We have outlined beneath our high picks among the many encrypted onerous drives we have examined. Learn on for our lab-tested favorites, adopted by details about the various kinds of safe and encrypted drives you would possibly encounter and their options.
And if you happen to’re planning on utilizing that drive for work functions, your drive might be required to have added safety. Many companies and authorities organizations mandate that the drives that they buy meet particular standards, together with a requirement that not simply the information but additionally the drive innards themselves be shielded from incursion.
It is really easy for the information on an unencrypted exterior onerous drive or SSD to fall into the improper fingers, both by theft or accident. I as soon as left a bag containing a number of unencrypted exterior drives on a subway automobile. That hasn’t come again to hang-out me, however different individuals in comparable conditions could not have been so fortunate. So to maintain your information protected, it’s best to at the very least contemplate an exterior drive that permits you to encrypt chosen information and retailer them in a “vault,” or perhaps even a drive geared up with a keypad or fingerprint scanner that gives full-disk encryption and a collection of additional security measures apart from.
Deeper Dive: Our High Examined Picks
SanDisk Excessive Moveable SSD V2 Finest Encrypted Exterior SSD for Most Customers 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It You possibly can clip the SanDisk Excessive Moveable SSD V2 to your backpack or belt through its carabiner loop and head out into the sphere with confidence. The 1.8-ounce drive boasts an IP55 ruggedness score, that means it’s dust- and water resistant (although you should not take it right into a sandstorm or go away it immersed in water for lengthy) and may survive a fall from 6.5 ft. The SSD carries a reassuring five-year guarantee, and it gives password safety and 256-bit AES {hardware} encryption, Plus, its USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 interface gives extra pace than you will want for many purposes. Who It is For The SanDisk Excessive Moveable SSD V2 is for customers and employees who do computing on the street or outside, and desire a drive that gives safety from each unhealthy actors and the weather. It is a moderately priced and fairly rugged high performer. PROS Stable pace in contrast with its friends
Stable pace in contrast with its friends IP55 water- and dust-resistance score
IP55 water- and dust-resistance score Competitively priced
Competitively priced 5-year guarantee CONS Unprotected USB Kind-C port
Unprotected USB Kind-C port Dongle-style adapter for USB Kind-A ports as a substitute of a second cable GET IT NOW $59.95 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra SanDisk Excessive Moveable SSD V2 Assessment
Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Protect A Stable Different to the SanDisk Excessive Moveable SSD V2 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It The Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Protect is a well-rounded exterior SSD with aggressive pace, AES hardware-based encryption, and a rugged exterior that protects your information from drops, mud, and rain. The T7 Protect is extra shockproof than the earlier T7 drives, and in contrast to them is rated for mud and water resistance. Its safety is not fairly as handy as that of the Editors’ Alternative-honored Samsung T7 Contact with fingerprint reader, nevertheless it ought to maintain your data protected, and it is better-protected than the Contact is. It is a sensible choice for vacationers and outside employees who desire a pocketable drive with good capability that may stand as much as the weather and will not trigger them to lose sleep if it is misplaced or stolen. Who It is For The Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Protect is a sturdy and safe alternative for outside employees and vacationers, if on the sluggish facet in comparison with non-rugged SSDs. If you happen to’re a homebody, there’s not a lot level in investing on this product. However if you happen to ever take your laptop computer on the street or into the wilderness, whether or not for enterprise or pleasure, you will admire having a drive just like the T7 Protect. It is going to maintain your information protected within the occasion of loss or theft, and supplies safety from the weather. PROS Gives safety from rain, mud, and drops
Gives safety from rain, mud, and drops AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption
AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption Affords the uncooked pace of a USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive
Affords the uncooked pace of a USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive Is available in capacities as much as 2TB CONS Comparatively brief three-year guarantee
