Kingston launches ultra-secure USB flash drive

Kingston recently introduced a new line of secure USB flash drives that ship with additional layers of protection to further protect data.

The DataTraveler has 256-bit AES encryption, is FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certified, and has fully customizable malware scanning options.  The drive can be stored in temperatures ranging from -4 degrees Fahrenheit to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kingston also uses an anti-intrusion feature that locks the drive down if someone launches 10 intrusion attempts to access the key.  Furthermore, users will be warned whenever the drive was tampered with, and the drive is encrypted every time it is plugged in.

“The DataTraveler 5000 delivers unsurpassed levels of security and encryption to government and enterprise customers,” said Mark Akoubian, Kingston Secure USB product manager, in a statement.  “This portable data solution represents state-of-the-art data protection while providing end users with the simplicity of plug and play.”

The 2GB model will cost $111, 4GB for $185, 8GB for $231 and 16GB for $400.

Consumers, government and business users have a need for secure USB flash drives, especially as data security awareness increases as high-profile data loss cases appear in the news.  Judging by the expected price-tag of the DataTraveler 5000, the price point still has to evolve to better match regular flash drive prices before the secure drives become really popular.

I reviewed the IronKey USB flash drive in the past, and enjoyed the enhanced layers of data protection built directly into the drive.  I look forward to seeing how the Kingston DataTraveler 5000 compares to similar flash products.