Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB)

The Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ puts government-grade security onto a flash drive for the masses, with 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption for an extremely reasonable price ($14 street for 8GB). Also available in capacities of 4GB ($12 street), 16GB ($26 street) and 32GB ($65 street), the drive offers strong encryption for personal and business use that is no more inconvenient than entering a password.

Design
The Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB) features a capless swivel design, with a metal cover that slides into place to protect the USB 2.0 connector from dirt and pocket lint without the hassle of an easily misplaced cap. The body of the drive is made of black plastic, while the swiveling aluminum cover is a dark metallic grey. A glowing blue LED light lets you know when the drive is plugged in and working. Measuring 0.5 by 4.2 by 5.5 inches (HWD), the drive is no larger than a pack of Wrigley's gum and weighs a mere 1.3 ounces. It's thin enough that it won't block any adjacent USB ports, and an included lanyard loop makes it easy to add the drive to your key ring.

The 8GB capacity isn't over-spacious when compared to 32GB and 64GB drives, but 8GB is more than enough space for scads of documents and images. It's also decently priced at $14, or roughly $1.75 per gigabyte. The various capacities come in at varying dollar-per-GB values, some being better bargains than others. The 4GB model is $3 per GB, while the 16GB is $1.63 and the 32GB is $2.03. For comparison, the 4GB Aegis Secure Key ($65 direct, 4.5 stars) sells for $65, or $16.25 per GB. If you're looking for an encrypted storage solution with higher capacities, such as to secure video or music files, you may want to look at an encrypted portable hard drive.

Features and Performance
The DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB) uses two-zone encryption, letting you set up public and encrypted portions on the drive?allowing hassle-free file access while still protecting your most sensitive data. The whole setup process takes less than a minute, but provides strong protection from unauthorized access, with 256-bit AES encryption and intrusion protection which automatically reformats the drive after 10 invalid password attempts. The password setup is quick, simple, and designed to produce a strong password (between six and 16 characters containing upper- and lowercase letters and at least one number and one special character).

The DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB) works with both Windows (Windows 7, Vista, and XP) and Mac OS X (10.5 to current) with no need to reformat the drive, but Linux users are out of luck. Kingston backs the DataTraveler Locker+ with a five-year warranty and offers free 24/7 tech support.

In testing, the Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB) had data transfer rates of 24MB/sec (read) and 9.6MB/sec (write)?faster than the 10MB/sec (read) and 5MB/sec (write) that Kingston claims. Though it won't match the speeds of the USB 3.0-equipped Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 (32GB), it compares quite well against other USB 2.0 drives, like the similarly styled Imation Swivel Flash Drive (4GB) and Victorinox Swiss Army Slim Flight 4GB.

In our PCMark 7 storage performance test, the DataTraveler Locker+ scored 623 points, within a few points of the Victorinox Swiss Army Slim Flight (631 points) and well ahead of the Corsair Flash Voyager (335 points)?even though the last has a potentially much faster USB 3.0 connection.

The Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB) gives you secure digital storage for your personal and financial documents in an affordable, uncomplicated package. The DataTraveler Locker+ is priced significantly below other professional-grade secure drives and provides pretty good performance to boot. If you need secure storage, it's definitely a smart purchase.

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