Lexar releases Big Brother-enabled USB drives
(Credit:
Lexar)
When you hear Los Alamos National Laboratory is disabling its computers' USB ports to prevent people from toting away flash memory drives filled with classified nuclear weapons information, it's not a stretch to imagine that there might be a market for thumb drives with a bit of security.
Enter Lexar's SAFE PSD S1100, a product line announced Monday geared for use at corporate or government customer sites where there's a need to keep the lid on sensitive data.
The drives offer built-in 256-bit file encryption and a mandatory password to gain access to the data. The encryption governs the password as well as the devices' encryption keys and operating firmware, Lexar said. In addition, each system has a unique identifier and can be managed by central servers that govern device and data policies and audit usage.
Lexar, a Micron subsidiary, announced models with 1GB and 2GB capacities. The product is sold through value-added resellers.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
