GoKawiilFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
Losing a laptop is inconvenient, but usually the worst that happens is some finger-pointing and a bit of awkward explaining. Losing an unencrypted USB drive containing client data can trigger a breach notification under HIPAA or GDPR, even if nobody ever plugs it in.
And that's why I recommend hardware-encrypted storage drives. They don't stop you from losing the drive, but they do make the data on it worthless.
Also: Why I still recommend Synology's DS225+ NAS - even if it can't replace your cloud storage
Apricorn is a manufacturer of encrypted storage drives that I've been reviewing -- and using personally -- for years, including the 3NX, the 3Z, and other Aegis keys. Last week, it released a 4TB version of its Aegis Secure Key 3, the highest-capacity hardware-encrypted USB drive of its kind.
And this isn't some bulky thing that sits on your desk. No, this is a quantum-resistant hardware-encrypted flash drive that you can slip into your pocket.
What is 'quantum-resistant hardware encryption'?
Modern encryption has moved well ahead of letter substitution codes. Imagine a combination lock, but rather than three wheels with 0 to 9 on them, as you have on a locker or toolshed offering 1,000 possibilities, this has roughly the same number of possibilities as atoms in the universe (a mind-bogglingly massive number: a 1 followed by 77 zeros).
These are not numbers anyone will be able to guess at -- or brute-force -- even with a powerful computer at their disposal.
Also: I ditched Google Drive for my own self-hosted storage - and I wish I'd done it sooner
... continue reading