Best secure drives 2021: top USB drives to protect your data

These USB sticks and external drives have additional protection, usually thanks to either software or hardware encryption (or best of all, a ... 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Keepyourimportantfilesasprotectedaspossiblewiththebestsecuredrivesonthispage.TheseUSBsticksandexternaldriveshaveadditionalprotection,usuallythankstoeithersoftwareorhardwareencryption(orbestofall,acombinationofboth),whichmeansiftheyarelostorstolen,thedatastoredwithinthemcannotbeaccessed.ThisisvitallyimportantifyouuseexternalharddrivesorUSBflashdrivesforstoringandtransportingprivatedata,especiallyifitconcernsyouremployeesorclients.BlackFridaydeals:seeallthebestearlyoffersrighthere.Ifyoudostorethatkindofdata,thenthebestsecuredrivesareanessentialpurchase,offeringyoufargreatersecurityandprotectionthanstandardUSBstorageorexternaldrives. Thebestsecuredrivesyou'llfindonthispageareessentialdevicesforanyonewho'slookingforexternalstoragethatwillkeepconfidentialandimportantfilescompletelysecure.Takealookatourpicks.BackupyoursecuredrivewiththiscloudstoragesolutionTechRadarExclusiveBackupyoursecuredrivewiththiscloudstoragesolution IDrive,thecloudstorageveteran,deliverstonsofstorageonlineforanincrediblysmalloutlay. 5TBfor$3.98 forthefirstyearisunmatchedtillnowandsoisthesupportforunlimiteddevicesandtheextensivefileversioningsystemavailable.ViewDeal(Imagecredit:DesireAthow)1.KingstonIronkeyD300SPremiumsecuritythatcomesata(very)steepprice.SpecificationsStorage:4GB,8GB,16GB,32GB,64GB,128GBInterface:USB3.1TODAY'SBESTDEALSViewatAmazonViewatAmazonViewatWalmartSeeallprices(9found)Reasonstobuy+Verysturdydesign+WaterproofReasonstoavoid-ShockinglyexpensiveTheD300SwasannouncedbyKingstonandisanupdatedversionoftheD300,launchedin2016,withthesuffixSstandingforSerialised.ItappearstobeastandardUSBdrive,butwithamorerobustdesign.However,it'sthepricethatreallystandsout.ThereisareasonwhytheD300ScarriessuchapremiumaccordingtoKingston.Thedriveusescustomhardwareforencryption(FIPS140-2Level3256-bit)anddecryptionwhicheliminatesvulnerabilitiesassociatedwithanyprocessdoneonthehostsystem.Thatchipandtherestofthehardwareissealedinatamperevidentepoxymaterialthathardenedwhenitdried.It'salsowaterproofupto120cm,andcansurviveknocksanddropsaswell2.diskAshurPro500GBAnPIN-protectedwaytomakesureyourdatastayssecure.SpecificationsStorage:Upto2TBInterface:USB3.0TODAY'SBESTDEALSPrimeViewatAmazonPrimeViewatAmazonViewatWalmartReasonstobuy+Highlevelsofsecurity+Powerfulencryptionprotection+Hard-wearingdesign, butlightandportable+WorksacrossmultipleoperatingsystemsReasonstoavoid-Highpricetag-SomeavailabilityissuesdiskAshur'sproductsaresomeofthebestsecuredrivesonthemarket,andthediskAshurProisthecompany'sbestexternalharddriveyet.ThekeysellingpointofthediskAshurProisitsphysicalkeypadthatwillonlygrantaccesstothedatastoredwithinuponenteringaPINnumber.Asidesfromthephysicalsecurity(whichextendstoIP56wateranddustresistanceandevenaself-destructfeature),thediskAshurProalsocomeswithsomeenviableencryption,sportingXTS-AES256-bitreal-timefulldiskhardwareencryptionandEDGEtechnologytoofferevenmorelevelsofsafety.(Imagecredit:DesireAthow)3.AegisSecureKey3NXsecuredriveEnhancedencrypteddataatamuchlowerprice.SpecificationsStorage:8GB,16GB,32GB,64GB,128GBInterface:USB3.0TODAY'SBESTDEALSPrimeViewatAmazonPrimeViewatAmazonViewatWalmartSeeallprices(9found)Reasonstobuy+Veryaffordable+Military-gradeprotection+ExtensivewarrantyReasonstoavoid-SmallsizecouldmakeiteasytomisplaceIfyouneedtohavesmallamountsofsensitivedatabeingcarriedaround,thenthe3NXcouldwellbealifesaver.Itbringsadvanceddataprotectionfeaturestoamainstreammarketthankstoitsattractivelowprice($59forthe2GB/4GBmodel)and$189forthe128GBone.Whatyoudogetissomemilitarygrade,enterprise-levelfeatureslikeFIPS140-2level3,realtimehardware-basedencryption,aplatform-agnosticsetupandaruggedextrudedaluminumenclosure.Thedataisencryptedusinganonboard10-digitkeypadandispoweredbyanonboardbattery.4.AegisSecureKey3ZAsuper-toughUSBstorageoptionforeverythingyouholddear.SpecificationsStorage:8GB,16GB,32GB,64GB,128GBInterface:USB3.1TODAY'SBESTDEALSPrimeViewatAmazonPrimeViewatAmazonViewatWalmartSeeallprices(8found)Reasonstobuy+Supersecure+Hard-wearingdesign+Simpleset-upanduseReasonstoavoid-HighpricetagTheultra-ruggedAegisSecureKey3Zisdesignedtokeepthedatasafeforpeoplewhoregularlyworkoutdoorsorontheroad,witharubberexterior,whichisIP58protectiveagainstdustandwater,safeguardsaruggedaluminiumbuildinsideandout,meaningthatthereisnoeasywaytobreakintothisdevice.Meanwhile,italsofeaturesaphysicalkeypadforkeepingyourdatasafeandsecure.It'spricey,butwellworththeinvestment.5.ApricornAegisSecureKeyUSB3.0480GBflashdriveAnexcellentalternativetoothersecuresolutionsonthemarketSpecificationsStorage:480GBInterface:USB3.0TODAY'SBESTDEALSPrimeViewatAmazonViewatWalmartViewatDellSeeallprices(14found)207Amazoncustomerreviews☆☆☆☆☆Reasonstobuy+Massivecapacity+Exceptionalvalueformoney(forasecuredrive)Reasonstoavoid-Initialinstallationcanbecumbersome-BigsobecarefulwithUSBportsTheApricornAegisSecureKeycomeswithafull10-keyalphanumerickeypadwithtwofunctionkeysplusthreestatuslights.Itthenslotsintoahardenedepoxy-pottedruggedaluminumenclosurewhichmakesitdustandwaterproof;thedeviceisalsocertifiedIP-58andat46gand93mmlong.Italsofeaturesbuilt-inhardwareencryption(256-bitAES)whichmeansthatitistotallyindependentfromthehostclientandOS-agnostic.NokeyloggersandnoBadUSBvulnerability.TheAegisSecureKeyhasreceivedaFIPS140-2level3accreditationfromNIST,theUS-basedNationalInstituteofStandardsandTechnology,whichoverseesUSgovernmentITandcomputersecurity,whichmeansthisisoneofthemostsecuredrivesyoucanbuy.6.KingstonIronkeyD300ThebestsecuredriveforthoselookingforaffordablepeaceofmindSpecificationsStorage:8GBInterface:USB3.0TODAY'SBESTDEALSViewatAmazonViewatWalmartViewatAmazon5Amazoncustomerreviews☆☆☆☆☆Reasonstobuy+Durable+ComeswithAES-256encryptionReasonstoavoid-ExpensiveonaperGBbasis-Can’tbeusedoutoftheboxTheKingstonIronkeyD300(IKD300/8GB)comeswithsoftwaresecuritythatcanmakeitabitcomplicatedandconfusingtobeginwith(itwillinitiallyshowuponyourPCasaCDdrivewith14.4MBcapacity),butonceyou'veconfiguredit,whichincludessettingapassword,you'llhaveaverysecuredrive.Withitscapon,itiswaterproof(upto4ft)anddustproofandat51g,feelssolid.Moreimportantlythough,themorecompellingprotectionhappensinsidethedeviceitself.ItisaFIPS140-2Level3certifieddevicewith256-bitAEShardwareencryption.ThereisahardwarecryptographicmoduleinsidethedeviceitselfwhichmeansthattheencryptionanddecryptionisdoneonthedriveratherthanonthehostPC,withdigitallysignedfirmwarewhichmakestheD300immunetothenotoriousBadUSBexploit.BestUSBflashdrives:memorysticksforallyourdatastorageneedsRoundupoftoday'sbestdealsKingston-IKD300SM/4GB-MF...KingstonIronkeyD300SAmazon$66.66ViewSeeallpricesiStoragediskAshurPRO2HDD...diskAshurPro500GBAmazon$167.80ViewSeeallpricesApricornAegisSecureKey3...AegisSecureKey3NXsecuredriveAmazon$55.46ViewSeeallpricesReducedPriceApricornAegisSecureKey3z...AegisSecureKey3ZWalmart$129$107.22ViewSeeallpricesApricorn480GBAegisSecure...ApricornAegisSecureKeyUSB3.0480GBAmazon$322.62ViewSeeallpricesKingstonIronKeyD300Managed...KingstonIronkeyD300Amazon$80.33ViewSeeallpricesWecheckover250millionproductseverydayforthebestpricespoweredby MattHanson SeniorComputingeditor Matt(Twitter)isTechRadar'sSeniorComputingeditor.HavingwrittenforanumberofpublicationssuchasPCPlus,PCFormat,T3andLinuxFormat,there'snoaspectoftechnologythatMattisn'tpassionateabout,especiallycomputingandPCgaming.Ifyou'reencounteringaproblemorneedsomeadvicewithyourPCorMac,drophimalineonTwitter. 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