Apricorn: Funny Name, Solid Hard Drives
Everyone ends up carrying data around with them one way or another, whether via optical media like CDs or DVDs, or portable USB drives. But generally, the information is insecure- wide open to someone borrowing, stealing, or simply accidentally pulling open your files. Individual files or directories can be protected in various ways, but most of them are insecure, inconvenient, or both.
Apricorn aims to fix that at the hardware level, by using real-time AES encryption. This way, even if the drive is removed from the hard drive enclosure, the data is still safe- with either 128-bit or 256-bit encryption. Of course, you’ll be using the drive via USB, and what’s most important are things like compatibility (Mac, Linux, or PCs are all supported) and software (nothing to install means it’s easy to use and setup).
We’ve been testing the Apricorn Aegis Padlock 500 GB hard drive for a while, and like that it is surprisingly lightweight, especially considering the durability of the drive and case. There are internal shock-dampeners that offer a decent level of protection, we dropped it a few feet when the drive was off to no ill effect. We also liked the large buttons on the surface of the drive that made it truly unique- the keypad serves as the unlocking method, allowing you to setup a unique PIN code to secure your data. One of the coolest features is that up to ten different keys can be set up, with ten accounts and ten sets of protected files.
Like all good portable USB drives, this one is USB-powered from a single cable- no extra cords or power blocks needed. The hard disk runs at 5400 RPM, and transfer speeds weren’t as fast as with other drives that we’ve tried, but this isn’t a drive sold on speed but on security. We weren’t completely convinced by the security of the keypad (fingerprint residue and all), but Apricorn also makes a biometric version with a fingerprint scanner that costs a bit more. We didn’t love the super-short USB cable, though it is pretty common on drives and it did clip nicely to the side of the drive when not in use.
At $160, this top-end drive is quite reasonable considering the security features, on-the-fly encryption, and high-quality build. Various models are also available, including different sizes and encryption level, and run from $100 on up. They also make a neat solid state version that we haven’t tried, as well as the aforementioned biometric model. For that price, the feature is almost worth it for the cool factor alone- everyone who sees the drive asks about it, and probably assumes rightly that we are secret agents. Available online from Amazon and Apricorn directly, and in some stores.
