SanDisk Cruzer Professional and Enterprise Secure USB Flash Drives Introduced

Cruzer Professional Allows for Public and Private Data Partitions, Cruzer Enterprise Provides Mandatory Security with Optional Central Control

SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise, two USB flash drives that deliver strong security and state-of-the-art speed to business users.

Cruzer Professional is primarily for individuals and small businesses who want to protect crucial data while also making it easy to share selected files. Cruzer Enterprise is primarily for medium and large organizations that require mandatory policy enforcement, central management and regulatory compliance.

“USB flash drives offer an inexpensive and convenient way to carry large amounts of digital information in a pocket or purse, yet without proper security these benefits become a huge threat to businesses of all sizes,” said Yariv Fishman, product manager for enterprise solutions in the USB business unit at SanDisk. “Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise are business tools, from a trusted leader in USB flash drives, which help ensure confidential data remains confidential – even if the drives themselves are lost or stolen.”

Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise offer password protection and virtually ironclad data security through hardware-based 256-bit AES encryption. Hardware-based encryption is much more reliable than the software-based security used in most consumer USB flash drives with password protection, because software-based protection relies on the host computer – which can be compromised by spyware and other threats — to perform security operations. Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise are true plug-and-play devices, requiring no software installation on a host computer, so the drives will connect instantly to any computer running a modern version of Microsoft Windows.

Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise are also very fast, with read speeds of 24 megabytes (MB) per second and write speeds of 20 MB/sec(1). This reduces waiting time, which is particularly noticeable when moving large files such as business presentations and video productions.

Cruzer Professional Delivers Security and Sharing
Cruzer Professional lets the owner establish a secure, password-protected “Privacy Zone” that can occupy anywhere from one percent to 100 percent of the drive’s total capacity. The area outside the Privacy Zone is unprotected and is therefore open to any user. Here’s how this can work: A sales executive heading out for a trip puts confidential business plans in the Privacy Zone of a Cruzer Professional, and a product presentation in the public area. Arriving at a client’s office, the executive hands the Cruzer Professional to the client and allows the client to transfer the presentation – without worrying the client might accidentally or deliberately copy confidential files.

Cruzer Enterprise Makes Security The Rule, Not The Exception
Cruzer Enterprise features mandatory password protection for the entire drive, so all files are encrypted if the drive is lost or stolen. Mandatory encryption, as well as a set-up process that requires users to create complex passwords, make Cruzer Enterprise the USB flash drive of choice for organizations with high security requirements, such as public companies subject to the accounting laws, or health-care providers falling under privacy regulations.

Because Cruzer Enterprise doesn’t require installation of drivers or establishing administrative right on any host computer, deployment is as simple as putting the drive into the hands of the user. Cruzer Enterprise is also compatible with many leading enterprise security solutions that enforce policies on usage of removable storage devices.

For larger organizations seeking more functionality, as well as more efficient management of secure USB flash drives, SanDisk is introducing Cruzer Enterprise CMC (Central Management & Control) server software. Cruzer Enterprise CMC supports password recovery and renewal through the network, remote termination of lost drives, central back-up and restore, as well as central usage tracking and auditing. CMC is available now, with pricing information provided on request to enterprise clients.

Pricing and Availability
Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise are both available now in the United States. They are expected to be available in Europe in July, and in Asia later this year. Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise are compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2003.

Cruzer Professional comes in three capacities, with manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRPs) as follows: 1 gigabyte(2) (GB) for $54.99, 2GB for $94.99 and 4GB for $144.99. Cruzer Enterprise comes in the same three capacities, with MSRPs as follows: 1GB for $74.99, 2GB for $124.99 and 4GB for $184.99.

SanDisk is the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the world’s largest supplier of flash data storage card products, using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is headquartered in Milpitas, California, and has operations worldwide, with more than half its sales outside the U.S.

(1) Based on SanDisk internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes.

(2) 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes.

SanDisk’s web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com