CRU DataPort 10 Secure Review

Keeping data on an external hard drive is all good except at the point the drive gets stolen. The thief only needs to hook up the drive to his laptop and copy all the data he wants. The CRU DataPort 10 Secure aims to tackle the problem of data theft by using hardware encryption on the drive.

By using hardware based encryption the process of encrypting data is invisible to users. AES 128 encryption is used that provides military grade encryption on all data stored on the external drive.

Included in the box is the unit it’s self along with a PSU, power-lead, USB cable, eSATA cable and three physical encryption keys of course along with all the manuals and a CD that you will need to configure the drive.

The three secure encryption keys take the place of PIN or password entry of the device. It allows up to three users to simply plug their key in to the front of the drive and if the encryption code is correct the data will be available to the connected computer.

Connecting up the drive is a very simple process with all you needing to do is insert a hard drive in to the enclosure, attach up the eSATA or USB cable, power and switch it on. Once connected the drive is automatically detected and drivers installed. If you inserted a formatted drive then you can go ahead and use the drive. If you need to format the drive then go to My Computer, Manage Computer and enable/format the drive in that menu to see the drive on your system.

An interesting feature of the CRU DataPort 10 Secure is that you can actually use it as an external or internal drive on your computer. If you want to use it externally then you use the external casing provided. If you want to use it internally then you need a 5.25 inch drive bay and either use rails provided with your computer, or use screws to secure the unit in place.

When accessing the drive you first need to insert the security key in to the unit. If you power up without the security key inserted the drive will not be able to be accessed. If that happens, switch the drive off, insert the key and switch it back on. If you use the drive internally then you’ll need to power off your computer to enable the encryption with the key.

Overall it’s an impressive and easy to use device. CRU warn that should you loose your encryption keys then it could take years to get the data back due to the AES 128-bit encryption used. They designed no back doors for this device, so keep your keys safe. If you are looking for security by hardware encryption then the CRU data port is an excellent option.

More details available at CRU-Dataport.

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