In the same article (scroll down to find it), I also presented the results of my performance testing of four USB devices, including the 4GB IronKey Secure Flash Drive. In my tests, the IronKey was not very fast. In a March 2008 secure USB drive comparison review in Computerworld, the same model IronKey (although, about six months newer than the evaluation unit that I tested), turned in excellent performance.

The Computerworld review tested a much slower Lexar device than the one I’ve recommended. It didn’t compare the JumpDrive Lightning, which has decent software-encryption security. Instead it compared the results of Lexar’s JumpDrive Secure II, a model I rejected because it was much slower and I didn’t believe the security it added was critical to my needs. As the Computerworld article states, “The Lexar JumpDrive Secure II offers three ways to protect data, but two of its methods [are] so awkward that the reviewer found them to be being more trouble than they were worth.”

Back to the IronKey, the in-depth Computerworld secure USB drives comparison review summarized that product with these words:

The IronKey’s numerous security features — hardware-based encrytion, random password generator, two-factor authentication, secure Web browsing, and self-destruct mechanism — along with its longer-life, single-level cell NAND memory, put it over the top as the highest quality, most secure drive of the bunch.

My own assessment matches precisely that of Computerworld’s expert reviewers. The IronKey is the most secure and most conveniently secure product I’ve ever tested. While it’s not inexpensive, and it only works with Windows XP and Vista, this product is the best product for enterprises seeking to equip employees with a highly secure USB drive. For more details on the IronKey, please see Computerworld’s IronKey review.

So, I love the IronKey for pure security. In particular, I recommend this device to IT managers who are concerned about exposure of data when USB memory sticks are lost by employees — despite how expensive the IronKey is. But the stick I use and continue to recommend above all others is the Lexar JumpDrive Lightning.

Shame on both me and Lexar, though, because I looked at the Lightning’s product pages for multi-platform security support before I tested and selected Corsair’s Flash Padlock. In fact, I looked at all the major USB drive products for the ability to support Windows, Mac, and Linux, and also provide security across all three platforms. Very few offer that flexibility (in fact, the Flash Padlock is the only one I’m aware of that does all three OSes).

Initially, I crossed the Lexar off the list because its JumpDrive Lightning product page lists only Windows XP and Vista support; nowhere does it say it supports the Mac. It wasn’t until I went back to Lexar a second time that I learned that the Lightning does support the Mac (though not Linux). I had to resort to contacting the company’s live chat tech support to get that information. I never did receive a response to my inquiry through Lexar’s public relations. Mind you, I’m not beating myself up too much about this, since Lexar’s support area doesn’t list any downloadable software for the JumpDrive Lightning. The software is apparently available only on the USB stick itself, or behind closed doors somewhere on the Lexar website, once you’ve registered your purchased product. It’s almost like Lexar is intentionally hiding the Mac support.

That is, though, the sum total of my criticism about the Lexar JumpDrive Lightning. The product is ideal for my purpose: casual but effective security for a user-selectable portion of the disk, fast performance, and enough GBs you won’t be pressed all the time for storage space. At about $75 including delivery, this drive costs a bit more than some others, but it makes up for that with its smart design (including built-in keychain loop), the ability to store its cap on the other end when its in use (so you don’t lose the cap), and incredible performance.

The JumpDrive Lightning’s superior performance is noticeable in everyday operation compared with some of its competition. To quantify the difference, I set up a collection of 13,500 files displacing 1GB. I timed the process of copying that set of files from my testbed Windows XP PC to each of four USB drives in turn: the Lexar 4GB JumpDrive Lightning, the Corsair 2GB Flash Padlock, the IronKey 4GB Secure Flash Drive, and the Kingston 4GB Data Traveler Secure. The Lexar and Kingston devices were speedy, while the Corsair and IronKey USB drives were markedly slower:

You’ll be hearing more about the IronKey from me in the near future. This product may not be that fast, but it’s an incredibly cool device with serious security. It’s the best USB drive I’ve seen for security-conscious enterprises. So don’t cross that one off your list. Currently, though, it supports only Windows XP and Vista, so it’s not ideal for me.

The Kingston product is interesting because it’s nearly as fast as the Lexar product and has similar security. Like most USB devices, Windows, Mac, and Linux can mount them. But the Kingston device offers encryption security software only for Windows. So you won’t be able to access the encrypted space from Mac or Linux.

