Eclypt Pico Freedom 8GB Flash drive secure storage

Carrying sensitive data while you’re on the move can be risky if you lose a USB key or your laptop is stolen. Encrypting the data on a secure device such as the Pico Freedom might be the answer. The Freedom is an 8GB USB2 Flash drive that uses hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption with Fips (a US governement security standard) 140-2 validation.

Encryption is mandatory, so when plugging in the drive for the first time, a wizard fires up to configure password management, encouraging a strong selection with a mix of letters, numbers and special characters. Your personal details can be entered if you wish, with a password-hint field if you forget it.

From this point on, the password is required to access the drive whenever it’s plugged in. A small utility installed in the system tray allows you to change the password and other settings, browse, format the drive or dismount it securely. If a password is forgotten, or entered incorrectly five times, the only option is to erase the drive and enter a new one. This sounds drastic, but it’s a sure-fire way to ensure your data won’t end up in the wrong hands.

Otherwise, files can be dragged and dropped across as expected and we were impressed by its solid metallic feel, which is far more refined than some of the cheap and plastic USB Flash drives on the market.
Although the Freedom works well, the device comes at a high price. The 8GB model we tested costs a whopping £199 (£229 for one with Fips 140-2 validation) and even the 1GB model will set you back £51. This is an exceptionally high mark-up when you consider a regular 8GB device can now be bought for little over £20.

For some, the Pico Freedom will be prohibitively expensive, considering software alternatives don’t cost a penny. However the Pico’s auto-lockout and hardware encryption provide additional security if you’re especially paranoid.