Introduction

Datalocker is a US-based data security and storage encryption brand. Amongst the various companies partaking in this field, it’s the most well-known worldwide, and has plenty of patents and government contracts that have made it the de-factor leader when it comes to encrypted storage and managed security solutions. We covered the Datalocker Sentry K350 USB drive earlier this year, that uses an integrated screen to enhance the user experience, compared to most of the competition that goes with a keypad or a Bluetooth-based app that can be either cumbersome or less secure. Around the same time as the Sentry K350 launch, Datalocker also was showing off another product line for those who needed more storage.

Named simply the Datalocker DL4 FE, this is a full-on external hard drive with the same excellent security—fully certified at that so defense entities can use it, in addition to larger corporations whose IT departments require it—that was in the Sentry K350. The larger form factor allows for 2.5″ HDDs and SSDs, enabling storage capacities from 500 GB all the way to a whopping 15.3 TB. The image above also indicates a large screen so you also know this should be easy to operate. Today we take a look at the 500 GB HDD version of the Datalocker DL4 FE, as well as the company’s feature-rich SafeConsole central device management platform too. Thanks to Datalocker for providing a review sample of the hard drive as well as a demo license of the software to TechPowerUp!

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the Datalocker DL4 FE is relatively simple, with a truncated company logo on the front and a sticker confirming the exact model in terms of storage capacity. This is also seen on a security seal going around the side and to the back wherein you also have the serial number for the specific drive inside. Certification info and relevant links are seen on the back. You can find a quick start guide as well as a more detailed user manual on the website, but there is also a handy YouTube walkthrough for those who are not in the mood to read through paperwork. The sides simply have more company logos for further branding purposes.

Opening the box reveals a handy soft carry case in black, with red accents. The Datalocker logo makes another showing here above a handy stretchy pocket for accessories. The primary compartment is zippered closed and contains the drive inside, so you can use this case for safekeeping and transporation. The QR code now visible at the bottom of the box takes you to the generic product resource center, although the relevant documents are already linked previously. We also get two separate power/data cables with the DL4 FE in the form of short USB Type-C to Type-C and Type-C to Type-A, so that you may easily use the drive with different systems.

Closer Look and Testing

The Datalocker DL4 FE casing uses a layered metal and plastic composition, making for a tough exterior that is also scratch and drop resistant. It comes IP64 rated against dust and spills, although obviously ensure the drive is dry prior to plugging it in. There is also a large integrated display which is slightly recessed to ensure the body around it absorbs any bumps in the case of accidents. The color scheme is fairly clean and we do see that Datalocker loves to ensure everyone knows who made the product courtesy a large logo on the front in addition to on the cable connector housings from above. Datalocker places a relatively large indicator LED above the screen, and a sticker on the back with device-specific info in addition to the various relevant certifications. The top side has a USB Type-C port for connectivity whereas the bottom has a Kensington lock port for if you wish to lock this device down physically. At 120 x 77 x 21 mm and ~350 g for this specific model, the DL4 FE is quite easy to carry around, and the provided case further helps in that regard.

There is no internal battery and thus the DL4 FE relies on being connected via USB for power and data alike. Doing so for the first time, and indeed every single time thereafter, boots up the device in a quick self-check mode, before it prompts you to set up the administrative password or quickly change the language to either of English, French, German, or Spanish. This can be an alphanumeric password (no case support) and you will see the LED light up blue and the device make a chime each time you press on the touch screen. The screen isn’t going to compete favorably with mobile phone screens for the display parameters, but works well enough with your fingers or even a stylus. Re-enter the chosen password and the device can now be unlocked for use, for both read and write operations as with any USB storage drive or set to a special read-only mode. When you are done, simply tap on the screen to wake it up and then hit the « Lock and Disconnect » button to place it in a standby mode allowing you to unlock as needed or power off the drive. You will see the screen also shows the device status, including storage capacity and firmware version, as well as the encryption protocol employed.

The settings cog wheel takes you to the device menu which has specific options depending on whether you are logged in as the admin or simply a user. Here I have used the admin profile to show all the menu options, most of which are self-explanatory. I would recommend turning up the device brightness slightly, given the screen can be a touch dark out of the box, to allow for its relatively poor contrast ratio to not be an issue. Thankfully there is enough headroom here to get the screen visible even in a nicely lit room, while still having the details clearly legible. You can set up a user account on the device with limited control as expected, and the admin can also choose the password complexity in addition to deciding what happens after a certain number of failed log-in attempts. Datalocker is the only company I know of that has a self destruct option which physically changes the internal configuration, rendering the device useless, so take that option seriously and only as a very last resort. I also disabled the touch sounds that I felt were unnecessary, and also reduced the idle timeout to 15 minutes from the default 60. Use the touch calibration if you have a stylus on hand but otherwise the device is set up well from the get go.

