Lenovo ThinkPad USB Secure Hard Drive

Recently we tested eight encrypted portable drives, all of which are capable of keeping your data private. Some, however, are dependent on a Windows tool for log-in and setup.

In contrast, Lenovo's cryptodrive ($220 for 320GB)--like the Data Locker Pro AES Edition, which we also considered--takes advantage of a numeric keypad on the drive housing, so it can work with multiple operating systems. Interestingly, this drive's housing more closely resembles a burglar-alarm panel. Pressing and holding numerical combinations allows you to change the password or modify other settings, without having to run software. This model produces no sound when you press a key, which is better than the obnoxiously loud Data Locker--but unlike that competing product, it offers no visual feedback that you have pressed a key, either.

The drive demands a lot of power to do its thing, so the box includes a second cable that you're supposed to plug into a second, free USB port and then feed into the drive's power port.