Super-safe storage surfaces

The HDD that can be soaked and burnt

By James Sherwood • Get more from this author

2nd July 2008 13:47 GMT

If you thought that viruses were one of the most likely things to damage your data, then think again - it could well be fire and water. Thankfully, there’s a solution.

Manufacturer SentrySafe has launched what it claims is the world’s first and only fire-resistant and waterproof hard drive unit. It claims the storage unit can be fully submerged into water for up to 24 hours and withstand temperatures of up to 1550°F for around 30 minutes.

The 250GB drive’s actually the second-generation model produced by SentrySafe, with its earlier model sporting a lesser, 160GB capacity. Inside the tough casing is a Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini hard drive, which is also independently encased to protect it from dust and dirt.

SentrySafe’s 250GB model is powered through a USB 2.0 connection and is supplied with software for data back-ups.

The drive is available now online for $400 (£200/€250).