The Buffalo MiniStation DataVault (160GB) ($129 direct) is a portable USB drive that comes with a guard dog for your data. The drive has encryption-based security, active from the time you take it out of the box. Unlike other secure drives, you don’t have to pre-install anything on Windows PCs. The DataVault also comes with Mac-compatible software—something its rivals can’t claim. It might not have the strongest encryption out there, but it is easy to use, and as any locksmith can tell you, a lock you can’t use is as bad as having no lock at all. It’s ease of use, Mac and PC compatibility, speed, small price premium, and shock resistance all combine together in a hard drive earns that fits the secure data storage niche well. You can get more storage for less money, but if you need to keep your data secure, lock it up tight with the DataVault.

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