Kingston Digital 8GB Data Traveler Locker + G3, USB 3.0 with Personal Data Security & Automatic Cloud Backup

This review is for the Kingston Digital 16gb Data Traveler Locker USB thumb drive. Sometimes Amazon lumps reviews of different models/products together and it's important to know that the review being read is pertinent to the product being considered for purchase.I purchased the Kingston drive to supplement the drive space on an Acer Cloudbook. The Cloudbook has rather limited storage space (32gb before formatting and installing the operating system) and the additional 16gb (before formatting) of the thumb drive is welcome. An additional feature of the drive is as important to me (YMMV) as the space - the hardware encryption. Files on the USB drive should be as safe, or safer, than the files stored on the internal chip in the Acer. Bitlocker is not an option on a Windows 10 Home computer; an older version of TrueCrypt might have sufficed or a newer version of VeraCrypt. However I opted for the Kingston encryption because setup seemed a bit easier and I wanted to try something new.While no encryption is perfect the encryption on the Kingston Data Traveler adds a level of comfort and security.Physically the drive is heavier than most thumb drives, being of metal construction. The fit and finish are good - perhaps a bit TOO good in that the drive is a tight fit when installing on a computer.There is a drive light on one side of the Kingston that lights when the device is first plugged into the computer. Once the connection is made the internal software on the drive prompts for the password and, if the password is correct, the "real" storage is mounted as the next drive letter in line.(In my Acer the drive shows as "D" for the physical drive and "E" for the mounted secure drive containing the data.)The removable cover on the Data Traveler is a nice, tight fit. It is not, however, connected to the drive when removed and thus can be lost. It can be mounted on the opposite end of the drive and is a tight fit there, too - but had Kingston added a hole or bracket on the lid it could be attached to the drive via a length of nylon line, etc., which would prevent the cover from being misplaced.There is a small hole in the drive for attaching the device to a key chain or some such.The unit comes with a five (5) year warranty, see Kingston for details on that.It also comes with "Cloud Storage". I cannot review that feature because I opted out; I have other methods of backup and remote access to files if need be. Once you opt out of the Cloud Storage option a small text file is created on the root of the storage device. As long as that file is in place, it seems, you will not be asked again about Cloud Storage. If you erase the .txt file then the next time the drive mounts you will be offered, again, Cloud Storage.Overall performance of the drive when attached to a USB 3 port is quite snappy - keeping in mind that I am using a Cloudbook, which is not necessarily the fastest horse in the corral.I rate the Kingston 16gb Data Traveler at 5 stars because it adds the storage that I require, adds a level of security to that storage, and has good performance qualities. When all of that comes at a reasonable price it hits all of the marks for me. YMMV.HTHRegards,Jim

I started buying these to hold confidential data several years ago. After a year of using them on a daily basis, I purchased a new device and copied all of the data from the old to the new device. I don't know if that was really necessary or not, but I figured it would not hurt and it gave me an annual backup of the device contents. I've been doing this for four years and have not had any problems with these units.Inserting this into your computer (I've only used these on Windows systems with USB ports) mounts a CDRom image which loads software allowing you to access the important data on the device. You can choose your own password (encryption key) and this must be supplied with every mount so you can read/write your data.The device is fast, I can run a real time application with databases and reference files located on this device, and long lasting. I carry this with me constantly in my pocked with keys so the exterior of the case eventually gets dulled a bit, but the device continues to work perfectly.These are very convenient to use, provides excellent data security, and have speedy performance. I think they are worth the money for what you get.

Kingston Digital 16GB Data Traveler Locker and USB 3.0 G3 with Automatic Data SecurityThe Kingston Digital 16GB Data Traveler Locker and USB 3.0 G3 with Automatic Data Security fits perfectly into my Macbook Pro 13”. This digital 16GB is a good amount of storage capacity; plus it is password secured.I researched other portable flash drives (there are way to many to choose from) and I chose the Kingston Digital 16GB because it featured password security. Only draw back to this particular security is if you forget your password after 10 tries, you will be locked out and forced to change your password which will in-turn (by design) reformat the drive and you will lose all your data. I believe this small price to pay is worth this flash drives protocols. Now with that said, I intend to and have used this flash drive to record shows to watch. Because I do not want to take up storage space on my Laptop, I use this flash drive to store and/or transfer data; and not as a permanent storage. However, that said, I would recommend investing in an external hard drive for permanent storage. Ensure if you do purchase an external hard drive that it is compatible with your electronic device(s).In conclusion, I consider this flash drive a practical device worth looking into and in addition, to look into an external hard drive. Because it is a well made product, and because I believe this product serves its design purpose, I give it a five star for its practical application.

Great little device. The all metal case feels sturdy and the USB plug makes a connection every time. It's solid in your hand and feels slightly heavy for its size. I've had the drive for a month or so and it works very well.The security was easy to set up, and works well on all the versions of Windows I've tried it on -- Windows XP and the way up to Win10.As an IT person, I use this frequently -- I often need to place sensitive files on this device and feel secure that the 256bit AES encryption will protect them in the event it is lost or misplaced. (AES256 is approved by the NSA to secure classified documents) As long as you use a good, not easily guessed password, this should be more than enough to protect your files. Don't forget your password though -- you have 10 attempts to type the correct password, after which it will format the drive, destroying the contents.The only "negatives": I wish the security unlocker program would launch and unlock a bit faster, (takes about 5-10 secs on most relatively modern PCs). It would also be nice if there was a way to tell it to "trust" certain PCs. But these are in no way deal-breakers -- but perhaps something Kingston would add as an enhancement in future versions.