Western Digital Announces New 2TB ArmorLock NVMe SSD

• Western Digital has announced a rugged SSD that features hardware-level encryption.
• The disk is rugged, rated with IP67, and is able to withstand drops from up to three meters.
• The software that comes with it lets users unlock it with biometrics, set up access teams, and erase data for good.

Through its specialized “G-Technology” sub-brand, Western Digital has announced a new NVMe SSD product that comes with the ArmorLock security platform. The whole concept is to offer a large enough solid-state drive that boasts superior encryption and absolves users from having to enter passwords all the time. It also features a contemporary design and can take a beating without a problem.

The ArmorLock SSD comes at a single 2TB size edition (for now), which has a price of $599.

Introducing the ARMORLOCK™ encrypted NVMe™ SSD––revolutionary data protection that's amazingly simple to use and won't slow you down. Encryption is only the beginning.

— SanDisk Professional® (@SanDiskPro) September 3, 2020

Starting with the encryption and the security aspect of the product, 256-bit AES-XTS hardware encryption is used combined with NIST P-256 elliptic curve-based key management. Everything stays locked until the user connects the disk with a computer or a smartphone, where they can use the ArmorLock app.

This platform connects with the device’s biometrics such as the fingerprint reader or Face ID, essentially unlocking the SSD. A passcode may also be set if the user prefers this method.

Once unlocked, the SSD can transfer, read, or write data at speeds of up to 1000 MB/sec. Any heat generated from the lighting fast speeds is smoothly dissipated to the environment thanks to the disk’s aluminum core. The presence of NVMe (non-volatile memory express) is also something that you won’t find on all disks, and it’s an advanced storage protocol that accelerates data access and transferring over the PCIe bus.

If the disk is deployed in corporate or other environments where teams need to have access to the same device, ArmorLock allows the setting up of multiple user access. If it’s lost, the last known location shown in the app may help you find it. If something needs to be deleted, it’s done through the “secure erase” feature, which overwrites the section with random data.

Finally, Western Digital promises the disk’s ability to withstand up to 3-meter drops, 1,000-pound crushing forces, and all the shocks of the everyday work environments. Backpacks, trucks, DIT carts, and Pelican boxes should be considered a natural environment for the new ArmorLock SSDs. Moreover, the product has a dust and waterproofing rating of IP67, which means it would not have a problem even if it gets submerged in up to one meter of water depth.

Mind you that hardware encryption is not qualitatively equivalent to software encryption, and it’s a lot harder for hackers to break. Their drawbacks are the additional cost and also the limited data recovery options. So, the cost of $599 is pretty much justified in this case, considering the apparent build quality and the features of the product.