Product showcase: Apricorn Aegis NVX, a high-security, portable SSD

The Apricorn Aegis NVX is a hardware-based 256-Bit AES XTS external SSD drive with integrated USB-C cable. Its storage capacities range from 500GB to 2TB. The device is OS free and cross-platform compatible.

Design and build

The drive comes with a compact carry case, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a quick start guide. It is enclosed in aircraft-grade aluminum alloy and sealed with tamper-resistant, tamper-evident uni-directional breakaway security fasteners that are driven and cemented in place with hardened epoxy. The disk feels solid and well-made, and it is smaller and lighter than my iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The polymer-coated membrane-style keypad is big enough for comfortable use and wear-resistant to prevent the most used buttons from showing signs of wear.

PIN setup requirements

The Aegis NVX does not come with a preset PIN. Since I use a Mac, I had to reformat the drive before I could use it.

Before you can start using it, you need to create an Admin PIN that is 7 to 16 digits long. The PIN cannot consist solely of identical or sequential numbers (for example, 123456789, 987654321, or 11111111).

Admin mode manages the device’s universal programmable settings and is accessible only with the Admin PIN. User mode is designed for general external drive functions such as reading, writing, unlocking, locking, and other specific operations. It can be accessed using either a User PIN or the Admin PIN, and you can register up to four User PINs.

Advanced security features

The Aegis NVX includes several security features, such as:

• One-time-use recovery PINs: The Admin can create up to four one-time-use recovery PINs. These recovery PINs let a User access data on the Aegis NVX if they forget their PIN. After a recovery PIN is used, it becomes invalid and can’t be used again.
• Self-destruct PIN: This feature helps protect data when used in public. Read-Only mode is essential for forensic use, keeping data unchanged. Only the Admin can enable or disable Read-Only mode for all users.
• Read-only mode: This feature helps protect data when used in public. Read-only mode is essential for forensic use, keeping data unchanged. Only the Admin can enable or disable Read-Only mode for all users.
• Brute-force defense: This feature helps protect data when used in public. Read-Only mode is essential for forensic use, keeping data unchanged. Only the Admin can enable or disable Read-Only mode for all users.

Speed test

Apricorn Aegis NVX delivers transfer speeds of up to 1000 MB/s, but to achieve this speed, your computer’s internal drive must also be an SSD.

Help Net Security tested the speed of the 1TB Aegis NVX model. To maintain consistency, all tests were carried out on the same computer using the same USB-C port. The table below displays the average transfer times, in seconds, for various file sizes.

Final thoughts

If protecting your files is a top priority, the Apricorn Aegis NVX is definitely a good choice. Simple to use, secure, and sturdy to hold, this drive is perfect whether you’re traveling, handling sensitive information, or simply looking for extra peace of mind, making data protection hassle-free.