Kanguru SS3 – 16GB USB Flash Drive - Physical Write Protect Switch – SuperSpeed USB 3.0 - Portable

This drive is a bit on the slow side for a contemporary USB Flash drive.It's over a dollar-per-GB, at a time when similar-sized drives cost half that, and larger drives are a quarter that expensive per GB.But... it has a write-protect switch. THIS is why you need this drive.You need this drive, but you don't need it for documents, photos, moving data back-and-forth. You need it for rescue utilities and a repair toolkit, of programs Windows Defender/Sophos/Macafee/etc will falsely (or perhaps trigger-happily) consider malware and auto-delete as soon as you plug the drive in.Put tools on the drive, "allowing" them in your system, and then flip that switch. Bring the toolkit wherever needed (e.g. my mother's tangled computers in another state), insert, get the warning BUT the system couldn't delete the files. And I was able to fix up her systems.For some sources of toolkit software for Windows, checkout NirSoft, PortableApps and SysInternals. There are others, but these will get you started with an easy-to-use high-powered portable toolkit.

I use this device for its intended purpose, to transfer files from my computer to an untrusted machine. The write-protect switch is tiny and does stick out. I transport this device in its original packaging to avoid breaking that switch. I always transport this device to or from a room inside a building from or to my car. I never carry it far so I don’t care if the original packaging is bulky. This was the lowest cost device of its kind (write-protectable transportable storage) by half and I am comfortable with its limitations.

I bought one over 6 years ago and it is still going! It has the ability to be locked in a "read only" mode so you can't get a virus from a computer that has one even if you stick this USB drive in it and copy files off of the USB stick or run apps directly from it. Only issue is that this brand is very expensive, but has solid build quality that does last. They have not come down in price over the years, they have become even more expensive. Many other USB flash drives I have used are very cheaply made and tend to break after a year or two of use. This one has an aluminum shell, led activity light on the end of it, and a cap to prevent dust and dirt from getting into the end. A must have in a world full of viruses.

Yes it has a cap you can lose, and the R/W switch isn't as hard to move as some would like, but it seems to be solidly made, has worked with a variety Windows computers I've used it on.Not too many write-protectable USB flash drives out there any more. I was still using a little tiny 128 MB drive from the dark ages of computing! This one is big enough, fast enough, and not ridiculously expensive.Taking data and software to strange computers? You gotta have one of these, and the Kanguru FlashBlu30 is plenty good enough.BTW, my local computer shop, with a large tech area, uses these, and nothing else, to move data and software to their incoming customer's computers, which are often compromised in one way or another.

I do not have the forensics skills to guarantee that this is completely write-proof when the lock switch is engaged, but I was not able to bypass that switch through software as an administrator.That makes this thumbdrive handy for running software in a read-only mode on PCs that need troubleshooting or are suspected of having malware. I use this only to carry apps and installer files, I do not back up files at all. This way I can load installers/apps from a trusted PC, then keep the drive in read-only mode when using on other PCs to prevent anything from being deleted or modified.

I've purchased a number of Kanguru SS3 flash-drives for tech work over the years and have yet to have one fail. This is my first FlashTrust drive and I've delayed buying because of the high price. It's identical to my SS3 drives: Aluminum body, plastic cap, and tiny read/write switch. (water-resistant but not waterproof) The switch seems so fragile, and should wear out or get damaged if bumped too many times, but I am only moderately hard on them, so I've yet to have a failure. Good USB 3 transfer rate, and it will get warm when copying GB's at a time. Not sure yet how to verify the integrity of the firmware on this model. Really happy that I can ensure clients that I won't be transferring malware when using the FlashTrust. It sure is work to stay ahead of hackers!

If you're looking for a flash drive you can plug into public (or your friends') computers without worrying about carrying a devastating viral infection home, this is the flash drive for you. Your music, your videos and your files can go with you to allow full access anywhere, but backdoors, viruses, trojans and other malware can't infect your flash drive and its data as long as you keep the drive locked. A simple to use switch locks the bad stuff out and keeps you safe. As a tech services provider, the Kanguru FlashBlu30 is my primary way to carry diagnostic programs and patches into the field. While I plug this drive into dozens of different users' computers each week, I never have to worry about dragging an infection from one person's computer to another, even when I'm working with heavily infected computers. It's a great way to practice safe computing.

The product works excellent, as expected!