Question 1

What is defferent hardware encrypted from software encrypted?

Accepted Answer

In the case of flash drives (as well as HDD and SSD), a special chip located on the printed circuit board of the device is used to implement hardware data encryption. It has a built-in random number generator that generates encryption keys. Data is automatically encrypted and instantly decrypted when a user password is entered. In this scenario, accessing data without a password is nearly impossible. When using software encryption, the data on the drive is “locked” by external software, which acts as a low-cost alternative to hardware encryption methods. The disadvantages of such software may be the trivial requirement of regular updates to offer resistance to ever-improving hacking techniques. In addition, the power of the computer process (and not a separate hardware chip) is used to decrypt data, and, in fact, the level of protection of the PC determines the level of protection of the drive.   The main feature of drives with hardware encryption is a separate cryptographic processor, the presence of which tells us that encryption keys never leave a USB drive, unlike software keys, which can be temporarily stored in the computer's RAM or hard drive. And since software encryption uses the PC's memory to store the number of login attempts, it cannot stop brute force attacks on the password or key. The counter of login attempts can be constantly reset by an intruder until the automatic password cracking program finds the desired combination. ​ As a result, the software approach does not provide the same high level of security as AES encryption. Rather, it is basic protection. On the other hand, software encryption of important data is still better than no encryption at all.

Question 2

How do iStorage drives AES 256-bit Hardware Encrypted?

Accepted Answer

iStorage uses AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption for all of its secure drives datashur and diskashur. As we noted above, flash drives contain in their component base a separate chip for encrypting and decrypting data, which acts as a constantly active random number generator. The first time you connect a device to the USB port, the Initialization Setup Wizard prompts you to set a master password to access the device. After activating the drive, the encryption algorithms will automatically start working according to user preferences.

Question 3

Who guarantees the absence of "backdoors" from the manufacturer when using flash drives with hardware encryption?"

Accepted Answer

Almost all buyers are concerned about this question, because they want to make sure that our USB drives are free of common errors, such as weak encryption or the ability to bypass the password entry. Therefore, all products are tested by a third party with an independent review. Specifically, all hardware-encrypted iStorage USB drives are certified to the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS).

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