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I think we all can agree that a USB flash drive is an essential accessory for just about every computer user.  However, they are limited in capacity, and most of us have one that is 1 to 4 gigs on our keychain, so only the essential info will be moving around with us.  However, there are plenty of times when there is a need to take more with us.  Like many gigabytes more of info.  And a netbook hard drive at 160 GB or even 250 GB in plenty of cases will not have the space to get the job done.

Enter, the portable USB hard drive.  This small device can hold more than what most desktop drive held a few years ago.  However, there is the concern that the data will not be safe as it shuttles between home, the office, and the road.  Hence the need for a secure device.

Answering that call is the Aegis Bio.  This device is an encrypted biometric hard drive.  The idea is that the hard drive is encrypted with 128 bit security.  In other words, if someone finds the device, and decide to take it apart to bypass it, they won’t get a single 1 or 0 of the data.  That’s right, nothing.

The Aegis Bio package includes:

• Aegis Bio
• USB Y-cable
• Padded travel pouch
• Software CD
• Quick Start Guide

The drive is available in capacities of 250 GB, 320 GB, 500 GB and 640 GB, the latter is the subject of this review.  The Aegis Bio is compatible with USB 2.0, and is bus powered.  It also features extensive shock mounting that is designed to protect the drive with a 16 point omini-directional shock mounting.  The hard drive features an 8 meg buffer, with a 5400 RPM spindle speed.  The dimensions are 19 mm x 84.5 mm x 120 mm, which is a little larger than a deck of cards, with a weight of 6.2 oz.

The minimum PC hardware is:

• Pentium II processor
• CD-ROM drive
• 32 MB RAM
• Powered USB port
• Windows 2000, XP, Vista or 7

The hard drive functions quite well as a standard backup device.  The formatted size of the 640 GB model is still a capacious 596 gigs.  The read speeds are just under 27 MB/s.  All this makes it a viable option for portable storage, but nothing is really a standout so far.

The central feature of the Aegis Bio is the fingerprint scanner, that small rectangle on the top of the drive.  I have to admit that I was not sure if it could really protect my data to military standards.  The idea is that it uses fingerprint scanning, a well established biometric security standard to keep the data safe.  This way there is no passcode that can be easily pilfered from the unsuspecting.

There are many different types of biometrics that can be used in security devices, such are iris scans, retinal scans, face recognition and voice recognition.  The Aegis Bio uses fingerprints, which for over a century have proven unique and are used in law enforcement quite routinely (as an aside it still fascinates me that the tip of each individual’s finger is so unique with five billion of us on the planet).  The Aegis Bio utilizes a UPEK 3D technology, which measures at the finger surface and into the live skin layers; this eliminates a photocopied print from unlocking the sensor.

The software CD includes the following programs:

• Fingerprint Enrollment Software
• Microsoft Synctoy
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• SMART-ER Hard Drive Health Monitor
• Aegis Bio Manual and Datasheet
• Aegis Bio Flash Tour

It is useful that the Aegis Bio is not required to be installed in order to set it up, although I did install the Fingerprint Enrollment Software.  This allowed me to digitize each of my ten fingerprints, which it did by swiping them three times in succession.  This process took about 10 minutes.  To see the sophistication involved, I repeated a finger, and it quickly let me know that the fingerprint was already enrolled which was reassuring.

After the initial setup, the Aegis Bio can be used just like any other portable hard drive.  The drive is connected to a USB port, and there is an indicator light that is red.  This changes to a flashing red when a fingerprint is dragged across the sensor.  If it is recognized, the color will change to green, and the drive will now be active.  The process only takes a few seconds, works consistently, and is absolutely secure.  There is also no way to turn it off, which is a good thing as it forces one to take advantage of the security offered.

I tried the Aegis Bio on several computers, and across the major OS’.  It worked just fine on Windows 7, both 32 bit and 64 bit versions, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.  The only computer that gave it a problem for the software was a Win XP machine, that is my work desktop, and requires an administrator password to install any software.  While an unlocked USB flash drive can be accessed, the software for the Aegis Bio cannot be installed, and the drive could not be used on that machine.

On all the machines tested, I plugged the drive directly into the USB port.  This worked fine on a half dozen of machines, save one.  On a Windows Vista notebook, an Acer Aspire 5920, that is quite trouble free, for whatever reason, would not recognize the drive.  The Aegis Bio would appear to be on, and even the fingerprint scan would go through with a green light, but then the drive could not be accessed.  After some troubleshooting, and realizing that the drive itself was still functioning, I used the included USB Y cable.  This plugs the drive into two USB ports (luckily this notebook has 4 total being a desktop replacement), and the Aegis Bio went back to working boringly well.  I did not have to use the Y cable on any of the other computers tested.

Overall, the Aegis Bio is a useful product for the right user.  This would be the user that has a need to bring along large amounts of potentially sensitive data, that require serious protection.  While biometric security may be overkill for some users, at a starting price of $119 for the 250 GB version, and maxing out at $159 for the 640 GB one, this is quite affordable.  In addition, it is backed by a 3 year warranty.

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