Disabling the touch sounds can also be justified, given the blue indicator LED still lights up at each screen press. I mentioned before how the screen is not a strong point in terms of resolution and clarity, let alone contrast ratio and backlighting evenness. But it does the job plenty well and certainly more so than a less-smart device with a physical keyboard but no screen, to where the DL4 FE is extremely easy to use. The drive is also platform agnostic, owing to all the security and user settings stored onboard the device and this also helps make it a proper, certified encryption device with FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation and AES 256-bit XTS hardware encryption. There are also some simple tweaks such as the password screen randomly shifting the rows of letters, so anyone trying to use a brute force attack, trying to see you type the password secretly, or even aiming to use any fingerprint smudges will fail. It does mean that unlocking the device each time will require you to see where the letters are placed, but it’s a great security step that I wasn’t even considering.

SafeConsole is Datalocker’s remote device management platform, allowing a group administrator to have central management powers over all compatible Datalocker devices in a feature-rich console. We see before how the DL4 FE menu has a SafeConsole toggle so enable it and connect it to a device where you can then open up SafeConsole in your browser. This is a licensed platform that runs on a subscription-cost basis and the video above showcases the various features available with it. Note that I used the Datalocker Sentry K350 for this, and I will talk more about why shortly. SafeConsole is effectively a set of policies that takes everything you saw in the DL4 FE’s menu and gives that, and much more, on a single screen. Now imagine being able to do this for every single Datalocker device, and you will see how these units can go from being self-contained encrypted portable storage drives to being fully managed devices subject to the policies set up by, say, your company’s IT department. This includes user accounts and log-in policies, anti-virus and anti-malware protection, courtesy McAfee, geolocation and locking unit functionality to within a decided geographic zone, and even ensuring users routinely access the device via SafeConsole to keep the policies updated. The audit log feature also helps the admin see the drive activity, including with deleted files, so there is always a digital log of what all users and all devices have gone through.

Datalocker’s SafeConsole is easily the best such management platform I have seen thus far and I can see why larger entities go this route. GDPR regulations made encrypted storage almost a must in most of Europe and I’ve personally had to deal with some colleagues at work who were lax with data, to say the least. The only issue I have with SafeConsole, and this is outside of the subscription model which I understand, is that any device registered and manged via SafeConsole will cease operating if your license expires! There are a certain number of log-in attempts and days before forcing the device to be used with SafeConsole that can be set up to keep the device ticking and Datalocker also claims the whole point here companies want something like this, whereby data security is more important and they’d rather lose the device than risk someone else getting hands on the data. Companies using SafeConsole thus have to understand this is a big deal whereby you can only step in but not out easily. A lapsed license also can’t be easily re-set for the devices to be functional. From a consumer stand point, this can result in a lot of e-waste while also effectively creating a perpetual revenue stream for Datalocker, to where I still don’t really buy the « best for clients » reasoning provided. Either way, I have to point this out and let potential customers decide for themselves.

I have the base 500 GB HDD model of the Datalocker DL4 FE here and it’s been a while since I last used non-flash storage. As such, seeing those pitiful random read/write speeds reminded me exactly why I only use SSDs and faster flash memory-based portable storage devices. Now granted that the sequential speeds are plenty for typical data transfer back and forth on external drives, but it’s still something to be aware of. Thankfully Datalocker makes the DL4 FE available in both HDD and SSD variants with the former offering better bang for your buck in storage capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. With the faster SSDs you start at 1 TB and go all the way up to 15.3 TB! Pricing also depends on the configuration chosen, wherein you will now note that Datalocker does not have a store of its own and relies on resellers and distributors around the world, which are found on this page. Pricing in the US does not seem very consistent with this 500 GB HDD model costing $295-360 from the listed retailers and the 15.3 TB SSD model costing ~$4700 to $5500 to where surely Datalocker has to step in and looking into this pricing discrepancy! Availability in other regions, such as the UK, is seemingly dependent on B2B entities; that is, aside from much more expensive options, such as Dell UK with a few models on offer including the 1 TB HDD for £675.59 (inc. VAT) going up to £3,157.19 for the 4 TB SSD. It’s harder for consumers in other regions to buy these as easily as in the USA. Datalocker’s SafeConsole management platform is a separate add-on available as a custom quote, depending on the feature set. All DL4 FE drives come with a 3-year limited warranty and the USP here is the ease of use via the integrated touch screen, which on its own makes the the drive worth considering.