Comparatively brief three-year guarantee Not the quickest exterior SSD for on a regular basis storage duties GET IT NOW $89.99 Finest Purchase (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Protect Assessment
iStorage DiskAshur M2 Finest Mainstream Keypad-Secured Exterior SSD 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It Fearful about your information falling into the improper fingers, or falling onto a rocky path or right into a puddle or pond? The iStorage DiskAshur M2 is compact for an ultra-secure SSD, and it’s constructed to outlive a half-hour tub in 1.5 meters of water or being run over by a 2.7-ton truck. Safety highlights embody FIPS 140-3 Degree 3 compliance, AES-XTS 256-bit hardware-based encryption, and the encasement of its drive mechanism in epoxy resin—any try and pry inside to get to the chips will end result of their destruction. It additionally has a built-in numeric keypad which means your information cannot be accessed with out the right person or administrator PIN. You possibly can configure the M2 as a read-only drive and create a self-destruct code that obliterates the information, encryption key, and all PINs eternally. Who It is For With such formidable safety, you would possibly anticipate the iStorage M2 to value a mint, nevertheless it’s moderately priced contemplating what it gives. Not solely is it rife with security measures, its ruggedness score of IP68 is as excessive as any drive we have now examined. If you happen to’re paranoid about your private or firm paperwork, put the DiskAshur beneath your pillow and sleep tight. You possibly can take it on a visit or hike with you and know that it’s going to survive something Mom Nature would possibly throw at it, and any try by others to entry your information ought to it’s misplaced or stolen. PROS AES-XTS 256-bit full-disk {hardware} encryption
AES-XTS 256-bit full-disk {hardware} encryption IP68 ruggedness score
IP68 ruggedness score Suitable with Home windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Android, and extra
Suitable with Home windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Android, and extra Helps an administrator PIN, plus separate person PINs
Helps an administrator PIN, plus separate person PINs No software program to put in
No software program to put in Aggressively priced for a security-focused SSD CONS Dearer per gigabyte than customary exterior SSDs
Dearer per gigabyte than customary exterior SSDs A lot slower switch charges than less-security-minded drives GET IT NOW $142.00 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra iStorage DiskAshur M2 Assessment
Apricorn Aegis Padlock SSD (2022) A Stable Different to the iStorage DiskAshur M2 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It A remake of a safe solid-state drive that Apricorn has bought since 2010, the 2022 iteration of the Apricorn Aegis Padlock brings enhanced safety capabilities, and it gives sooner pace, a decrease value per gigabyte, and better capability than the earlier mannequin. This tiny, rugged exterior SSD is out there in capacities as much as 4TB, and it’s validated to NIST FIPS 140-2 Degree 2 necessities—the cryptography customary required by the federal authorities for defense of delicate information. Who It is For The 2022 model of the Padlock we examined brings a basic, ultra-secure, keypad-accessible SSD updated. In order for you colossal capability (the Editors’ Alternative DiskAshur M2 maxes out at 2TB), or are prepared to pay a bit further for Apricorn’s repute and 35 years of reliability, the Aegis Padlock SSD is a first-class alternative. PROS AES-XTS 256-bit military-grade {hardware} encryption
AES-XTS 256-bit military-grade {hardware} encryption FIPS 140-2 Degree 2 validated
FIPS 140-2 Degree 2 validated Stable scores in most of our pace checks
Stable scores in most of our pace checks Obtainable in capacities as much as 4TB CONS On the expensive facet
On the expensive facet Very sluggish in our folder copy take a look at GET IT NOW $284.99 CDW (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra Apricorn Aegis Padlock SSD (2022) Assessment
DataLocker DL4 FE Finest Keypad-Secured Exterior SSD for Enterprises 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It The DataLocker DL4 FE exterior SSD has all of the security measures and certifications to fulfill rigorous company and governmental standards to ensure the safety of secret or delicate information. Merely put, no unauthorized individual will be capable to breach its encryption and different safeguards. If it had been to be misplaced or stolen, the drive will be remotely disabled and cleaned. As for defense from the weather, the DL4 FE has some ruggedness however general falls nicely wanting some rugged drives on the liquid-resistance entrance. Pace-wise, the DL4 FE is plodding, even in contrast with different security-centric drives. The DL4 FE will get excessive marks for its complete drive safety, and it’s an incredible alternative for organizations for which information safety is paramount. Who It is For The DataLocker DL4 FE meets the safety necessities of firms and governmental companies, and has the certifications to show it. It doesn’t come low cost, even for a security-centric SSD, so it’s largely for big-budget organizations. It’s particularly good for companies or establishments that want a number of safe drives, as it may be simply built-in into DataLocker’s SafeConsole fleet-management system. PROS 256-bit AES-XTS {hardware} encryption
