Using encrypted hardware can have a massive impact on your ability to protect data, whether it’s stored at your headquarters, in a remote office, or traveling to and from either. Of course, when it comes to storage drives, there are a few key considerations you should make before you decide to make the purchase. Let’s look at the top 3.
Storage Capacity
Perhaps the most important aspect of an encrypted drive, or any hard drive for that matter, is the storage capacity. First, consider how much space you’re likely to need. For backing up the average desktop or laptop, or for creating a safe place to store data, most users might get by with a terabyte. However, if you’re updating remote or large equipment such as MRI machines and so on, you may wish for a much larger capacity. Think carefully about how much capacity you need because it’s often wise to purchase more than you need since storage space always fills up much faster than you might think.
Transfer Speeds
Transfer speed also plays quite an important role in determining if a drive is good enough for you. Usually, a speed of about 100 MBps to 200 MBps is standard in the market. The data transfer rate of a secure drive depends upon the model and the interface that is incorporated. Note, however, that certain kinds of drives may have slightly slower transfer speeds in order to account for higher levels of security. Users should never skimp on security in favor of more speed, less they put their data at risk of falling in the wrong hands.
Disk Encryption
Not all drives are the same and these days some of the most sophisticated are built with hardware based encryption. For instance, DataLocker’s line of secure drives provide military grade, AES 256-bit encryption right out of the box. Many organizations are adopting an encrypted drive for the following reasons:
- Full-disk encryption is a process by which access to your data becomes much harder.
- Disk encryption is known to keep company devices secure, while also making the data accessible to the right people.
- Full-disk encryption for portable USB drives ensures that even if a device is lost or stolen, data won’t get in the wrong hands.
Conclusion
While encrypted USB drives aren’t always the least expensive, there’s no doubt that investing in more security is wise. With data constantly on the move between offices, home offices, and everywhere in between, it’s more important than ever to choose drives that offer a higher level of security. If you’re seeking encrypted drives for your organization, take a look at DataLocker’s line of encrypted drives and sign up for a custom demo.