IOTEK ezSECU ez850 drive enclosure features touchscreen PIN security

Sure, we've seen several newfangled hard drive enclosures and flash drives with fancy biometric security options, but why put yourself at risk of having a finger lopped off (or worse, simply copied, Mythbusters-style), when you can lock down your data with a simple PIN and still keep that MI6 vibe? IOTEK's ezSECU ez850 is just your ticket, then -- the USB 2.0 enclosure accepts any 2.5-inch SATA drive you might have lying around and works with Windows and Mac OS X -- but won't allow access to your data unless the right PIN is first entered on its old-school touchscreen LCD. There's not much more to it than that -- we're hoping it at least beeps and plays a cheesy animation when it unlocks, but since we're unable to find out if this thing is ever going to make it out of Korea, we'll just have to keep making our own sound effects.

[Via SlashGear]

[Mike10010100 @ Nov 27th 2007 6:14AM]

I believe you meant MIB, not MI6. Or maybe you did. Wasn't aware of a mission impossible six.

[Mort @ Nov 27th 2007 9:36AM]

MI6 is where James Bond works.

[Azayzel @ Nov 27th 2007 12:05PM]

What's the point of having any type of security on an enclosure unless the device is pulling some type of encryption scheme when data is being written. Think about it, no encryption on an enclosure device, regardless of the what type of biometric, PIN, or lock security measures are in place, amounts to nothing when it's stolen and simply removed from the enclosure and plugged into a new one. Which brings me to my next point... if these things do perform encryption as the data is written, as some devices currently do, why bother with any physical security method when the underlying OS can provide that service via an already attached device; i.e., data-chip card, key-fob, biometric scanner (be it iris, fingerprint, facial, etc.)? While this can be circumvented in some cases, physical access equals root access... right? (That's a rhetorical question)

[AbbydonKrafts @ Nov 27th 2007 12:25PM]

Azayzel: "..why bother with any physical security method when the underlying OS.."

Why bother? I'd rather the hard drive firmware do the encrypting instead of adding yet another task that the OS has to perform. Just like a hardware firewall beats the hell out of a software firewall any day.

I agree with one of the comments in the link Mario posted, though. I wouldn't trust my data to Hitachi if going that route. I haven't had any problems with Western Digital (except that one time years ago), Seagate, or Maxtor, though, so I look forward to getting such a drive from one of them.

Back to the topic at hand: I'd also like to know if the PIN does actual encrypting on the disk, or if it simply locks out the enclosure communication. Even a fixed enclosure can be broken apart and the drive pulled out. If it's only locking the communication, I bet plenty of schmucks will still fall for thinking it's "secure", including government agencies.

[Mako @ Nov 27th 2007 6:41AM]

What is to keep a person from ripping the HD out of the case and plugging it into a PC? =)

MI6 is the British Secret Service. =)

[kristofer brozio @ Nov 27th 2007 8:38AM]

But.. where can I get one?

[Jay @ Jan 24th 2008 10:57AM]

You can get this products at www.lockerdrive.com

[Mario @ Nov 27th 2007 8:47AM]

Ideally, it should contain one of those Hitachi hardware-encrypted disks that were mentioned on this site a few months ago:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/10/hitachis-2-5-inch-travelstar-7k200-200gb-7-200-rpm-bulk-encr/

[Danny Lee @ Dec 13th 2007 10:31PM]

This hard drive is pretty cool. It lets you secure your data completely. Even if someone else removes it from the enclosure, they can't access your data without your password. It was only sold in Korea before, but it's being sold here in the US as Data Locker at www.lockerdrive.com. I'm very happy with mine! Thanks!

[ff @ Jan 8th 2008 5:16AM]

Stop! It's not secure at all. I discovered that data is just moved some sectors ahead and the first sectors are overwritten with 00!

Here's my blog: http://nodomain.cc/archives/2008/01/08/779-IOTEK-ezSECU-ez850-Scheinverschluesselung.html
Sorry, german only.