256-bit AES-XTS {hardware} encryption Meets a number of key security-standard certifications
Meets a number of key security-standard certifications Contact pad randomizes keypad characters to thwart fingerprint tracing
Contact pad randomizes keypad characters to thwart fingerprint tracing May be remotely managed by way of DataLocker’s SafeConsole interface
May be remotely managed by way of DataLocker’s SafeConsole interface Native and distant self-destruct options CONS Dear in contrast with different security-centric drives
Dear in contrast with different security-centric drives Sluggish, even for a hyper-secure SATA drive
Sluggish, even for a hyper-secure SATA drive Restricted ruggedness options GET IT NOW $613.42 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra DataLocker DL4 FE Assessment
Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Contact Finest Fingerprint-Secured Exterior SSD 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It The Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Contact is a tiny, 2-ounce aluminum rectangle that plugs right into a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. (Samsung supplies each USB Kind-C and USB Kind-A cables so that you needn’t fuss with a dongle.) It combines fast efficiency with roomy storage. The T7 Contact protects your information in a manner few others can: with a built-in fingerprint reader that ensures your delicate information are on your eyes solely. Technically, fingerprints aren’t as safe as complicated passwords, however they’re much more handy, and you’ll’t neglect them. Who It is For If you happen to want plug-and-play entry to your paperwork on any close by PC, the T7 Contact is not for you—you will need to have Samsung’s Home windows, macOS, or Android software program put in to make use of the fingerprint reader. However if you happen to’re searching for a mixture of safety and pace, your company or private secrets and techniques are protected with this drive. PROS Constructed-in fingerprint reader and LED standing indicator.
Constructed-in fingerprint reader and LED standing indicator. Compact measurement.
Compact measurement. Quick efficiency.
Quick efficiency. Obtainable in capacities as much as 2TB.
Obtainable in capacities as much as 2TB. Three-year guarantee. CONS Comparatively costly.
Comparatively costly. Requires software program for fingerprint unlocking on a PC or Mac. GET IT NOW $133.56 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Contact Assessment
SanDisk Skilled G-Drive SSD Finest Encrypted, Rugged Exterior SSD for Macs 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It The SanDisk Skilled G-Drive SSD prices a bit greater than comparable exterior solid-state drives, nevertheless it has a compact, engaging design, plus stable pace and capability. It is crushproof and drop-proof, too, in addition to impervious to sand, mud, and water (apart from lengthy and deep immersion). Geared to Mac customers, it is preformatted in HFS+, requiring a reformat earlier than use with Home windows’ NTFS or exFAT. It contains each Mac and Home windows software program for 256-bit AES encryption. Who It is For It is dearer than a lot of our favourite USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSDs, however if you happen to’re a Mac person searching for a safe, rugged, and quick exterior drive, the SanDisk Skilled G-Drive SSD is a standout alternative. It’s additionally superb to be used with Home windows machines, although it requires a mildly difficult reformat. PROS Excessive (IP67) score for water and mud resistance
Excessive (IP67) score for water and mud resistance Crush- and drop-resistant
Crush- and drop-resistant Mac Time Machine backup-compatible
Mac Time Machine backup-compatible Contains each Mac and Home windows software program for 256-bit AES encryption
Contains each Mac and Home windows software program for 256-bit AES encryption Quick folder transfers
Quick folder transfers 5-year guarantee CONS A bit expensive for a USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD
A bit expensive for a USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD Have to be reformatted to work with a Home windows PC GET IT NOW $159.15 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra SanDisk Skilled G-Drive SSD Assessment
