Apricorn Aegis Secure Key 3z review: This USB thumbdrive is small, secure, and device-agnostic - colemanrefor1937

At a Glance

Expert's Military rating

Pros

• Keypad allows you to access data from any PC or device
• FIPS 140-2 cryptography
• Smallest computer keyboard-secured storage available
• $99 USB hub and software program allows configuration of capable 10 devices at a clip

Our Verdict

This small keypad-secure flash drive is FIPS 140-2 certified, and easy to economic consumption. It's also relatively affordable and can be designed en masse using Apricorn's 10-port USB Configurator for shops superficial to roll out users and PINs for fleets of the devices.

We were already fans of Apricorn's computer keyboard-sporting safe-deposit drives, especially the small Aegis Secure Key 3.0, which is only a little larger than your garden-variety USB thumbdrive. Now there's the Aegis Secure Samara 3z, which is the size of a standard thumbdrive—approximately 3.2 inches long, 0.75 inches wide, and 0.37 inches gelatinous. Okay, a slightly long thumbdrive.

Lacking the 3.0's keypad binding, the 3z looks like a 1/8-ordered series garage-door opener when you pull it out of your pocket, but so what? Exposing the computer keyboard lets everyone know they're not going to get the data off your drive, so don't bother. Happening the other hand, if you're really trying to fly under the radar, just keep information technology in your sack.

The 3z is FIPS-140 Level 3 certified for security, is pending IPS57 certification (Q2 2017) for dust and water supply resistance, and is kind of amusing to use.

Device agnostic

Formatted in FAT32 surgery exFAT, with the keypad obviating the need for lock/unlock software happening the Host device, you can use the Protection Secure Key 3z along anything that recognizes USB mass storage. Data processor, smartphone, Blu-ray player, industrial controller, car stereo, you name it; information technology should be able to read the unlocked 3z. Note that if you use only Windows PCs, formatting in NTFS, which is what we tested with, will give you better small-file cabinet write performance.

The 3z's computer keyboard is flyspeck, but quite a usable. Buttons call for a firm press, but zero that should concern some only the most fragile users. There are three status lights above the keypad to tell you whether the push is locked (red), ready for programming surgery unlocking (blue), or unlocked (green).

The curl and unlock function buttons domiciliate below the keypad. To enable the beat back and security, you press the unlock button summation 9, so enter a PIN, which must comprise of seven nonrepeating Book of Numbers. Repeat the process and you're good to go.

Apricorn

Crest off… cap on… cap off… crest on…

The 3z has a smallish rechargeable stamp battery on-display board so you can unlock the drive prior to inserting it into the USB port wine. Still if you someway let the battery drop dead, don't worry—you can unlock the drive while IT's being powered and recharged aside the USB port. Apricorn says the battery should finale about six old age under normal use. The unit is warrantied for three years including the battery.

Performance

The 3z proved a decent performer for an international USB thumbdrive, if you keep in idea that every last data is existence encrypted to the 256-bit AES XTS standard. Don't bribe a super-good drive if you wish scintillating performance—that's not the point.

Eastern Samoa SSD rated the beat back every bit reading at 136MBps and writing at 28MBps. Simply that drop a line number is the meagerly NAND performance as AS SSD issues the FUA (Force Unit Access) mastery in front testing. CrystalDiskMark was Thomas More starry-eyed, and probably realistic, rating the 3z for writing at more or less 107MBps. Our really-world 20GB unshared-charge write test took 4 proceedings, 31 seconds, or 71MBps, splitting the dispute. Writing 20GB worth of files and folders took 5 minutes, 41 seconds, surgery 59MBps.

PCWorld

This comparison isn't strictly impartial, merely information technology does show the relative public presentation against past USB options and the penalization AES 256-scra encoding imposes during writing.

The 20GB read test took 1 minute, 53 seconds, or 176MBps, and the 20GB file-and-folder read test took 3 minutes monotone, or 111MBps. It's not the Samsung T3, but the 3z is far much secure and easily scurrying enough for its intended purpose. Unless your classified data is in the imprint of 2160p television, don't sweat it.

One affair about the Secure Key 3z, and many secure drives, is that it runs very much warmer than a standard USB thumbdrive, as the encoding computer hardware uses a fair bit of juice. I experienced a strange, just about hot sensation when I pulled the drive out of the port after piece of writing a bunch of data. The heat is not treacherous to the drive away or your data atomic number 3 the brushed black-aluminum shell is the heat energy sink.

The Configurator

With an option titled the Configurator, you might think that Apricorn contracts Arnold Schwarzenegger to refer your home and provision your Secure Cay 3z. Sadly, that's not the case. But this10-porthole USB 3.0 hub and software package comfort the chore of treatment accounts and PINs for a fleet of Secure Key 3z's.

Apricorn

The software and surprisingly affordable USB Configurator hub allows IT departments to configure eight-fold Batten Keys at the same time.

Arsenic you bottom find out above, the ports connected the Configurator are all on top in by far the about roomy locating. The downriver port and power connecter are on one end, and the whole deal is successful of aluminum and is rather hefty. Despite that, IT's but $99, which sort of surprised US since joint-focused hardware tends to be a bit pricey.

Price and conclusion

For the security and cross-twist compatibility it delivers, the Secure Florida key 3z is a buy. It's non tawdry by other standards, mind you: $79 for the 8GB, $99 for the 16GB, $129 for the 32GB, and $159 for the 64GB. Just that's life in the safe-deposit-keypad lane. Obviously, the big capacities tender a get down damage-per-gigabyte ratio, but how much of your data really needs to be warranted?

While the 3z doesn't really improve on its 3.0 predecessor's capabilities, the 3z is smaller, about half the slant, and appreciably cheaper—around $20 less for similar capacities. But the 3.0 is available in capacities busy 480GB as opposed to the 3z's maximum of 64GB.

We enunciat economise some bucks with the 3z unless you call for the larger capacities. If you'ray worried about accidental key presses, don't be. The buttons are outlying also stiff for some but the most forceful contact, and flush if an accidental press occurs, the betting odds of septet correct presses in sequence are astronomical. Overall, IT's a nicely thought-out product.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/411828/apricorn-aegis-secure-key-3z-review-a-secure-device-agnostic-usb-thumbdrive-thats-just-the-right-si.html

Posted by: colemanrefor1937.blogspot.com

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