PortableApps and CustomUSB Teaming Up for Encrypted USB Flash Key

PortableApps.com,
(Rare Ideas LLC.) and CustomUSB
have teamed up to produce the PortableApps.com
Carbide, an hardware-encrypted USB flash drive.

It combines hardware encryption, a
universal PIN code unlock, proof construction, personalization, a
suite of portable software, 5 years of commercial USB antivirus
protection, and a 5-year warranty into a flash drive.

Securing data on the go is a concern
for individuals, businesses and governments. To that end, the flash
drive uses AES 256-bit hardware encryption using an SHA-256 hashing
cryptographic algorithm. The drive is FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified as
well as IP57 and MIL-STD-810F, so it’s not only secured from hackers,
but it also resists water, dust, shock and physical tampering. If a
third party enters the wrong PIN multiple times, the data will be
rendered inaccessible. The drive is filled with epoxy, so an attempt
to disassemble it to get at the data results in the physical
destruction of the memory chips.

Unlike most encrypted drives that only
work with Windows and Mac, the physical PIN code entry on the side of
the drive allows for universal compatibility. The drive can be
unlocked and used with nearly any device with a USB port including
Windows, Mac and Linux computers; Android devices with USB on the go
support; televisions; photo printing kiosks and more. And, since the
encrypted drive is unlocked before being plugged into the computer,
you’re protected from both physical and software keyloggers that
could be waiting to learn your drive’s password.

In addition to the physical and
security defenses, the drive is also protected from viruses by ClevX
DriveSecurity powered by ESET. The ESET NOD32 antivirus engine scans
any change to the drive’s content for viruses, spyware, trojans,
worms, rootkits, adware and other Internet threats. It includes a
5-year license for DriveSecurity, years longer than other flash
drives, with a retail value of over $40 all by itself.

On the productivity side, it comes with
a suite of portable software that works on any Windows computer as
well as Mac and Linux machines with the Wine compatibility layer. The
suite of software includes the Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition web
browser, the Office compatible LibreOffice suite, the
Photoshop-compatible GIMP photo and image editor, the Adobe
Illustrator-compatible Inkscape vector image editor, the Scribus
desktop publishing suite, Pidgin instant messenger, KeePass secure
password manager, Sumatra PDF reader, CoolPlayer+ media player and
more. The software is kept up to date through the PortableApps.com
Platform. Over 300 additional free apps are available in the app
store.

"The PortableApps.com Carbide
is quite simply the most secure and useful USB flash drive ever sold
and CustomUSB has helped us put everything together. It’s exactly
what we were looking for in a portable software and hardware solution
and we’re thrilled to be able to make it available to security-minded
people all over the world," said PortableApps.com founder
John T. Haller.

"The software is top-notch. The
platform is very intuitive and easy to use," said Vadim Molo
of CustomUSB. "It’s been a real pleasure working with John
and the PortableApps.com team."

The PortableApps.com Carbide is
available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB
sizes starting at under $90.