With such formidable security, you might expect the iStorage drive to cost a mint, but it's actually quite reasonably priced, though it's far from the fastest portable SSD available. You can configure the M2 as a read-only drive and create a self-destruct code that obliterates the data, encryption key, and all PINs forever, though the latter isn't strictly necessary-any attempt to physically crack open the device and get at its memory chips would turn it into useless shrapnel.

Worried about your data falling into the wrong hands, or falling onto a rocky trail or into a puddle or pond? The iStorage DiskAshur M2 has you covered: Not only can this 0.48-by-4.2-by-1.8-inch gadget survive a half-hour bath in 1.5 meters of water or being run over by a 2.7-ton truck, it has a built-in numeric keypad that means your files can't be accessed without the proper user or administrator PIN. We'll finish this guide with a spec breakout of all of our top picks.

Then read on for a detailed guide to how to shop for the portable SSD that best meets your needs. And a lack of moving parts makes mobile SSDs smaller, slimmer, and better suited to frequent travel and accidental drops than even ruggedized hard drives.īelow, check out our favorite models we've tested from all our recent SSD reviews. They have no metal platters to spin up, nor any read/write heads that need to travel to a specific point on a platter to find the file you need. Nowadays, pocket-size, USB-powered external SSDs deliver as much as 10 times the speed of portable hard drives, and much greater durability. Once prohibitively expensive, SSDs of all stripes, internal and external, have plunged in price over the past few years. The newer, better one is a portable solid-state drive (SSD). Need to expand the local storage on your PC or Mac for music and movies, or all the pics and videos you collect from your phone? The traditional answer has been an external hard drive. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.

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Sandisk encryption