No in without a PIN!!!
It’s more important than ever to protect your valuable data and electronic personal information from hackers, scammers, prying eyes, and the loss of cherished family photos through an accidental mishap. The same is true for your terabytes of backup files, often stored on external hard drives, typically out of sight and out of mind. A smart, solid solution is the diskAshur Pro3 bootable external hard drive from U.K.-based iStorage Ltd.
This third-generation model is portable and rugged, featuring an anodized aluminum enclosure. It’s IP68-certified, making it both water- and dust-resistant.
More than simple hardware protection, it offers security from being hacked through vulnerabilities of the USB controller down to microprocessor attacks at the firmware level. Onboard data is encrypted through one of three selectable encryption modes, so the data is totally unreadable to anyone even if they gain access.
Access is protected by an 8-64 alphanumeric PIN, entered via the onboard backlit keypad, somewhat reminiscent of a traditional telephone dial pad. Instead of the usual asterisk (*) and pound (#) keys, there’s a shift (arrow-up) and unlock (open padlock) on the bottom left and right, respectively. The shift allows for added character choices beyond 0-9, making brute-force attacks nearly impossible.
The enclosure features three multifunction LED lights: red for locked or standby mode, green for unlocked, and blue for Admin mode. Since there’s no onboard display, feedback or status of a process, such as changing the admin password or configuring encryption, is indicated through a series of LED light patterns. The three LEDs can blink or remain solid in particular sequences, much like Morse code signaling or flashing light signaling to protect naval vessels. It’s a good idea to keep the manual handy to interpret the light signals unless you have a photographic memory. If you’re like me, the 40+ page PDF manual is quite comprehensive.
Without the PIN, you can’t get in
You’re required to set an initial PIN upon startup. This is different from many devices that use easily accessible factory default passwords.
For added security and better control, diskAshur Pro3, like all of iStorage’s secure drive products, can be configured with independent Admin and User PINs. In the event of an emergency or to perhaps you want to give someone temporary access, you can also generate a one-time PIN for recovery.
The drive can also be set to read-only (write-protect) mode to prevent changes and auto-lock when removed. These features are handy if the drive is shared among multiple users or departments or when sending data to a client. At home, it can be used for sharing photos and videos among family members, ensuring no one deletes or adds anything without permission or forgets to lock it when done.
In case of a brute-force attack, after 10 incorrect attempts at entering a User PIN, further access will be limited to the Admin. If the Admin PIN is also entered incorrectly 10 times, the drive self-destructs, and the data is lost. Similarly, if the drive is lost or stolen, you can force it to self-destruct by entering the Self-destruct PIN. Once engaged this action will delete all PINs and encryption keys. Hopefully you have a backup because at this point the data is lost rendering the drive useless.
Beyond the PIN, the drive is also physically tamperproof. The keypad is polymer-coated, making it wear-resistant, making it difficult to identify wear of frequently used keys. This is often used as a technique for hacked, and often seen on TV where access is gained by analyze wear and tear on the keypad. The internal components are also encased in ultra-tough epoxy resin, making it virtually impossible to disassemble and get access to drive components without destroying the drive completely.
Third Gen Improvements
For those familiar with iStorage’s previous generation model the diskAshur Pro2, you’ll be please to find out this latest iteration introduces some welcome enhancements. It still operates via USB bus power and doesn’t require an on/off switch, but the integrated USB-A cable is gone replaced by a USB-C port, which is more versatile.
The older cable design while convenient, – you never had to worry about losing or forgetting your cable was less practical for users with different USB-equipped devices – you needed to use an adapter. However, the bigger issue was if the connector got damaged or the USB cable failed, the drive was toast. Additionally, the newer SSD models are up to 25% faster, with read/write speeds of up to 450MB/s compared to 360MB/s previously. The PIN character limit has also increased from 15 to 64 giving you that many more options for PIN codes.
Despite its advanced features and the intricacies of deciphering the LED sequences without a display ( a display would also make the drive less tamperproof,) diskAshur Pro3 is easy to use. Ideal for family or non-tech admin with the added beauty that it doesn’t require any drivers or software installation. Plus. it’s compatible with almost any operating system and any device with a USB port.
While your initial investment may be significantly higher than for a typical hard drive, ask yourself what the monetary and non-monetary cost would be to you if your data fell into the wrong hands?
Impressive Bottom Line
The diskAshur Pro3 is the ideal solution that provides robust data protection and no doubt, peace of mind. It measures only 131mm long by 83mm wide and only 20.8mm deep. It comes with a quick-start guide, zippered carry case, both USB-C/USB-A and USB-C/USB-C cables, a three-year warranty and lifetime technical support. It also includes a free one-year license of Nero BackItUp and iStorage DriveSecurity which come in the form of activation codes.
The diskAshur Pro3 is available in capacities ranging from 512GB to 16TB, with prices starting at $515. You can find it at select retailers or through iStorage’s shop on Amazon.ca.
For those on a more limited budget, the (non-Pro) diskAshur3 is also available. It features a less robust ABS plastic housing than the Pro model and lacks the FIPS 140-3 LVL 3 (pending) certification for tamper-resistant identity-based authentication. Desktop models with HDD drives in lieu of SSD drivers are also available.
For additional details, check out iStorage at https://istorage-uk.com/product/diskashur-pro3/.
The syndicated edition of the article appears at Troy Media and 32 affiliated syndicated sites. Podcasts (where available) also appear at either Toastcaster.com or Toastmasters Podcast.com.
Greg Gazin, also known as the Gadget Guy and Gadget Greg, is a syndicated veteran tech columnist, communication, leadership and technology speaker, facilitator, blogger, podcaster and author. Reach him @gadgetgreg or at GadgetGuy.ca.
