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Need a super-secure way to transport data? Check out the Apricorn Aegis Padlock SSD

Need a high-security portable SSD that is dust and water-resistant and can take a battering? Read on.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor

Carrying around unsecured data on flash drives is a bad idea.

One mistake on your part -- or on the part of the weakest link in your organization -- and that data can be in the hands of anyone.

If that data is sensitive, then you're going to have some serious headaches, along with the potential for legal troubles and fines.

Must read: Apple broke the bad news to iPhone fans

Far better to have that data properly secured and encrypted when it's on a physical device, and as a tool that makes that as simple as possible is the Apricorn Aegis Padlock SSD.

This SSD drive is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand or slip into a pocket and comes in capacities ranging from 240GB to a whopping 4TB. Having this range of options is great because it means that you can buy the capacity you need, and no more, which saves money.

The drive itself is rugged and reliable. The aluminum enclosure complete with the wear-resistant keypad is rated to IP66 dirt, and dust resistant is crushproof to 6,500 lbs, shock and vibration resistant, unaffected by high humidity, and works in extreme temperatures from -40°F to 158°F (-40°C to 70°C).

It's a rugged drive. While on first blush, it might seem like the membrane keyboard is a weak point, having been using these drives for years, I've found them to be very reliable.

From a security point of view, the Aegis Padlock SSD conforms to FIPS 140-2 hardware data protection and features real-time hardware AES-XTS 256-bit encryption. No host software is required on any device to run access the data so that this drive can run on pretty much any system.

In addition to PIN codes for access, you can add an admin PIN, PINs for read-only access, and even a self-destruct PIN. It also features built-in hardware brute-force protection for added security.

Another great feature is that this drive is 100% bus-powered, so there are no power supplies to carry and no internal batteries to keep charged up. The drive also features a rugged built-in USB-A cable.

This drive is also no performance slouch and is capable of reading and write speeds up to 350MB.

Apricorn Aegis Padlock SSD FIPS 140-2 Level 2 validated ruggedized encrypted portable drive

On top of all that, you get a three-year warranty.

Prices start at $177.

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