WD My Passport SSD (2020) Finest Encrypted Exterior SSD for Enterprise Vacationers 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It The 2020 iteration of the WD My Passport SSD is modern and classy, its anodized aluminum end—in your alternative of 4 colours—sporting a textured wave sample. Its learn and write speeds are greater than double these of the earlier My Passport SSD technology, in step with different 1TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSDs. Its pace, capability, and AES 256-bit {hardware} encryption make it an excellent match for both enterprise or on a regular basis media-shuffling use. Additionally interesting are its five-year guarantee and comparatively low worth. Who It is For Along with your alternative of 4 colours and a textured, anodized-aluminum body, the compact WD My Passport SSD 2020 is uncommonly good-looking as SSDs come, so it’s a sensible choice to indicate off to your folks and assist make a pleasant impression to purchasers. Its hardware-based encryption allows you to relaxation assured that your information is protected. And it doesn’t harm that it sells for an aggressively low value per gigabyte. PROS Beneficiant five-year guarantee
Beneficiant five-year guarantee Engaging design
Engaging design Compact and really gentle
Compact and really gentle Stable learn and write speeds
Stable learn and write speeds 256-bit AES {hardware} encryption CONS No exercise gentle
No exercise gentle Very brief USB-C cable, and tiny USB-C-to-A adapter GET IT NOW $79.99 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra WD My Passport SSD (2020) Assessment
iStorage DiskAshur DT2 Finest Encrypted Desktop Onerous Drive 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It With cavernous capability and a minuscule value per gigabyte in contrast with security-centric SSDs, the iStorage DiskAshur DT2—a desktop-style onerous drive—is a formidable answer for firms, establishments, and companies needing to maintain delicate information protected. With a slew of protecting options and boasting a formidable set of certifications, this PIN-authenticated exterior drive is straightforward for licensed customers to entry however impervious to makes an attempt by outsiders to interrupt in. As a desktop onerous drive, it’s not USB-powered however have to be plugged into its included AC adapter. As it should typically be utilized in an workplace or server room setting, it lacks any ruggedness options to talk of—the safety it gives is from human threats. Who It is For The DT2 is not slim or moveable like many exterior drives—in type, it’s a basic desktop spinning onerous drive. However it’s simple for licensed customers to unlock and entry utilizing its built-in keypad, and it has a slew of security measures and certifications to guarantee you it will maintain unhealthy guys out. If you might want to retailer and defend massive volumes of knowledge, this can be a nice alternative. PROS Immense capability
Immense capability Low value per gigabyte for a security-centric drive
Low value per gigabyte for a security-centric drive AES-XTS 256-bit full-disk {hardware} encryption
AES-XTS 256-bit full-disk {hardware} encryption FIPS 140-2 Degree 2/3, NCSC CPA, NLNCSA BSPA, and NATO Restricted certifications
FIPS 140-2 Degree 2/3, NCSC CPA, NLNCSA BSPA, and NATO Restricted certifications Straightforward for licensed customers to unlock CONS No protecting case or ruggedness options
No protecting case or ruggedness options Low rating in PCMark 10 benchmark for on a regular basis storage duties GET IT NOW $194.00 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra iStorage DiskAshur DT2 Assessment
WD My Passport (5TB) Finest Encrypted Moveable Onerous Drive 4.0 Wonderful Why We Picked It Barely rounded edges and ripples over a part of the floor give the My Passport onerous drive the look and tactile-friendly really feel of a client gadget. The ripples additionally assist maintain the drive from slipping out of your hand simply. Add a alternative of colours, a measurement that may slot in a shirt pocket, a variety of capacities from 1TB to 5TB, and easy-to-find reductions from record worth, and the WD My Passport is a transparent standout amongst high-capacity moveable onerous drives. It ships with apps for backup/restore, reformatting and checking drive well being, and supplies AES-256 {hardware} encryption with a password. Who It is For Except you want a ruggedized drive to face as much as tough remedy, the WD My Passport checks off all the fitting containers for an exterior moveable onerous drive. It’s competitively priced and is available in capacities as much as 5TB. Its built-in {hardware} encryption and bundled utilities improve its usability, and it does not harm that it seems to be good. PROS 5TB is peak moveable single-drive capability.
