USB
flash drives are ideal for transporting large quantities of data, but
they have a knack for getting lost. Luckily, several new models are
designed to protect data. Here are a few.
The CryptoStick
by CryptoBuddy ($180 for 1GB) uses the secure Blowfish algorithm to
encrypt files. A utility for caching your Web browsing history on the
CryptoStick prevents others from checking the hard drive to see what
sites you've visited--useful when you surf on PCs you don't own. The
company says that its encryption software can also compress some data
by a factor of three, freeing up precious memory-key space, but your
real-world compression results will vary depending on the content you
encrypt. A free file-decryption tool on CryptoBuddy's Web site lets you
send encrypted files to people who don't own a CryptoStick. Physically,
this drive is the sturdiest model I've seen, but its relatively high
price might put some people off.
Kanguru has two offerings with impressive capabilities: the Micro Drive AES ($130 for 1GB) and Bio Drive
($220 for 1GB). The oval Micro Drive AES (for Advanced Encryption
Standard, a tough form of encryption) can scramble data on the drive
and secure your PC. To lock down the system, just remove the drive from
the USB port. The rectangular, pricey Bio Drive, which includes a
biometric fingerprint reader, resembles a pocket voice recorder; a
copper-colored finger-scanner hides beneath a removable black plastic
lip. When biometric protection is enabled, the drive encrypts the data
and then hides the data partition until you log in with a fingerprint.
SanDisk's Cruzer Profile Biometric
($102 for 1GB) offers the best value in this group: It encrypts data
and has a fingerprint reader that provides biometric security for that
data and for Windows. Using a text password or your fingerprint as the
key, you can encrypt individual files or the entire storage area. You
can also use your fingerprint instead of a typed password to log in to
Windows. The Cruzer Profile Biometric's memory chip and USB connector
are built into one half of the device; the fingerprint reader is built
into the other half. A thick, shielded cable attached to each half
connects the two, even when you pull them apart to expose the USB
connector and the scanner. While making the unit more compact, this
slightly increases the risk of mechanical failure. But if the
fingerprint reader becomes detached, you can still use the text
password to access your data.
