CONCLUSION

   Today's review makes clear that the DataLocker DL3 FE (FIPS Edition) is not only the most unique/impressive portable SSD to make its way to the lab (and by far) but unfortunately also the slowest one. Of course, this was quite unexpected at first (in the specifications sheet it clearly mentions blazing fast speeds) from a SATA III SSD capable of speeds up to 550-460MB/s but when i saw the dual-crypto engine configuration used by this particular model (which means data is encrypted not just once but twice prior to getting written on the drive itself) everything fell in place (DataLocker also verified this – a new model is on the works so I’m curious to see how well that does in this area). Performance of course is not the primary concern of people looking to get their hands on a hardware encrypted drive. Yes, it goes without saying that no one would say no to a really blazing fast hardware encrypted drive but to most people interested in such a product data safety/security/encryption is what truly comes first and here's where the DL3 FE is a clear winner. So typically, i ended up using the same brute force attack tools as in the past without success in gaining access to the saved data and as for the LCD touch screen well the rotating keypad clearly makes it impossible to know which keys have been pressed the most by the owner (thus allowing you to figure out the code). My sole concern with the LCD screen is its durability which I doubt can compete with that of a regular keypad.

   Currently the DL3 FE 512GB Portable SSD by DataLocker retails for around USD380 inside the USA and for around 450Euros inside the EU so yes, it’s nowhere near to what I’d call affordable. Still it’s target group couldn’t be more specific so if you’d like the maximum possible protection for your sensitive data (not physical protection, for that DataLocker has other lines) and you don’t care much about read & write performance then the DL3 FE Portable SSD is definitely worth a spot on your desk and the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Build Quality
- PIN & RFID Authentication (2 Stage)
- Security Measures (AES XTS & CBC 256-bit Hardware Encryption / Brute Force Protection / Auto Lock / Self Destruct / Read Only / Zeroing)
- LCD Touch Screen
- Alphanumeric Rotating Keypad
- Available In 512GB / 960GB / 2TB / 4TB / 7.6TB Capacities
- HDD & SSD Models
- SafeConsole Remote Administration
- Bundle (Dual USB Cable For Extra Power)

CONS

- Read & Write Performance
- Price (For Some)
- LCD Screen Durability?
- Current Availability