5TB is peak moveable single-drive capability. Small and lightweight.
Small and lightweight. AES-256 {hardware} encryption with password.
AES-256 {hardware} encryption with password. Ships with apps for backup/restore, reformatting and checking drive well being, and extra. CONS At record worth, the 5TB model has a better value per gigabyte than the 4TB model. GET IT NOW $109.90 Amazon (Opens in a brand new window) $144.99 Finest Purchase (Opens in a brand new window) $109.90 Walmart (Opens in a brand new window) Study Extra WD My Passport (5TB) Assessment
Shopping for Information: The Finest Safe SSDs and Onerous Drives for 2023
A Information to {Hardware}-Primarily based Encryption
Encryption is the method of taking readable textual content or information and encoding it utilizing a key—a random string of bits, generated by an encryption algorithm—in order that solely somebody in possession of the important thing can decrypt it. Most mainstream encrypted SSDs and onerous drives present what’s often called AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption, whereas most hyper-secure keypad-accessible drives make the most of XTS-AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption.
For good purpose, AES is taken into account the gold customary in drive encryption. Even the usual 256-bit AES encryption (which makes use of a 256-bit key) is basically uncrackable. It takes the information by way of a number of permutation rounds within the encryption course of. Utilizing brute-force strategies—say, a supercomputer making an attempt one key after one other in an effort to decrypt it—might take a median of many trillions of years(Opens in a brand new window) to interrupt it—far longer than the present age of the universe. That ought to provide you with an thought of how ironclad AES encryption is, at the very least within the face of a brute-force assault.
Encrypted mainstream exterior drives usually let customers create a password-protected vault into which they’ll drop information or folders to be encrypted (by AES or different strategies). And even when your drive lacks native encryption, there are numerous encryption utilities you’ll be able to set up to make your information unreadable (and, in lots of instances, invisible) to others.
Bodily Drive Safety: Keypads, Fingerprint Scanners, and Extra
You too can discover drives with a safe bodily layer. Keypad-equipped drives, for one, are platform-independent, require no software program to run, and may work with nearly any laptop so long as it has a USB port. When the drive is unattached to a pc, it’s locked and customarily secured with XTS-AES full-disk encryption. While you connect it and enter the password, you unlock the drive, and it operates as every other drive. (In most enterprise conditions, an administrator units some entry guidelines and creates an admin password for the drive, and a number of customers, every with their very own user-level password, can entry the drive.) While you disconnect it, it locks, and may solely be opened with the password. Such drives often additionally produce other safety measures along with encryption, which we’ll focus on beneath.
(Credit score: Zlata Ivleva)
Whereas some drives have press-button keypads, some are digital pads, responding to both a finger or stylus. With digital keypads, usually the letters are scrambled every time you plug the drive in. This prevents an intruder from guessing the password from fingerprints left on the pad or by trying over your shoulder at your keystrokes.
A draw back of full-disk encryption is that it may possibly sluggish a drive’s efficiency considerably in contrast with an equal non-encrypted drive. These hyper-secure SSDs and onerous drives, chock-full of protecting options, additionally are inclined to value much more per gigabyte than non-encrypted or consumer-level encrypted drives. For a lot of customers, the safety and peace of thoughts that such drives present is nicely value the additional value, and hyper-secure storage options are required by many organizations in each the private and non-private sectors.
