CONCLUSION

   Hardware encrypted drives is something we see quite a lot mainly because most SSDs currently in the market (if not all) feature AES 256bit hardware encryption. Still although this is the case with SSDs the same doesn’t apply to HDDs (especially not-enterprise grade models) and even if that wasn’t the case there’s a huge difference between a drive which uses hardware encryption in general and a drive which can encrypt and decrypt all data at the push of a few buttons. This is where iStorage comes in and although I imagine for the majority of consumers out there the diskAshur 2 may not seem necessary there are countless people who need it whether its professionals and government employees who don’t want their critical data falling into the wrong hands or even plain everyday people who may want to safeguard their family pictures as much as possible. Performance is also very good and easily competes with some of the fastest 2.5” PHDs we’ve tested to date something which I have to admit we didn’t expect to this extend (not from such a device). We also tested the Brute Force feature of the drive and just like iStorage mentions after 15 failed input attempts data was wiped out and completely unrecoverable (at least via our means). Unfortunately although we welcome the IP56 certification of the enclosure we were hoping for something just a tad better and although we do realize that the existence of a keypad makes things a bit tricky (in terms of getting a higher certification) we do hope iStorage comes up with a solution in future models (perhaps an reinforced/hidden compartment?).

   Enterprise-grade devices always tend to cost more compared to their consumer-grade counterparts especially when we’re talking about enterprise-grade devices with no equal in the consumer-grade market. The diskAshur 2 line of PIN authenticated portable USB 3.1 hard drives falls in that exact category and so currently even the 1TB model retails for USD305 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 240Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Agreed price is somewhat high but let’s keep in mind that the target audience of a product like the diskAshur 2 line by iStorage are professionals and government employees rather than casual consumers and for them cost comes second to data security. Overall the DiskAshur 2 1TB PIN authenticated portable USB 3.1 hard drive delivers on everything iStorage promises and for that it receives our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IP56 Certified Enclosure)
- PIN Authenticated
- Security Measures (AES-XTS 256-bit Hardware Encryption/EDGE Chip/Interior Epoxy Layer)
- Very Good Performance
- Hardwired USB Cable
- Available In 500GB/1TB/2TB/3TB/4TB/5TB
- HDD & SSD Models
- Epoxy Coated Keypad (Wear Resistant)
- DriveSecurity & NERO BackItUp Software License

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- USB Cable Length