Corsair's Padlock 2 offers 256-bit AES encryption inside a rugged body

Our British readers will already be painfully familiar with the comical propensity that government officials (even spies!) have for losing sensitive data while on the move. It might be an idea, therefore, to give your forgetful local representative a break with one of these new Corsair USB drives. The Padlock 2 features OS-agnostic password protection via the keypad you see above plus 256-bit encryption of the data stored on the flash inside. So even if someone is tenacious enough to pry the case open, he'll have a hard time getting anything useful out of it. Oh, and don't worry about forgetting the passcode, there's a procedure for wiping the drive clean and generating a new one. 8GB units are available immediately, and we've spotted them online priced at £46 in the UK and $59 in the good old US of A.

[JoeRodricks Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:24AM]

10 digits on 5 buttons... isn't that the same as having 5 buttons?

[JoeRodricks Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:24AM]

@JoeRodricks

err....5 digits

[Hobsie Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:29AM]

@JoeRodricks

Same as having 5 digits and twice as long a pin yeah

[Hobsie Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:30AM]

@Hobsie

hmm just thought that through and that's only true if u had to hit every button twice when sometimes its once...

meh hungover

[shamowfski Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:30AM]

@JoeRodricks

Same as the Ford door locks. There is a sequence posted online that will unlock one of those cars in about 15 minutes. Probably works on this drive too.

[JamesR Posted Feb 19th 2010 8:49AM]

@JoeRodricks

Depends on how you get to the second digit. If it's a long press rather than a double-tap it would be OK.

[EngadgetFreak Posted Feb 19th 2010 9:10AM]

You can buy these online in Australia care of www.auspcmarket.com.au for around $AU100 including overnight express delivery from Sydney. Full link: http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/show_product_info.php?input[product_code]=AL-CMFPLA8GB&input[category_id]=1492

[fencesitter Posted Feb 19th 2010 1:44PM]

@JoeRodricks 5 buttons is- I hate to say it- a feature.

It prevents you from giving away too much information due to wear patterns like this. Especially since the numbers are probably only silkscreened onto the surface.

[I was swhite237 I lost my passwo Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:37AM]

Hopefully my data doesn't end up an anything to cheap to include a proper keypad....

[samirotiv Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:46AM]

sounds like something for jacques cleauseau.. :)

[Fraser64 Posted Feb 19th 2010 7:54AM]

That's a really nice product, but I'm pretty sure government and military officials will still store sensitive info on normal storage devices, then sell them on e-bay regardless

[mark78 Posted Feb 19th 2010 8:26AM]

Why not simply use TrueCrypt, its cheaper and in my opinion more trustworthy. I see no significant gain in security, if the PC is infected with malware in both cases u have a problem. Only if you often use PCs from other not so trustworthy Persons, it has a benefit.

[Kawazx7r Posted Feb 19th 2010 8:31AM]

Wonder if it has a duress code that lead ? If it wants to be taken seriously as secure storage it really should have

[Kawazx7r Posted Feb 19th 2010 8:33AM]

'That leads to a separate partition' is what I meant to say.

[Zinger314 Posted Feb 19th 2010 9:40AM]

TrueCrypt > Contrived password unlock system.

[jonyah Posted Feb 19th 2010 11:05AM]

nice, but I won't buy a thumbdrive with a cap.

[Astounding Posted Feb 19th 2010 12:51PM]

The ability to reset the code ruined it for me.

The main selling point of the device for me was the fact that there would be no point in anyone stealing it, not that my data would be more protected.

[Riker Posted Feb 20th 2010 3:26AM]

@Astounding
Being able to reset the drive would have no influence on whether it gets stolen or not.

[ma11en Posted Feb 19th 2010 3:18PM]

Knowing the quality of most of our civil servants they would probably write the password on the pen drive, totally secure!

[Transepoch Posted Feb 20th 2010 7:00AM]

If it is like the original models, there is no difference in keying either digit on the same button. Then again, the old models would not allow a forgotten password to be gold-disked away, and if you can still find the 2G version (don't even dream of the 4G) it would cost almost as much as the new ones.

At least this should improve availability. Plus there is nothing stopping you from using TrueCrypt on top of the physical barrier (drive is electrically inert until unlocked.)

[cowbutt Posted Mar 4th 2010 8:14AM]

I hope Corsair have improved upon their original Flash Padlock product:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/print/9062527/Review_7_secure_USB_drives

[Luke291 Posted Mar 21st 2010 11:10AM]

I am getting flashbacks to Spaceballs.... "the combination is.. 1... 2...3...4...5.." :-)