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Data, whether of the personal or more general type, is a valued commodity.  It should be protected from unauthorised access especially when being transported between various locations for whatever reason.  Over the past 25 years or so, iStorage has been providing devices aimed at delivering both portability and protection to our valuable data in such situations.  Recently the company has added a new batch of devices providing this type of service in the form of DISKASHUR 3, DISKASHUR PRO³ and DISKASHUR DT³ models.  I have been given the opportunity to check out a DISKASHUR 3 unit.

My review DISKASHUR 3 is a 2TB SSD model which is decked out in red with black and white accoutrements.  The unit has dimensions of 131 x 83 x 20.8 mm (H x W x D) and an approximate weight of 257 grams.  While the DISKASHUR 3 will slide easily into a pocket while being transported, you might prefer using the supplied rigid, zipped carry case for some added protection.  The case can also carry the supplied USB leads and lanyard supplied as part of the package.  The length of the USB is such, at 50 cm, thus meaning the unit is more suitable for use with a laptop rather than desktop computer.

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Mounted on the front face of the DISKASHUR 3 is a 4 x 3 alphanumeric keypad.  Also on the front face are three LED lights that can display different colours to indicate the current state of the unit.  A type C USB port is located on the top of the unit for use when charging the unit and transfer operations.  This port sits alongside a Kensington lock type connection for when the need for additional protection is required.

Previous members of the iStorage family devices I have looked at in the past have come with a pre-set Admin PIN 8-character required for initial access.  However with this new DISKASHUR 3, which comes supplied in an Initial Shipment State, this means you will need to configure your own Admin PIN following the instruction found in the supplied Quick Start Guide.  Once created you can use the Admin PIN to unlock the DISKASHUR 3.  Specific PINs can then be set up for an independent User and for One-Time Recovery purposes. 

Protection for the data stored on the DISKASHUR 3 comes from several directions.  The device itself makes use of a secure microprocessor certified to Common Criteria EALS5+ with a flash lock mechanism to protect against potential firmware attacks.  Built into the DISKASHUR 3 is real-time Full Disk data security of Military-grade FIPS PUB 197 validated AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption.  The shell of the unit has been designed to be tamper proof.  The keypad and internal parts have been coated with a layer of durable epoxy resin.  If somebody attempts to entered ten incorrect consecutive tries of a PIN  then the unit's content will be deleted.

When storing data on this device, users have a choice of three encryption modes made up of the default AES-XTS 256-bit, AES-ECB 256-bit or AES-CBS 256-bit.  In operation the DISKASHUR is rated at a read speed of 444MB/s and a write speed of 488MB/s depending upon the type of data.

The DISKASHUR certainly lives up to its promise of providing protection and portability for the data you feel needs to accompany you on your travels.  The DISKASHUR is compatible with Windows, MacOS, Linux, Chrome, Citrix and other devices supporting USB.  It is perhaps more suitable for a business user rather an a casual home user whose needs are not so restrictive.

With available capacity units available, prices are as follows:-