iStorage’s Diskashur M2 is stylish, stealthy and a pretty decent bargain as far as secure flash drives are concerned. More importantly, it’s a good performer, and ticks all the security boxes. Or it will when FIPS 140-2 level 3 certification is complete<\/span>\u00a0this Q4\/2021.<\/em><\/p>\n

Design<\/h2>\n

The 105mm long, 45mm wide, by 12mm thick M2’s appearance, while handsome, is rather non-descript in terms of functionality with its protective sleeve in place. Said black aluminum sleeve covers the drive up to the chromed finger-hold that you grab to remove the actual SSD from its hideaway. A rubber gasket makes for a water\/dust tight seal. With both halves mated, the M2 is rated IP68<\/a> for resistance against such foreign substances.<\/p>\n

Alas, running contrary to its otherwise innocuous appearance, there was a bold “DISKASHUR M2” logo on my review unit. So much for stealth. Never fear though, you can customize the sleeve’s tattooing to anything you want, including zilch. I recommend the latter, as the most successful security operations are those that are or were never suspected.<\/p>\n

There’s no battery inside the M2, so you must connect the drive to a computing device to unlock it. To that end, the drive has a micro-B USB port, and the drive ships with both micro-B to Type-A and micro-B to Type-C cables. I was a tad surprised at the choice of micro-B rather than the more modern Type-C. However, because of the larger surface area and design it does tend towards a more physically secure (less likely to separate) connection than other USB connections. And indeed, the fit was quite secure in the drive I tested.<\/p>\n

My real, albeit minor gripe is that the cables don’t sit quite flush with the drive, leaving some metal on the male side exposed. IPS68 is likely merely a distant memory with the M2’s sleeve off.<\/p>\n