGER, BUT MORE SECURE? By Bharat Bista.

Today, there are so many companies making USB thumb drives, many of these devices are faster, bigger and more compact, but are they a safe means to hold your companies important data?

Secure USB Thumb Drives

Flash memory manufacturer Corsair says it has solved the problem of non secured flash drives by forcing you to enter a unique PIN code to enter their USB thumb drive and access your data. It's a great idea but will it really help?

This "Flash Padlock" USB thumb drive protects file records and data with a unique PIN that you enter on the built in touchpad on the actual USB flash drive shell. You then enter the device into your USB plug on your laptop or desktop and the device operates as extra external memory. Corsair said the device is much more resistant to brute force attacks or keystroke loggers.

You see keystroke loggers record any keystroke you make on your keyboard. In other words, when you type in your password on your keyboard to unlock a secured USB thumb drive, and if a hacker has gotten a program of theirs on your device it would record your password as you type them (all of them). Every so often these keyloger programs send these simple text files via a build in e-mail program to their own e-mail inbox. This is bad!

The new Corsair device would ask that you type in your password before you plug your storage device into your computer USB flash drive port (USB port). So in essence the keylogger hacker programs would never have a chance to record your computers keystrokes and there would be no way for them to access your data.

"Featuring auto-lock hardware security, Flash Padlock is the best way to secure your data while on the go. It prevents any unauthorized access or "Brute Force" attacks to the data on the Flash Padlock. Users can program in a PIN, much like they do for an ATM machine, to lock/unlock their data. An easy to use keypad in conjunction with lock/unlock indicator lights makes the Flash Padlock easy to use. The Flash Padlock is fully plug-and-play, and requires no software or drivers to work properly."

The Flash Padlock will auto lock after 15 seconds if removed from the computer. This ensures your data stays locked-up, if you forget to lock the device this thing does it by itself (I love things that make sense). The Flash Padlock USB storage device will work with Linux, Mac OS X and Windows based computers.

At the moment the Flash Padlock is available in 1GB and 2GB capacities starting from $29.99. For more information on this specific device visit this URL:

http://www.corsair.com/products/padlock.aspx

As we are on the topic of Corsair let's continue. Are you a flash survivor, corsair thinks it is. "Corsair Introduces Flash Survivor -- Extremely Rugged USB 2.0 Flash Drive"

Rugged USB Thumb Drives

As the owner of eProvided, a digital image recovery company which also specializes in advanced USB data recovery, we know a good idea when we see one. What this all comes down to is feedback from users that have purchased this device. If we do not see these devices come in to our labs then there is a good chance either no-one is buying them or they are not having issues of damage. The most common type of USB memory stick damage is when the USB port is broken or breaks off from the USB drive itself.

A common cause of USB thumb drive damage is from users plugging these devices into their laptop or ground based desktops and bumping the device while it is plugged in. This causes the part of the USB thumb drive that plugs into the USB slot on their computer to break off. Most of these breaks are very serious as the internal circuits and parts inside the USB thumb drive are permanently damaged. "USB Device Not Recognized" error messages may appear after such an incident.

You may also have a windows error message such as "USB Unknown Device". This is a sign that your device has suffered serious damage to the circuitry. At this point you will need a data recovery company to assist you. Consumers need to buy devices that are more rugged and are made by larger names in the storage industry. Flash Survivor™ is an exceptionally tough, water resistant, drop-tested flash USB memory stick storage device.

A design made ideally for transporting valuable data such as personal files, jpeg images and personal applications without having to be bothered by the chance for damage or loss of data due to various natural elements.

So use your noggin and buy strong devices and keep the contact information of those who may be able to help you in case of data loss on USB thumb drives.

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