By @SimonCocking review of the DiskAshur 2TB by iStorage. One of their iStorage range, an ultra-secure PIN authenticated hardware encrypted HDDs/SSD/USB drives. Available here to buy.
Specifications :
- USB 3.1 Portable Encrypted Hard Drive
- Capacities up to 5TB*
- FIPS PUB 197 validated
- AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption – no software required
- OS & Platform independent
- Employs EDGE* Technology
- Available in 4 colours-Phantom Black, Ocean Blue, Fiery Red & Racing Green
We got the black version to review, obviously the colour is irrelevant, but the red one would have been kinda funky. No matter it does a lot of things well, and some areas could perhaps be tweaked. Before you even get to the encryption protection, it comes in / with a physical case that is already a big improvement on any of the other external hard drives we have already. All of those are in bags, which offer zero protection against knocks, falls or bangs. The case it comes with, padded on the inside, and a hardened outer casing is already a big improvement on what you usually get with other products in this field.
After a couple of goes the security pin element works well. It is a fair observation on some other reviews that it might be useful to get a visual verification that you have input the correct sequence of numbers. It was certainly a little nerve wracking the first time as we were unsure if we had keyed it in right. It also didn’t work on one of our older laptops too. However once we got it installed it now seems to be working fine, and securely, which is of course what you want. One more minor quibble, or serious constraint is the fact that the USB cable itself is very short, less than 3 inches. This is not great as you find yourself perching the drive awkwardly right next to the USB port as you are space restricted. With so much that is good about this device it would have perhaps been helpful to have a little more slack when it comes to deciding how you want to connect it to your device.
Overall however it is a smart piece of equipment, it feels great in your hand, and the toughened casing makes you feel that it is both secure in terms of it’s security pin, and also in terms of it’s overall robustness. We are finding it is a useful accessory to have and would recommend it.
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