Freecom secures hard disk with a wave

Freecom's Hard Drive Secure can be locked and unlocked with the wave of a keycard

Freecom has introduced an external USB 2.0 hard drive that can be locked and unlocked with the wave of a keycard to protect any data stored on the device.

Available immediately, the Hard Drive Secure is available in storage capacities from 500GB to 2TB, and uses a keycard with a built-in radio frequency identification chip for access control.

Passing the keycard over the reader on the hard drive either locks or unlocks the system. This provides a quicker and more convenient method of giving users access to their data, while ensuring that it remains secure at all times, according to Freecom.

A spare keycard is supplied in case the first is lost or damaged.

Freecom also introduced the Hard Drive Quattro range, available in the same capacities as Hard Drive Secure, but with Firewire 400, Firewire 800 and eSata interfaces in addition to USB 2.0.

Prices range from €119 (£103) to €289 (£250) for the Hard Drive Secure, and from €149 (£129) to €349 (£302) for Hard Drive Quattro.