Review: Kingston Technology DataTraveler 6000 Let's face it, USB sticks aren't the sexiest of tech kit - although those novelty ones styled like Star Wars figures, spacemen and puppies can be quite cool. But these small drives are enormously useful, especially to move documents around from one computer to another, or so you can leave your laptop behind for that crucial meeting and stick a presentation on one. If you need to send a hefty document, chances are a USB stick is your best option anyway, if your email system can't handle a 20MB file, say. Their extreme portability, however, is a double-edged sword. They're easy to carry and just as easy to leave behind on the train. And while the security on your desktop computer may be protected with firewalls, the USB stick may not be. Your company may not even have usage protocols to stop employees grabbing the first USB memory device they find when they just have to take that hilarious office party video home. But some protection is possible, at least from theft if not the office party, with USB sticks from Kingston's DataTraveler range. The DataTraveler 6000 range promises FIPS 140-2 Level 3 military grade encryption. This sounds impressive and actually it is. So the USB drive is password-protected. Big deal. But there are minimum requirements in terms of how simple your password can be (AAA123 is right out). And if someone unscrupulous is trying to get at what's on the drive, they may try what's known as password brute force attacks. In that case, the USB drive locks down after ten attempts, destroying the encryption key so nobody can get at the data. The encryption engine is said to be so complex that hacking into it would take decades. Beyond that, there are ruggedised considerations to protect your data, too. The titanium-coated stainless steel casing is tough, so youwon't do any damage to it easily, and it's waterproof to protect against water damage at depths of 1.3m. Like other USB sticks, this one is fast, reliable and easy to use. But if you have crucial data, it may be worth splashing out on a high-end memory stick like this, even if it's not as cute as a puppy dog. Kingston Technology DataTraveler 6000 5 Stars