Mar 30, 2011

Flash Security

A few weeks ago I lost my flash drive.  Somewhere between using it at the computer lab and trying to use it at home it magically vanished.  I looked in lost and found and anywhere I used a computer before and did not find it.  

This got me thinking about the information I had on it and whether anything was sensitive.  Lucky for me whoever found/stole it would only get a bunch of boring papers of me trying to describe some chemical process and why the model doesn’t work (they never do).

If unlike me you keep sensitive info on your flash drive you should consider getting something high tech with lots of security.   Lucky for you I have the solution.  

The Defender F200 is a new flash drive by imation that incorporates a fingerprint scanner right on the flash drive.  The flash drive encrypts your data with 256 bit AES encryption, the same used by the CIA and many other government agencies to keep your data secure.    

It amazes me how small the entire device is considering the fingerprint scanner hardware and built in authentication.  This shows how mainstream fingerprint scanners are becoming now available on your flash drive.

This flash drive is amazing including being completely water proof.  So if you do happen to lose this flash drive you won’t be worrying about your data on it, you will be worrying about the $300 you sank on a flash drive. 

-Carlos

3 comments:

  1. That's pretty cool. I wouldn't imagine ever needing to get this exact model, unless I end up working for a government institute, where they seriously care about information security. I worked at NIST over the summer, and I had a ton of training concerning just that issue. If I worked there, and I needed to get one, I could ask to be compensated for it, which would definitely make the flash drive worth it for me (apart from it then being government property).

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  2. I'm surprised it's that cheap, actually. Have you read any reviews on how well they work?

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  3. @Benito El Jefe:
    Most government companies wont allow you to bring in flash drives, even mp3 players.

    However, this would be a good method to keep personal records on: SSN, financial records, etc. I think it's pretty nifty!

    @Carlos:
    If you lost it on campus, see if public safety has it. I know the the library turns over stuff in lost & found to public safety if we have had it awhile.

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