Carrying several terabytes of sensitive data usually means reaching for an external SSD. Apricorn is trying to shrink that experience into something closer to an ordinary flash drive.
The company has introduced a 4TB version of its Aegis Secure Key 3, also known as the ASK3. Apricorn says it is the highest-capacity hardware-encrypted USB drive available in this form factor.
Unlike a typical USB stick, the ASK3 uses a mini solid-state drive architecture. That allows it to provide considerably more storage while retaining the small, portable design people expect from a flash drive.
The 4TB model offers eight times the capacity of comparable encrypted USB flash drives, according to Apricorn. The full ASK3 lineup is available in nine capacities, starting at 16GB and climbing all the way to 4TB.
Of course, capacity is only part of the story here. The drive is aimed at organizations and professionals that need to transport sensitive information without relying on software-based encryption.
A physical keypad on the front of the drive handles authentication. Users enter a PIN directly on the device, which means passwords are not typed through the host computer. This can reduce exposure to keyloggers and other attacks targeting software input.
The ASK3 uses hardware-based encryption and does not require software or drivers. That should make it useful across different operating systems and devices, particularly in environments where installing additional security software is restricted.
Apricorn says the latest generation uses a new bridge controller that improves performance. Read speeds are said to be up to 31 percent faster than the previous generation, while write speeds can improve by as much as 16 percent.
Those numbers sound encouraging, although Apricorn did not provide specific maximum read and write speeds in its announcement. Buyers moving multiple terabytes of data will likely want to see independent performance testing before treating this as a replacement for a larger portable SSD.
The company has also added an environmental protection system. The drive monitors temperature and electrical conditions while operating. When conditions move beyond safe limits, the ASK3 shuts itself down to protect the hardware and the encrypted information stored inside.
Once conditions return to an acceptable range, the drive can resume operation. That feature could prove useful for field workers, forensic investigators, government employees, and others who regularly use storage devices outside controlled office environments.
“As organizations generate and move larger amounts of sensitive data than ever before, they need solutions that scale without sacrificing protection,” said Jeanclaude Toma, CEO of Apricorn. “The new 4TB ASK3 reflects that need and demonstrates what is possible when innovation is driven by real customer demand, whether supporting fully offline edge systems or cloud-connected environments where transporting terabytes of secure data over wide area networks is impractical.
“As data footprints at the edge continue to grow, this device delivers greater capacity in a form factor that fits in the palm of your hand.”
Apricorn is positioning the ASK3 for government agencies, defense contractors, healthcare providers, financial institutions, attorneys, digital forensic teams, and other organizations that handle confidential information.
The company says the device was engineered to meet and exceed FIPS 140-3 Level 3 requirements. However, there is an important distinction here: the new model has been submitted to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cryptographic Module Validation Program, but validation is still pending.
In other words, Apricorn believes the hardware satisfies the requirements, but buyers should not describe the current configuration as officially FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validated until the NIST process is complete.
“There has never been a hardware-encrypted USB drive this small with this much storage,” said Kurt Markley, Managing Director of Apricorn. “Customers asked us for more capacity without giving up the convenience of carrying a secure drive in their pocket, and that is exactly what we built. The 4TB ASK3 combines the ruggedness customers expect from Apricorn with super-fast performance and a design that meets and exceeds FIPS 140-3 Level 3 requirements. Whether it is traveling between offices, supporting field operations or moving sensitive files in harsh environments, this device is built to go wherever the data needs to go.”
The idea makes sense. Moving 4TB through cloud storage can be slow, expensive, or completely impractical, especially in areas with limited connectivity. A small encrypted drive can provide a much simpler way to move large datasets between isolated systems or physical locations.
There is also something reassuring about encryption controls being built directly into the device rather than managed through an app. Software-free access may not be necessary for everyone, but it can be valuable in locked-down corporate environments.
The biggest unanswered question is the price of the new 4TB model. Apricorn has not announced it yet, but the existing 2TB variant costs around $1,500. Buyers should therefore expect the 4TB version to cost considerably more than that, making it a specialized product rather than an everyday flash drive.
The 4TB Aegis Secure Key 3 will be available through Apricorn authorized resellers. Apricorn says it will announce the FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validated configuration after the NIST CMVP process is completed.
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