With it’s multiplatform security support, it’s fast data-transfer rates, and smart design, the Lexar 4GB JumpDrive Lightning is ideal for my needs. It’s clearly a Scot’s Newsletter Top Product! And it’s knocking the Corsair Flash Padlock off that perch.

I still like the thinking behind the Flash Padlock, but there are a couple of issues with it. Thanks to SNB (Scot’s Newsletter Blog) reader Jonathan March for writing with his concerns about it, which prompted me to go back to Corsair for more answers.

What I found is that the evaluation unit Corsair sent me came in shrink-wrapped retail packaging that contained incorrect information. The Flash Padlock comes with a small battery (commonly available in drug stores) that allows the device to lock or unlock when it’s not connected to your computer. The instructions accompanying my review unit gave step-by-step instructions about how to remove and replace the battery. I assumed that they were correct. But it turns out that Corsair has decided that too many people might damage the USB stick when they attempt to replace the battery, so the company has determined that the battery is not user replaceable. Notice, this is all marketing. The device has a case screw that allows you to split the case and access the inner parts. Of course, that compromises the security of the USB drive, since Corsair isn’t using any encryption and someone could just lift out the memory and mount it separately from the padlock.

For the way I want to use this device, for personal storage carrying stuff back and forth from work, this isn’t a big deal. I’d prefer something that disables the memory if the case is split, but for me that’s not a requirement. However, IT managers have already begun evaluating this device on my say-so, and I should have been explicit in saying that I don’t consider this to be secure enough for many widespread enterprise applications.

The battery issue is annoying. If the battery fails, you can still unlock the Flash Padlock while it’s connected to your computer (although, from personal experience, that’s an awkward maneuver). Theoretically, you can send the unit back to have the battery replaced if the unit is still under warranty. There seems to be some confusion about whether Corsair is offering a two- or three-year warranty. A specific Corsair support forum thread (worth reading if you own this device) says two years, but the review materials I have say three years. Corsair estimates that the battery will last three to five years. So maybe this is a moot point. As Jonathan March implied in his message to me, by the time the battery dies, this unit will be obsolete anyway. Still, I don’t like the fact that the life of this product is determined by a battery that, at least theorectically, isn’t replaceable.

Apparently, Corsair is planning to add software encryption to a future version of the Flash Padlock. For my money, though, what’s the point? What I wanted was a no-fuss USB drive that’s easy to lock and unlock.

Make It Lexar Instead?
Since I wrote the Corsair review, I’ve learned that even though Lexar’s JumpDrive product pages only mention Windows XP and Vista support, the products in fact come with both Windows and Mac versions of the Secure II encryption software. (Unfortunately, no direct Linux support though). I purchased the 4GB JumpDrive Lightning for $75, and I’ve been testing it for the past week or so. The encrypted Vault can be created with one OS and accessed by another. And while the Lightning isn’t cheap, it’s well named. This is the fastest USB drive I’ve ever tested. And I’m already finding that to be a bigger advantage than I’d expected.

I’ll offer a full review of the JumpDrive Lightning in the near future.

The Iron Man of USB Drives?
Several readers also wrote to suggest that I check out the IronKey USB drive, which contains a cryptography chip and also claims 20Mbps write times, in the neigborhood of the JumpDrive Lightning. The company claims that its device is tamper-proof, water-proof, and even has a self-destruct feature (after 10 attempted password entries). The only drawbacks that I can see with this device (without having tested it yet) are that it doesn’t support the Mac or Linux yet, and the 4GB unit costs $149 (1GB is $79 and 2GB is $109) direct from its maker.

A 4GB IronKey just arrived and I’ll be putting this thing through its paces and letting you know about it. Enterprise IT managers might want to look this over too.

Post comments or send email if you have input on any of these devices, or want to suggest others that you think the fast and conveniently secure criteria I’ve set up for this evaluation.

I’ve been searching for a USB stick with large storage that I can use as my everyday portable storage. I require this device to have security protection. USB sticks are too easy to lose, and I might have sensitive personal or corporate data on it from time to time. I don’t want to worry about prying eyes should the darn thing fall out of my pocket.

For the past few years I’ve been using a highly portable 5GB Seagate USB 2.0 Pocket Hard Drive, which contains a 1-inch mini-drive.

It works with Macs and PCs, but unfortunately the built-in security is software-based, and it requires Windows to run. While almost every USB storage device works on the Mac, most of them are using Windows-based software — not hardware — to encrypt or lock up your data.

So when a press release arrived from Corsair about a self-locking USB stick with a built-in numeric keypad called Flash Padlock, I had to check it out.

