iStorage cloudAshur

The hardware of the data protection field is better than ever, and iStorage is at the forefront, bringing straightforward, effective encryption solutions to the masses. We looked at the datAshur a few issues back; now, we’re taking a look at the new cloudAshur, a hardware solution for protecting cloud-based storage.

The physical design echoes the company’s previous datAshur devices, but with a sleek silver finish. It looks like a large USB flash drive with rubber control buttons for accessing the device. Unlike the datAshur, though, it functions less like a drive and more like a key, allowing users to access files in their cloud storage solution of choice, provided they have the correct PIN.

Data drawn down from the cloud by the USB module is encrypted both in transit and at rest, thanks to a hardware-based AES-XTS 256bit encryption key stored on the physical device. Even hacking into a user’s cloud account is ineffective without the encryption key. The fivefactor authentication process makes breaking into the software from within a connected PC extremely difficult, too.

The ultra-secure design ethos extends to the casing, too. A hard epoxy coating protects the technology inside the brushed aluminum casing, rendering any attempts to physically break into the device hopeless; the epoxy resin cannot be removed without damaging the components. Finally, a metal sleeve protects the keypad and has a rubber seal to make the module effectively waterproof while inside. – CG

$129, https://istorage-uk.com/usa