ultra-secure, hardware encrypted USB 3.2 (Gen 1) flash drive
Use your Android/Apple phone to unlock the datAshur Bt flash drive. Pair your device with the datAshur App through an encrypted Bluetooth channel. With internal 3.7V battery, 16/32/64/128 GB size options, AES-XTS 256-bit full disk hardware encryption, FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification, Read 170Mb/s Write 130Mb/s speeds, and USB 3.2 (Gen 1) technology, enjoy an ultra-secure, hardware-encrypted flash drive from iStorage.
- Design
- Ease of use
- Price
- Storage Size
- Portability
datAshur BT is a portable secure hardware encrypted USB flash drive.
The iStorage datAshur BT 64GB flash drive arrived in a 3 5/8 inches wide by 6 1/2 inches tall blister pack. The main cover listed the iStorage company name, datAshur BT 64 GB product name, USB 3.2 (Gen1) Hardware encrypted flash drive, four product defining icons (Remote Management Ready, FIPS compliant, Automatic Antivirus, three years warranty), icons for Android/iPhone, and images depicting the Bluetooth connectivity.
The lower section provided the www.iStorage-uk.com website address, and showed compatibility with Windows, Apple, Android, Linux, Citrix, and VMware. I liked the upper/lower black segments, blue borders, white central segment, blue icons, and the centrally displayed USB-A flash drive. The design provided a clear representation of the size of the device, capabilities of the device, and suggested utility. The upper segment of the rear panel provided the same black/blue section as the title/cover. Beneath the blue accent bar, you will find an image depicting the easy two-step process. The picture showed the USB-A plug, insertion process, pin entry, and activity/access to the flash drive.
The rear panels lower segment listed 10 product features (FIPS compliant 140-2 level 3 standards, Wireless unlock via mobile App 2FA via text, remote management, IP57 Rated, OS/Platform independent (any device with USB port), Multi-factor authentication, tough epoxy coating, drive reset feature, data at rest protection, 4gb-128Gb size options), details about the quick start guide, and a QR code link to the datAshur BT app on the App Store and Google Play store. The lower black-colored rim provided an SKU barcode, product manufacturing labels, and patent information. Before opening the packaging, I used the camera on my iPhone 14 Pro Max to access the datAshur BT app on the App Store.
I then cut along the edge of the plastic container and removed the 0.6-ounce, 2 3/8 inches long by 3/4 inches wide by 5/16 inches thick iStorage DATASHUR flash drive and instruction manual. I removed the USB-A cap, plugged the device into my UGREEN USB-C Docking Stating, and navigated through the multilingual instruction manual.
With the flash drive installed and the App downloaded, I opened the App and selected the datAshur BT from the list. I entered the device ID printed on the side of the USB connector and then tapped the red lock icon on the App screen. I entered the default 11223344 password and then the red padlock again to unlock the drive. I loved the visual symbolism when the red locked icon transitioned to a green unlocked icon. I tapped the drive’s name again and was taken to a secondary panel. I tapped “Change Name” and renamed the drive to MacSources, tapped “Change Password,” and added the old/new/confirmed password.
You can use the sliders for 2-Factor Authentication, Password Recovery (will send recovery code to registered phone number as a text), Remember Password, and Active Face ID (will grey out the Remember Password if activated). You can also activate the step-away Autolock feature or the time-based Autolock feature. This will allow you to adjust the timeline to 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 minutes (defaulted to Never). I found the 5-minute timeline to be the most useful. You can also set the drive to read-only, reset the drive, and activate remote wipe. Lastly, you can activate the “Enable Apple Watch” feature.
It is important to note that some features do not work together, and you may need to choose your preferred features. I changed the password to a number/letter combination, decided to activate the 2FA, then entered my phone number, followed by the texted confirmation code. The App quickly alerted that the 2FA setup was enabled “You will receive a text message with a security code to enter every time you unlock your drive.” I loved the brief, clear messages, and the easy-to-navigate App. With 2FA selected, the primary panel showed a 2FA within the drive banner panel.
I activated/used the FaceID and attempted to start Enable Apple Watch. I was warned that the Apple Watch feature could not be used with the 2FA, and the App instructed me to deactivate the feature. I deactivated 2FA by sliding the toggle back and then attempted to activate the Enable Apple Watch feature again. The App warned that the feature could not be activated with the current password (letters/numbers) and required only a number passcode. I changed the password to an acceptable 7-15 character password, and finally activated the Apple Watch feature. Lastly, I activated the remote wipe feature.
I quickly found the drive within Finder, selected it, opened the window, and transferred several BSA Merit Badge Workbook files into the drive. I was pleased with the speed of the transfer and the ease of the drag/drop utility. I used the BlackMagicdesign speed test and found the device speeds similar to other USB-A flash drives (Write: 155.8Mb/s, Read: 118.1 MB/s). Once the seven files were loaded (17.5 MB), I selected the eject button from the Finder window, ejected the drive, and reinstalled the USB-A cap.
I drove to our local Office Depot and inserted the drive into the copier machine. I selected Files as an option on their copier, and then opened the datAshur BT app on my phone. The App immediately registered the presence of the drive, and I found that I could easily access the drive files through the copier machine. I printed the scouting files, ejected the drive, recapped it, and pocketed the device.
I tested the Apple Watch login feature and found the setup worked fairly well. I navigated to the watch App, selected the DatAshur icon, and entered the numeric password. The icon changed from red lock to green unlock, and I could open the device using the UGREEN USB-C Docking station. Even though the Apple Watch login was convenient, I still preferred the ease of the 2FA iPhone 14 Pro login technique.
I tested the Apple Watch login feature and found the setup easy to navigate. I opened the watch App, selected the DatAshur icon, and entered the numeric password. The icon changed from red lock to green unlock, and I could open the device using the UGREEN USB-C Docking station. Even though the Apple Watch login was convenient, I still preferred the ease of the 2FA iPhone 14 Pro login technique.
The reliable, secure data transfer and the ability to remote wipe, Apple Watch integration, face login, 2FA, etc, were all valuable features. If you look at the device’s price, you may initially think it is too high for a jump drive. If you are interested in a primary, low-feature jump drive, you can buy a single Cruzer 64 GB for $8.51 or a 10-pack of 64 GB USB-A 3.0 SanDisk Cruzer for $74.53, which was one of the better deals found with a reputable name (cheaper is not always better). However, the ~$120 price for the 64GB datAsur BT (~$116 32GB or ~$158 128GB) is on par with similar devices like the Kingston IronKey Vault. The features may well be worth the cost of data protection.
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