Security in a Flash: datAshur Pro

DatAshur ProIf security wasn't our foremost concern before 2016, Yahoo gave us all a billion reasons this year to be concerned.

While cybersecurity at the data centers of enterprises may be the front line of the battle for security, most small businesses instead fight a guerilla war. Insecure mobile devices, employee indiscretion, and "insider threat" are a formidable trio of security threats facing every small and medium size company.

On top of that, security gurus advise us to expect an increase of criminal attacks, as organized crime shifts to harvest from smaller, less protected data orchards.

And did we mention the upcoming GDPR standard to come into effect into 2018 for anyone with EU data?

That's why we chose to test the datAshur Pro. This PIN authenticated, hardware-encrypted USB 3.0 flash drive lets you keep important data safe. The model we tested came with 64GB (but the range starts at 8GB). You use it straight out of the box. And whether you use it or lose it-- your data is safe either way.

The drive features the military grade XTS-AES 256-bit hardware encryption, a read-only (write protect) feature, a user configurable time-out lock and brute force hack detection (after 10 unsuccessful attempts entering the PIN). Built-in is a rechargeable battery allowing the user to enter a 7-15 digit PIN via the keypad before connecting the drive to a USB port. All data transferred to the datAshur Pro is encrypted in real-rime by that built-in military hardware we already mentioned.

iSroarge DatAshur

It is OS and platform independent which makes it suitable for mobile workers and their huddle rooms. It’s also good for use with those new Chrome Books or thin clients that even we are using for some jobs these days. When needed, the datAshur Pro incorporates a boot delay feature which means users can boot any operating system from the drive.

It has a rugged extruded aluminum sleeve (dust and water resistant to IP57 rating). While it is crush resistant, we have "a crush' on the serious design with true blue sleeve and black keypads (with white lettering). It has a reassuring look--this is a tool that gives you belief that using it will protect you.

The US government program (FIPS) for data security certified the dataAshur Pro for FIPS 140-2 Level 3 accreditation. That's a benchmark for government security organizations around the world.

While we would argue this should be a Mobile Product of the Year for all small-medium business, specific verticals have even greater need. Government departments, defense contractors, educational institutions, local/central government, energy & utility companies, banking & financial services, medical institutions, insurance and multi-national organizations (MNOs) should be packing the datAshur Pro in the pockets of any employee moving data physically.

Go datAshur Pro, by iStorage