REVIEW – Years ago, I bought an external hard drive with a whopping 740 Megabytes. Not Gigabytes, not Terabytes—just Megabytes. It cost hundreds of dollars, and now I work on individual files that are twice as large! How far we’ve come.
Today, many hard drives aren’t even drives at all; they’re SSD chips that read and write much faster and are more reliable. Besides speed, capacity, and technology, what further separates modern drives from older ones are levels of security. Most drives I’ve purchased with any level of security have always been software-based. Almost anything can be password-protected, but I’m too lazy to do that for external drives.
That changed when the British company iStorage sent me the diskAshur PRO3 Portable SSD (available in HDD, also) Drive with hardware buttons built into the case. Now, I must enter a password (PIN number) to access any data. With me, that can be a good thing!
What is it?
The iStorage diskAshur PRO3 is a portable SSD (or HDD) drive that offers Level 3 validation. It complies with US government computer security standards. There are four CAVP certificates issued: A5500 (RNG Library), A5501 (cryptographic library), A5502 (EC library), and E198 (Entropy Source). To be completely honest, I have no idea what any of that means. What I do know is that the diskAshur PRO3 drive provides top-notch security for those who demand it.
The diskAshur PRO3 2TB SSD (the one I’m reviewing) is a smartphone-sized portable drive that can be used as a working or backup drive. It can be formatted to be bootable, allowing you to boot up the last backup with system software, preferences, and any files needed to look and act just like a computer. I understand that this capability has been around for a while, but it’s much faster on an SSD than on a traditional spinning hard drive.
The diskAshur PRO3 portable 2TB SSD comes with a unique security feature that requires a 12-key hardware sequence to access the drive. This sequence can range from 8 to 64 numbers, with 8 being the minimum. Whatever number sequence is devised, it cannot be in a sequential or repeating format (1234567890 or 111111111). Notably, there is no pre-set PIN number out of the box, and the drive cannot be used until the user sets one.
To gain access, an unlock button must be pressed, and red, blue, and green lights indicate the status of access. While there’s a slight learning curve involved in unlocking the drive, it’s easily remembered.
Note that IStorage provides a free 1-year license for Nero BackItUp (Windows only) and iStorage DriveSecurity (Windows and Mac).
In terms of design and features, the case is made of metal with plastic ends. It doesn’t have any wireless connection or app control capabilities, which I believe contributes to its simplicity and hack-free security. Internal components can only be accessed by physically breaking the case. Parts are epoxied into place, adding further protection.
The diskAshur PRO3 SSD can only be used when connected via either USB-C or USB-A cables, both of which are included in the package. The case is also IP56 certified, making it water and dust-resistant.
What’s included?
- diskAshur PRO3 portable 2TB SSD
- USB-C & A cables (I used one of my red USB-C cables because … red)
- Carry case
- Free 1-year license of Nero BackItUp and iStorage DriveSecurity
- Quick Start guide
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Capacities SSD: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB,16TB
- Capacities HDD: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB
- Speed SSD: 448MB/s read; 444MB/s write
- Speed HDD: 171MB/s read; 148MB/s write
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 SuperSpeed – up to 5Gbps
- SSD Dimensions: 5 x 3.25 x .8 inches (HxWxD)
- Weight: 9 oz.
- Operating system compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Android, Thin Clients, Zero Clients, Embedded Systems, Citrix and VMware
- Hardware data encryption: 3 encryption modes: AES-XTS 256-bit, AES-ECB 256-bit, AES-CBC 256-bit
- Approvals: FCC, CE, WEEE, C-tick, RoHS, REACH, TAA Compliant
Design and features
When I received the diskAshur PRO3 SSD for review, my primary objective was to create a bootable backup for my work MacStudio, which has a 2TB drive. Since we transitioned to remote work four years ago, we are solely responsible for our own backups. Given the matching drive capacities between the Mac and the PRO3 SSD, I initially believed it was a straightforward decision. However, I discovered that my company had a different plan—they won’t allow me to create a bootable drive. I could back up as much data as I wanted, but it wouldn’t be bootable.
As a result, I’m now limited to using the SSD as a backup drive. However, it’s a backup drive for not only my work files (I backup once per week), but also all of my financial records and other sensitive data.
Unlike other backup solutions, the diskAshur PRO3 SSD lacks a downloadable app and offers no wireless connectivity. Instead, all the security is built into the SSD itself through a feature called “Brute Force Protection.” If the PIN is incorrectly entered ten times, the data becomes inaccessible—unless the admin PIN is entered in a specific sequence. If the admin PIN is incorrectly entered ten times, all data is permanently erased. diskAshur strongly advises writing down the PIN because they cannot recover lost data.
Setting up the diskAshur PRO3 SSD drive was straightforward. The first step was setting up the PIN. My brain can only recall the minimum eight-digit PIN I came up with. There’s no way I’m entering a 64-digit PIN!
The PIN buttons are raised and backlit, making them visible even in low-light conditions. The backlighting can be turned on or off, and I personally prefer the backlighting option. The keys are coated in epoxy, ensuring that wear marks are undetectable, which helps prevent the commonly pressed keys from becoming visible.
Once the PIN is set, connecting the USB cable to the MacStudio is a simple process. The PRO3 SSD is cross-platform and OS-agnostic, ensuring compatibility with various operating systems. After entering the PIN, the diskAshur PRO3 SSD appeared on my desktop. Copying files between the SSD and the MacStudio is remarkably fast, almost twice as fast as any of my standard external HDDs. While the speed difference is always welcome, the SSD cost is significantly higher for the 2TB version I’m reviewing—$850 for the SSD versus $441 for the HDD.
One glitch I encountered was that the drive would automatically lock after a few minutes of inactivity. To unlock it, I had to re-enter the PIN. This feature is by design and allows users to set the time for auto-lock. Since I work alone and prefer not to have the drive locked, I requested that it be disabled. Although the manual explains this feature, it wasn’t clearly marked, so I contacted iStorage support in the UK for assistance. They guided me through the process, and now the drive remains awake while connected. However, it’s important to note that if you work in an office and override the auto-lock feature as I did, the PRO3 SSD becomes vulnerable to prying eyes until disconnected.
What I like about the iStorage PRO3 SSD
- Transfer speed is fast
- It’s solidly built
- Super secure
- No wireless or apps that can be hacked
- Programmable
What needs to be improved?
- Expensive
- May be overkill for many users
Final thoughts
If you need one of the most secure portable drives available, iStorage can provide ease of use with peace of mind. Since all of the security measures are built into the drive itself, your data remains protected from unauthorized access and hacking attempts. While the iStorage PRO3 SSD is indeed costly (especially for my use), a professional carrying sensitive data on the go should ask themselves, “How much is my data worth?”
Price: $858 (for 2TB SSD version)
Where to buy: iStorage and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by iStorage. IStorage did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.