Hypertec has introduced a brand of USB Flash drives aimed at business customers, which enforces security by requiring the user to set a strong password before any data can be stored.

The Hyperdrive DataSafe BE, available immediately, secures all files using 256bit AES encryption, handled using a hardware encryption engine built into the device. Previous secure USB drives from Hypertec had both public and private areas for storing data, which meant it was possible for some sensitive information to be unprotected.

“We have upgraded our Hyperdrive DataSafe products in line with corporate user requests for a more secure method of transporting data," said Hypertec managing director Lianne Denness.

Available in capacities from 512MB up to 64GB, the DataSafe enforces password generation rules to ensure that the user chooses a strong password and is not able to store anything until one has been set.

If repeated attempts are made to guess the password by unauthorised users, the device will respond by deleting the internally stored encryption key, thus rendering the data unreadable, Hypertec said.

The DataSafe BE is available in a variety of case styles including rugged, retractable, slimline and standard, and is backed by a three-year warranty.