(Credit score: Zlata Ivleva)
Past conventional password and keypad safety, at the very least one drive maker has turned to biometrics. The Samsung Moveable SSD T7 Contact has a built-in fingerprint reader. From the included software program, you’ll be able to set the drive to open on the contact of the fitting fingerprint.
FIPS and Mates: Safety Options Past Encryption
A lot of the marketplace for hyper-secure keypad-enabled drives is made up of the army, authorities companies, organizations, and firms that are inclined to have exacting standards on the subject of the safety of the merchandise they’re permitted to buy. Primarily, this implies compliance with the Federal Info Processing Requirements (FIPS), laptop safety and cryptography requirements issued by the Nationwide Institute of Requirements and Know-how (NIST).
SSD makers usually tout their keypad SSDs as assembly both the FIPS 140 Degree 2 or 3 requirements. The FIPS 140 customary covers the complete “cryptographic module”—encompassing the drive’s full set of {hardware}, software program, and firmware that implements accepted safety features like cryptographic algorithms and key technology. A key side of FIPS 140 Degree 3 is the safety of the module from bodily assaults or tampering, by strategies reminiscent of embedding it in epoxy. If the drive mechanism is breached, the chips can be broken within the course of, successfully destroying each the drive and the information it holds.
(Credit score: Molly Flores)
Additionally, you will hear of drives being FIPS 197-compliant. FIPS 197 covers solely the encryption, and is at the moment higher identified by the identify of the algorithm that FIPS Publication 197(Opens in a brand new window) launched: Superior Encryption Customary, or AES. So a FIPS 197-compliant drive is solely one which makes use of AES hardware-based encryption.
One other function that drive-makers tout and purchasers covet is the inclusion of a Frequent Standards EAL5+ (hardware-certified) safe microprocessor. Such a tool, by way of a mixture of true random quantity technology and built-in cryptography, additional protects in opposition to drive tampering.
Conserving Your Information Excessive and Dry: Safety From the Components
Whereas safe and encrypted drives can defend your information from falling into the fingers of thieves, rip-off artists, and different unhealthy actors, rugged drives present safety from the weather (mud, sand, and water) in addition to from tumbles or different accidents. A very good proportion of safe drives are additionally ruggedized; we consider encryption and ruggedization as two sides of the identical coin. We’ve got a separate roundup of rugged drives on the previous hyperlink.
Whether or not drive ruggedness is essential relies upon completely in your use case. If you happen to seldom take your exterior drive exterior of your private home or workplace, it might not be a precedence. However if you happen to’ll be utilizing it, say on an oil rig or in a wilderness video shoot, you will need some protection in opposition to water, sand, or soil moving into the drive.
(Credit score: Molly Flores)
Sand-fast and water-fast drives often carry a two-number ingress safety (IP) score. The primary quantity, starting from 0 (no safety) to six (full safety) charges the drive’s imperviousness to mud and particulate matter. The second quantity charges safety from water ingress, with 8 indicating that the drive can survive being immersed in a couple of meter of water. Some drives are additionally drop-proof (impervious to falls), shockproof, or crush-proof (in a position to survive being run over by, say, a two-ton truck). The producer’s description of a drive will specify an IP score and different protections it gives. If no IP score or different score data is given, you’ll be able to safely assume that the drive isn’t designed to be rugged.
So, Which Safe Drive Ought to I Purchase?
Whether or not you need to encrypt a folder for private or enterprise information in your moveable SSD, otherwise you’re tasked with requisitioning hyper-secure drives for the NSA, you will discover many choices to select from. On the minimal, the entire merchandise right here function AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption. Some go no farther than encryption, whereas others add keypad or fingerprint entry and a number of different protecting options. Though it is not strictly a safety function, many encrypted drives are additionally rugged, shielding the bodily drive from storms, tumbles, or mishaps within the wild or on the manufacturing facility flooring. For extra on safeguarding your information, try our guides to the most effective backup software program and the most effective safety suites.
