Higher storage capacities in external HDD and wider adoption of such products often can lead to security nightmares, as most users simply neglect to encrypt their data, theft of such valuable data, especially among corporations, is a major risk. Lenovo’s ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drive is one paranoid HDD that offers consumers the unique combination of portability and security when using portable HDDs. For the first time a portable HDD has 128-bit encryption alongside a numeric keypad, users will have to enter their pass code each time they want to access their data, which offers an extra layer of security to help keep data safe. The device is less than inch thin and measures just 3 x 5 inches. It's powered via USB, so an external power adapter is not needed. The company has made it possible for 10 unique user IDs and one administrator account to be used for each HDD, and encryption is done in real time.

Lenovo will ship 160 and 320 GB of the portable hard drive, with availability expected sometime this week. The 160 GB model will retail for $179 and the 320 GB will be available for $219.

Via