INTRODUCTION

   Being able to carry sensitive data with you without having to worry about someone else getting access to them is something that concerns virtually every single user out there and not just government workers and professionals. For example, i have sensitive data concerning both my work and private life i don't want accidentally (or deliberately) falling in the hands of others so I’ve been using secure drives well over a decade ago and more specifically ever since i got my hands on one of the very first IronKey models to hit the global market. Today of course things have changed so now i use several keypad types drives much like the recently released DataTraveler 2000 (DT2000) 128GB Encrypted Keypad USB 3.1 Gen 1 Flash Drive by Kingston.

   Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Kingston designs, manufactures and distributes memory products for desktops, laptops, servers, printers, and Flash memory products for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Through its global network of subsidiaries and affiliates, Kingston has manufacturing facilities in California, Taiwan, China and sales representatives in the United States, Europe, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Australia, India, Taiwan, China, and Latin America.

   The DataTraveler 2000 (DT2000) has actually been around for quite some time now but it wasn't until just recently that Kingston also added the 128GB capacity (also available in 4/8/16/32/64GB) which i have here with me today. So just like the rest of the line the DT2000 128GB features an IP57 certified aluminum enclosure (dust and water proof up to 90cm) with an alphanumeric keypad and is using real-time military grade FIPS PUB 197 validated AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption (FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified) via PIN authentication (7-15 digits in length / supports independent Admin and User PINs). The drive also features tamper-proof epoxy coating on its interior components, read-only and auto-lock modes, brute force hack defence mechanism which erases everything on the drive (PIN included) after a total of 10 consecutive incorrect PIN entries and a built-in 3.7v lithium-polymer rechargeable battery. Of course, Kingston covers the entire DataTraveler 2000 line with a 3-year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The DataTraveler 2000 gets shipped inside a clear plastic blister package from where you can actually see the drive.

Moving at the rear we find the serial number, barcode, OS compatibility and warranty information.

Inside the blister package you will find the DataTraveler 2000 128GB and its aluminum cover.

THE DATATRAVELER 2000 128GB

The aluminum housing of the DT2000 128GB measures 80mm in length, 20mm in width and 10.5mm in thickness (78x18x8 without the cover/sleeve).

As usual in order to get a better understanding of just how small/large the DT2000 is i placed it right next to the Sentry K300 by DataLocker, DatAshur PRO2/CloudAshur/DatAshur PRO by iStorage, SECUREUSB KP by SECUREDATA, IronKey D300S by Kingston, SECUREUSB BT again by SECUREDATA and the DiskAshur BT again by iStorage (review soon).

At the top we find the alphanumeric keypard and the 3 activity LEDs (locked/unlocked/access).

The metal wire is not something we haven't seen in the past but i think it's a great addition for any USB flash drive (easier to attach to your keys or jeans).

Printed on the other side of the housing are the barcode, serial number, company URL, drive capacity and the included power source details.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Since flash drives are basically plain storage media devices just like solid state drives and hard disk drives, we are using almost the same testing methodology to successfully record the achieved performance numbers. The benchmark suites used are HD Tach RW (Read Speeds / Long Bench 32mb Zone Testing), HD Tune Pro (Read speeds), Sisoftware Sandra Pro (Read / Write speeds - some drives can't be tested for write performance), AIDA 64 Engineer Edition (Average Linear Read / Random Read speeds), Crystal Disk Mark x64 (100MB-1000MB Read / Write speeds) and finally ATTO (Max Read / Max Write speeds). Every test is repeated a total of 6 times after which the average performance numbers are recorded into our charts (0 = we were unable to complete that test).

   All tests are performed with our main rig running Microsoft Windows 10 Pro installation on a HyperX Predator 480GB PCIe SSD with all updates installed up to the date of this review. As always for comparison purposes in the charts you will also find many other flash drivers which have been tested using the same exact test bench as the one in this review (we really can't keep every flash drive we get forever and also even if we could test them all again and again would simply not be possible).

* As of November 2020, secure USB flash drives have their own charts (also added write performance levels) for a more "direct" and "easy" comparison between similar models.

TEST RESULTS - AIDA64 / ATTO

TEST RESULTS - HD TACH RW / HD TUNE PRO

TEST RESULTS - SISOFTWARE SANDRA PRO / CRYSTAL DISK MARK X64

CONCLUSION

   The DataTraveler 2000 (DT2000) is nearly identical to the iStorage DatAshur PRO and the SECUREDATA SECUREUSB KP models so I ended up using the same methodology/software to try and gain access to data inside without luck. As I always point out in such reviews, I am not a hacker/cracker so my knowledge of these things is limited and honestly i have no reason to doubt all the security/safety certifications such drives get. In terms of performance due to the higher capacity (and probably new flash used) the DT2000 outperforms both drives and gets the 3^rd spot in the charts right next to the K300 and the D300S models.

   Retailing for USD243.91 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 222.75Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) at the time of this review the Kingston DataTraveler 2000 (DT2000) 128GB Encrypted Flash Drive is unfortunately set quite higher compared to its immediate competition by both iStorage and SECUREDATA. I can attribute this to the fact that this model was launched very recently but at the end of the day consumers and professionals will not care about the why or the how. However, there’s no doubt that the DT2000 128GB delivers in all areas, performance, security and capacity and that’s why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IP57 Certified Aluminum Enclosure)
- PIN Authentication
- Security Measures (AES-XTS 256-bit Hardware Encryption/FIPS 140-2 Level 3/Epoxy Coated Interior/Brute Force Protection)
- Very Good Performance
- Available in 4/8/16/32/64/128GB
- 3 Year Warranty

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Small Alphanumeric Keypad