The iStorage diskAshur M2 is a portable, hardware-encrypted flash drive designed for maximum security and ruggedness. It uses FIPS PUB 197-validated AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption and has a Common Criteria EAL 5+ (Hardware Certified) secure microprocessor with built-in physical protection mechanisms to defend against tampering and physical attacks. The drive is available in capacities ranging from 120GB to 2TB and has a USB 3.2 interface.
The iStorage diskAshur M2 is a portable, hardware-encrypted flash drive designed for maximum security and ruggedness. It uses FIPS PUB 197-validated AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption and has a Common Criteria EAL 5+ (Hardware Certified) secure microprocessor with built-in physical protection mechanisms to defend against tampering and physical attacks. The drive is available in capacities ranging from 120GB to 2TB and has a USB 3.2 interface.
The diskAshur M2 is lightweight, dust and waterproof (IP68 certified), shockproof (able to survive a 4m drop onto a concrete surface), and crushproof (able to withstand the weight of a 2.7-ton vehicle). The drive can be unlocked with a 7-15 digit PIN, and all data is encrypted when disconnected.
The enclosure has a wear-resistant keypad and is covered with a layer of super tough epoxy resin to make it tamper-evident. The drive also has independent User and Admin PINs, and the Admin can set a one-time recovery PIN and a restriction policy for the User PIN. It is equipped with advanced protection against physical attacks and environmental protection systems.
Backed by a 36-month warranty, the iStorage diskAshur M2 goes for roughly $X (120GB), $X (240GB), $X (500GB), $275 (1TB), and $489 (2TB). We will be looking at the mid-range 500GB model for this review.
iStorage diskAshur M2 Specifications
| Technical specifications | Hardware |
|---|---|
| Hardware | Encrypted portable SSD – USB 3.2 (Gen 1) SuperSpeed – up to 5Gbps.
Backwards compatible with USB 3.0/2.0/1.1 |
| Capacities |
|
| Speed | 370MB/s Read 370MB/s Write |
| Accreditations | FIPS 140-3 Level 3 (pending) |
| Dimensions | Without sleeve: Height: 106mm Width: 45 mm Depth: 12mm With sleeve: Height: 111mm Width: 45 mm Depth: 12mm |
| Weight | With sleeve fitted: 86 grams Without sleeve: 65 grams |
| Operating system compatibility | MS Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Android, Thin Clients, Zero Clients, Embedded Systems, Citrix, and VMware |
| Hardware data encryption | AES-XTS 256-bit full disk hardware encryption |
| Approvals | FCC, CE, WEEE, C-tick, RoHS, REACH, TAA Compliant |
| Power Supply | USB Type A & C Cables included |
| Box Content | diskAshur M2 portable SSD & Protective Sleeve, Protective Carry Case, USB C & A Cables, Quick Start Guide & Product Disclaimer |
| Ordering information | IS-DAM2-256-XX XX – capacity |
Security and Build
As the primary focus of this drive is around data security, we reached out to a friend, influencer and expert in data recovery to give us his perspective on this iStorage drive. Krzys from Data Rescue Labs has this to say about the M2:
I was sent two products from iStorage for review last month. From what I can see so far from my review is that it is an excellent product. The keypad is protected from tampering and brute-forcing, so I never have to worry about someone guessing my password or trying to bypass the security measures. The devices is also made from sturdy materials, so can withstand a lot of wear and tear. And the additional security features, such as the remote wiping and tamper-evident construction, give me peace of mind that my data is safe and secure.
His sentiments equal our own, the drive is very well-built and the security features in a device of this nature are excellent. Further, even if the drive itself was breached and the NAND and other components were removed, Krzys confirms our notion that it would take NSA-level gear and likely many months or even years to actually penetrate the encryption on the drive. For general business use or those in regulated industries, the M2 should go beyond whatever security requirements are in place for data placed on portable storage devices.
iStorage diskAshur M2 Performance
To gauge the performance of the diskAshur M2, we connected it to our Lenovo ThinkStation P520 and put it through our usual tests.
For Blackmagic, it was able to reach 325.8MB/s read and 324.1MB/s write, which was a bit under the quoted 370MB/s. In comparison, the Ironkey Vault Privacy 50 (another USB 3.2 Gen 1 security-focused portable drive) had 301.6 MB/s read and 230.8 MB/s write.
In our IOMeter tests, we saw data rates of 323.1MB/s read and 237.6MB/s write for 2MB sequential. In comparison, the Ironkey Vault Privacy 50 recorded 226.33MB/s write and 301.24MB/s read. For our random 2MB test, the diskAshur M² had 244.8MB/s read and 218.8MB/s write while the Ironkey Vault Privacy 50 showed 207.61MB/s write and 280.13MB/s read.
During the smaller 4K I/O test, the diskAshur M² measured 4,927 IOPS read and 6,640 IOPS write while the Ironkey Vault Privacy 50 saw 2,137 IOPS write and 3,805 IOPS read.
| IOMeter 1 thread | ||
| Test | iStorage diskAshur M² | Ironkey Vault Privacy 50 |
| 2MB sequential write | 237.6MB/s | 226.33MB/s |
| 2MB sequential read | 323.1MB/s | 301.24MB/s |
| 2MB random write | 218.8MB/s | 207.61MB/s |
| 2MB random read | 244.8MB/s | 280.13MB/s |
| 4K random write | 6,640 IOPS | 2,137 IOPS |
| 4K random read | 4,927 IOPS | 3,805 IOPS |
Final Thoughts
The iStorage diskAshur M2 is a great portable flash drive for those in need of a security-focused storage solution. To emphasize this, M2 features FIPS PUB 197-validated AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption and a Common Criteria EAL 5+ (Hardware Certified) secure microprocessor. It features protection mechanisms that safeguard against tampering and physical attacks coupled with remote-wiping functionality. The diskAshur M2 also comes in capacities ranging from 120GB to 2TB and leverages the USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface.
Though surprisingly lightweight, the diskAshur M2 is ruggedly built. It is dust and waterproof (IP68 certified) and is able to withstand both a 4m drop onto a concrete surface and the weight of a 2.7-ton vehicle. It is also made with quality materials, so you won’t have to worry much about wear and tear until much later in its lifespan. Front and center of the portable drive is the wear-resistant keypad (covered with super-tough epoxy resin covered to boot). This secures the diskAshur M2 via a 7-to-15-digit PIN, meaning that all data is encrypted to those who don’t have the code or when it is disconnected. We found the buttons very responsive and security features easy to use.
Even though performance comes second with these types of portable flash drives, the diskAshur M2 still showed decent results in our benchmarking. For the Blackmagic test, it hit 325.8MB/s read and 324.1MB/s write while data rates showed 323.1MB/s read and 237.6MB/s write (2MB sequential) and 244.8MB/s read and 218.8MB/s write (2MB random) during our IOMeter tests. That said, it still fell slightly short of its quoted 370MB/s transfer speeds for both reads and writes.
Overall, the iStorage diskAshur M2 comes highly recommended due to its comprehensive range of effective security features and its rugged, tamper-proof design. It certainly gives us peace of mind that our data will be safe on this portable storage solution.
iStorage diskAshur M2 at Amazon
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