August 1, 2008

What's On Your USB Key? Is it Secure?

Some of us buy and use USB key hard disks as much as the socks we wear - if not more. The difference with socks is that no-one wants them, there's nothing of value on them and we can throw them in the washer to freshen them up.

With USB hard disks, on the other hand, you put data on them and have to be careful that they are secure. What if you've just placed valuable customer records on the USB key and someone lose it? It's hard to steal a desktop computer, but it's a lot easier to steal a USB key. With this in mind it's important to consider not just getting "any" USB key, but getting one with security built in.

For example, SanDisk Cruzer Enterprise flash drives protect all files stored on the drive with advanced hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption. Users are also required to create a complex password during the set-up process. The combination of encryption and password protection makes it extremely difficult for unauthorized users to access data if the drive is lost or stolen. Cruzer Enterprise is also fast, with read speed of 24 megabytes (MB) per second and write speed of 20 MB/sec1.

Johns Hopkins Medicine health care system, which includes the prestigious Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Howard County General Hospital (HCGH) standardized on these secure USB drives for enhanced security. Although your business is not as large as the 1,700 employee size HCGH, and probably not as complex as a hospital, the principal of securing your data remains.

Furthermore, it might not be necessary to have as much security as the SanDisk Cruzer Enterprise has but having some level of enhanced security, beyond a standard USB key is something you should consider.

tags: security | 1 comments