Home Reviews Today, keeping phones and gadgets aside, we will be doing a review on an external SSD or should we say SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD. This hardware doesn’t only feature the most advanced AES256-bit XTS encryption but also has other high-tech features such as internal Epoxy coating, Brute Force Anti Hacking Protection, multiple modes, but most importantly a physical keypad on the top of it with a 15 digit PIN authentication, reminding you of the drives you need in Spy movies. Let’s get to know this external SSD in this SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD review: <strong>About Securedata</strong> SECUREDATA was started in 2007 in Los Angeles, CA as a LAB data recovery and forensics provider with the mission to become the most secure and sole source for customers to protect, backup, repair, recover and analyze their digital data. Today we will take a look at a product from SecureData called the SecureDrive KP which is designed to secure data on the go. What's Inside ToggleSecureDrive KP Review – Best Hardware Encrypted External Portable Drive?SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Design & AppearanceSecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Security & ProtectionSecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Connectivity & PortsSecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Speed & PerformanceHow to Setup The SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD 500GBHow To Change the Default PIN of SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD 500GBOur VerdictPrice & Availability SecureDrive KP Review – Best Hardware Encrypted External Portable Drive? SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Design & Appearance The SecureDrive KP features a sleek and durable black aluminum design and comes with a wear-resistant on-board keypad that is highly responsive and tactile. This keypad is something that makes it completely different than the other SSDs. Moreover, it’s the main reason why this external SSD received the 2019 reddot design award. Towards the top of the device, there are indicator lights that help you determine when the drive is locked or unlocked. The matte black SecureDrive KP 500GB SSD itself is not much bigger than a standard 2.5” HDD or SSD. It is slightly longer at 125mm x 77mm 12.5mm. LEDs at the top show drive status, (Red) Locked, (Green) Unlocked, and (Blue) Data Transfer indicator. In comparison to most of the SSDs out there, it’s slightly longer but still compact, merely the side of your hand. The look is like a high intel level product like the one you see in movies. SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Security & Protection Moving to the main highlight of this SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD review, the SecureDrive KP SSD has a military-grade AES 256-bit XTS hardware encryption and is FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Validated. It is unlocked by entering the user PIN via the onboard keypad. The keypad itself is wear-resistant to prevent unauthorized parties from seeing commonly used keys. It’s simply like the drive which you see in movies, something like a secret intel in those James Bond movies. If the SecureDrive KP is stolen, the brute force anti-hacking mechanism will wipe the drive clean after 10 consecutive failed PIN entries. The device is OS independent and can be used across all devices with a USB port. The overall package also includes an EVA Shockproof Splash Resistant Carrying Case that protects your SecureDrive or SecureUSB device from damage. The case is made of waterproof polyurethane material to keep splashes or drops of water from damaging your device. It also features a hard shell outside to absorb the impact after being dropped and protects your device from bumps, scratches, and dents. As for the phones, we have the SecureDrive KP app for a wireless unlocking of the drive via 2FA or Text. It also comes with DriveSecurity® ESET Antivirus setup pre-installed in the drive with a 1-year license. SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Connectivity & Ports SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD has one of the unique connectivity features we have ever seen. This SSD literally has an HDMI port instead of the typical Type-C or Type-A USB port. HDMI is the perfect way to prevent any USB related malware. In the package, we have the HDMI to Type-C cable (USB 3.0) in order to connect with the latest notebooks and smartphones and an HDMI to USB Port A cable for the old Laptops and PCs. We do miss the latest protocols which could increase the speed such as Gen 3.1 or Thunderbolt, however, the USB 3.0 seems to be pretty fast as well (see the Speed and Performance section). Moreover, speed isn’t the main feature of this SSD but its security and privacy. SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD Review – Speed & Performance We ran the speed test of the 500GB SSD variant of the drive when connected to a USB 3.0 port. The software used is CrystalDiskMark v0.9.200. Here are the scores: Drive Read Write SecureDrive KP SSD 500GB 304.4 Mbps (1GiB) / 558.0 Mbps (50 MiB) 330.7 Mbps (1GiB) / 530.7 Mbps (50 MiB) Samsung T5 SSD 500GB 542 Mbps (1 GiB) 516 Mbps (1 GiB) The speed performance of SecureDrive is much lower than most of the SSDs in that price tag (average performance of SSDs under $400 and 500GB is around 500 Mbps. However, SecureDrive also resonates with this slow speed. The company says that performance is compromised because of the high-level encryption the drive does as it is storing the data. Moreover, the speed is much better when we have a file size of 50 Mb and much lower when the file size is 1 Gb. How to Setup The SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD 500GB Here are a few steps to get started with the SSD: Connected the provided USB cable, plug the drive into your computer The Red Locked LED will light up Press the Key Button Enter “11223344” into the key-pad. After this, the Green Un-Locked LED will light up, and the drive will mount on your computer as a standard USB 3.0 drive. How To Change the Default PIN of SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD 500GB It’s a bit long but not that complicated. Here are the steps to change the Default PIN: Press the Key Button Enter the User PIN Press the Key Button two times After the Green Unlocked LED lights, press the Key Button two more times. Enter your new User PIN Press the Key Button two times Re-enter the new PIN Press the Key Button two times again To use the new PIN, unplug the drive and replug it back in. Main Features FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Validated, AES 256-bit Hardware Encryption. Wireless Unlock via Mobile App. 2 Factor Authentication via Text. IP57 Rated. Dust and Water Resistant. No software, OS Independent (Works on and with any OS) Unique Password Recovery features via Text. Remote Data Wipe if the device is lost or stolen. Read Only Mode, Device Step Away Autolock. Malware Protection: Preloaded with USB Antivirus. Our Verdict Summarizing the SecureDrive KP Hardware Encrypted Portable SSD review, even though the SSD has an average performance speed and is slightly expensive than most external SSDs, however, the security aspect of this thing is exceptional. SecureDrive promises to provide 100% security for any crucial data stored on it. SecureDrive KP design is worth praising and refreshing, a keypad for manual locking, epoxy layer, auto-deletion, HDMI port connectivity, app wireless unlock, and a rugged case. Moreover, the high price also justifies as well, since we are getting a 1-year antivirus subscription as well. This drive is the most Spy-Type Thing out there, the one we see in the James Bonds type movies. Price & Availability You can grab SecureDrive KP SSD from their official website. Here’s the link to the store: Here’s the link to their official website.