The Flash Padlock currently comes in 1GB and 2GB sizes at the list price of $29.99 and $39.99, respectively. I’d love to get one that was at least 4GB and preferably 8GB. I sometimes move large sets of software or images around. The business of software reviews is data-intensive. But 2GB handles most of my needs.

Flash Padlock contains a small, user-replaceable lithium battery that allows the five-button numeric keypad to work even when the USB stick is unconnected to your computer. In fact, you set your combination, change it, lock the device, and unlock it — all while the stick is removed from your computer. This makes total sense; doing anything else would endanger your USB port and also be awkward. The black case offers five number buttons and a Key button (think of it as Enter). There are also two LEDs that light up the Locked and Unlocked icons. The Flash Padlock is about 33% thicker than the average USB stick. The added heft accommodates the battery and keypad, and is well worth the advantage the hardware security brings.

The user interface for the Flash Padlock is very well thought out. Once you set your up to 10-digit combination, the device locks automatically 15 seconds after it is removed from your computer. If you try to reinsert it five minutes later, you’ll see the red Locked icon display. To unlock it, you remove the device from your computer, press the Key button, enter the combination, re-press the Key button, and the green Unlocked icon will flash. Then you can insert it into your computer. If you don’t insert it within 15 seconds, it will lock again. So long as the device remains in your computer, it will remain unlocked.

The specs for the Flash Padlock include a 30MB/sec. read speed, 7.8MB/sec. write speed, USB 2.0 and 1.1 support, and support for Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. The Flash Padlock’s read speed is about as good as it gets, but the write speed is only average. If write performance is your goal, check out the Lexar JumpDrive Lightning as a starting point. It offers sustained write speeds up to 21MB/sec. For my purposes, a faster write speed would be a nice-to-have, not a have-to-have. Plus, in real-world tests, the Flash Padlock’s write speed bested that of my Seagate 5GB Pocket Drive. Still, I look forward to the day when flash storage makers realize that buyers of premium USB sticks want the whole enchilada, not just speed OR security OR readouts OR durability.

The downsides to the Flash Padlock are few. The stick is a little thicker than the average USB stick, as mentioned. The rest of the dimensions are typical of enterprise-oriented USB sticks. I don’t consider the extra size to be a serious drawback, although the device lacks curbside appeal as a result. The stick comes with a removable cap that is sure to be lost sooner or later. The biggest shortcoming is that Corsair isn’t offering a larger-capacity version of the Flash Padlock.

I asked Corsair via email whether it planned to offer a larger-capacity version of the Flash Padlock. Corsair vice president of marketing, Jack H. Peterson, responded through the company’s PR agency by writing:

“Possibly. The issue is that if the user loses [his or her] PIN, the drive becomes ‘useless’ and might as well be thrown away. Like the locks from your school days, if you forgot the combo, you just threw it away — but then again, such a lock was not that expensive. We are assessing the mindset of a user throwing away a $60+ item.”

I think I can speak for a large portion of Corsair’s prospective customers when I say: We don’t care give us more GBs now! In my very first test of Flash Padlock, I got the error message telling me there wasn’t enough storage space to accommodate the files I wanted to transfer to the lockable USB stick. Besides, Corsair has a solid way to protect you from forgetting your Flash Padlock password. The company website provides a page where you can register your PIN and retrieve it later if you forget it:

It’s also possible to disable the password protection. In fact, the device is shipped with the locking feature disabled; you enable it by setting your password. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a USB securing device that has a back door. I like that I can lock myself out if I’m dumb enough to forget my password. The Web-based storage of my password means that even if I forget the password when I travel with the Flash Padlock, I can still retrieve my password — without keeping the password written down on paper.

Overall Assessment
The Flash Padlock’s hardware-based security is a definite advantage over the software security offered by most other USB flash drive makers. No secure USB stick is truly secure, but I’d place my money on the hardware-based security over software solutions. Plus, this method also enables support for Linux and the Mac. The locking mechanism is also very well thought out and easy to use. My retail-packaged evaluation unit came with two sets of directions, and the Corsair website offers online tech support (although the brand new Flash Padlock wasn’t yet listed among the products at press time). Corsair offers a three-year warranty.

Bottom line? I’m hanging up the Seagate Pocket Drive and making the Corsair Flash Padlock my daily-driver portable storage device. Kudos to Corsair for thinking outside the box to take USB security in a new direction. I may just have to get two of these until Corsair comes out with a 4GB version of the Flash Padlock.