Freecom, an award-winning manufacturer of external hard drives and portable storage devices, today launched the Hard Drive Secure, a compact, portable external hard drive that allows users to lock their data with a simple swipe of a keycard.

The drive is the first in the Freecom range to offer this feature, making it perfect for both businesses that want to expand their external storage space without the risk of data breaches, and security conscious home users. Freecom also announced the launch of the new Hard Drive Quattro, which is the latest in the company line of aluminium external hard drives and ideally suited for AV professionals.


Access to data on the Hard Drive Secure is controlled with a keycard that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Passing the keycard over the reader on the hard drive either locks or unlocks the system, giving users access to their data in seconds while ensuring that their files remain secure at all times. The Hard Drive Secure comes with two keycards, one of which can be stored away safely in case the first is lost. Designed in a credit card format that is convenient and discrete to carry around, the keycards can be easily slotted into a purse or wallet so they are always at hand when needed. The cards eliminate the need for passwords and are AES encrypted to provide ultimate data protection, even if the drive is stolen, unauthorised users would have no way of accessing the files that it stores.

밐aving a portable hard drive lets you backup and share information quickly and easily, but computer users shouldnt have to compromise on security when it comes to storing their data externally, said Axel Lucassen, co-founder and executive senior VP of product line management and marketing. You hear about it almost every day somebody somewhere loses their hard drive and all kinds of confidential information ends up out in the open for anyone to see. Whether at home or in the office, the keycard system on the Hard Drive Secure keeps your data completely safe and gives you instant access to your files whenever you need to use them.

The Hard Drive Quattro is perfect for storing and editing large photo, music and video files and is ideal for graphics and audio professionals who regularly work with uncompressed data. Featuring four different interfaces, the Hard Drive Quattro provides reliable and fast data transfer no matter what type of computer is being used. And the FireWire 800 & 400 interfaces are compatible with Macs often the preferred choice for graphics designers, sounds engineers and many other creative industries. Furthermore, when connected to eSATA, the drive performs up to six times faster than a standard USB 2.0 hard drive the fastest data transfer speed to date for a single external hard drive.

Both the Hard Drive Secure and the Hard Drive Quattro offer storage capacity of up to 2TB. Housed in durable aluminium enclosures, they feature a compact design so that users can easily share and synchronise files wherever they go. By simply plugging either drive into a USB 2.0 port on a computer, users can back up important data and store office work, digital photos, music and movies in one central location. Optimal airflow management ensures they do not overheat internally and replaces the need for a cooling fan, so vibration is kept to a minimum and the drives run almost silently.

Website : http://www.freecom.com/default.asp?submit1=1_2