Corsair (http://www.corsair.com) has released its new Flash Padlock 2 secure USB flash drive. This unique USB flash drive is very cleverly and comprehensively designed to protect your critical business or personal data from unwanted exposure.

The Flash Padlock 2 employs two security technologies. The first of these technologies is a user-definable personal identification number or PIN. To unlock the drive and access the data, this PIN is entered using the drive’s integrated numeric keypad. The Flash Padlock 2 can't be accessed without correctly entering the PIN for that individual drive.

The second technology used is secure 256-bit AES data encryption of the drive contents. 256-bit AES is recognized worldwide by both corporations and governments as the premier standard for data protection, and its use in the Flash Padlock 2 ensures that data protection cannot be compromised by disassembling the drive to gain access to the flash ICs, says John Beekley, vice president of Technical Marketing at Corsair.

Another key feature of the Padlock 2 is platform independence. Most hardware-encrypted USB flash drives require the use of a software application to enter the password for the device. However, the Flash Padlock 2 has an integrated keypad, so no software application is necessary, Beekley says. This allows the user to access their secure data in any environment, including Macs, Windows, Linux computers, even gaming consoles and home entertainment equipment.

The Flash Padlock 2 has a capacity of 8GB, and is available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide. It costs US$55.