Photograph: Kevin CandlandHaving basically replaced floppy disks as the portable media of choice for small amounts of PC data, USB flash drives are pursuing more widespread adoption, sporting faster data transfer speeds, advanced features for desktop mobility and security, and lower prices.
However, that very popularity and versatility make them security risks for businesses, according to a recent report from Gartner Research, which recommends that companies consider forbidding the use of uncontrolled, privately owned devices on their equipment. The U.S. Department of Energy already has banned USB flash drives and other portable storage, such as Apple IPods, from the workplace, saying copying and stealing sensitive data with them is just too easy.
Expansion Plans
Despite such concerns, the drives' capabilities continue to grow. Take RedCannon Security's Fireball KeyPoint USB drive: Using its included software, you may surf the Web and leave no tracks. The KeyPoint also scans your PC for spyware and allows you to access a version of your e-mail account stored on the drive. The KeyPoint costs $299 for a 512MB model.
Meanwhile, the DiskOnKey division of M-Systems has unveiled what it claims are the fastest USB 2.0 flash drives yet available, boasting read rates as speedy as 23 megabytes per second and write speeds of 15 MBps, which is about 30 percent faster than the rates of competitors. The latest crop of DiskOnKey drives comes in an array of sizes, topping out at 2GB ($470).
The $130, bottle-cap-size Micro Mini 512MB USB 2.0 Drive from Iomega can hold dozens of portable applications called Active Disk software. While you currently can open only one app at a time, Iomega says that by winter the drive should handle opening multiple apps at once.
Security risks aside, the best news is that USB flash drives are increasingly affordable. Analysts say prices will dip even lower over the next six months as new vendors begin making the type of memory these drives use, thereby creating price competition.
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