Kanguru announces their exceptional new line of hardware-based, internal self-encrypting drives designed to help organizations secure and protect their data. Under the Kanguru Defender Brand name customers know and trust, Kanguru is entering the internal hardware market with these new Defender internal hardware encrypted solid state drives. The self-encrypting SEDs are packed with security features to help organizations secure data on laptops and tablets, creating a secure data environment. The Defender SED's are also compliant with the Trusted Computing Group's Opal standard for secure drive architecture. In addition, Kanguru has partnered with Cigent, known for their innovative data security, device sanitation and ransomware prevention, to integrate additional cutting-edge endpoint protection into the suite of Kanguru Defender SED's.

Kanguru's military grade AES 256-bit hardware encryption is enforced on the entire drive using stand-alone, independent hardware-based encryption security, not just specific files or folders. These internal encrypted drives automatically lock themselves when powered off, making all data stored within, (including the Operating System) completely inaccessible.

Cigent Technology, a company specializing in data security, has unveiled its unique Cigent Secure SSD+ drives. In contrast to the earlier Secure SSD series, the SSD+ incorporates a cutting-edge AI microprocessor that leverages machine learning (ML) to combat ransomware attacks and protect drive data. The Cigent Secure SSD+ emphasizes a proactive approach, integrating attack prevention within the storage. Its AI microprocessor applies ML algorithms to monitor SSD activity, mitigating ransomware threats. Users can customize detection sensitivity to reduce false positives. Working with Cigent Data Defense software, the Secure SSD+ provides several protective layers upon detecting potential attacks. It can initiate a "Shields Up" mode, demanding multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accessing secure files. The software can also auto-secure drive data or set read-only mode, preventing unauthorized access or modifications.

When an attack is detected, the software notifies security personnel to activate "Shields Up" on other Cigent-protected network systems. The Cigent Secure SSD+ logs data access, allowing a review of all activity performed on the drive. The company has also introduced safeguards to deter bad actors from disabling security features. However, the Cigent Secure SSD+ has limitations. To perform as intended, future users of these drives need to install them as their primary storage, and for now, only Windows OS is supported. We expect to see expansion to Linux as well, as software enablement for Linux happens. Also, the ML algorithms used are unknown, leaving everyone wondering about their effectiveness. As far as exact specifications, pricing, and availability, we have yet to have data for now but don't expect it to come cheap. The regular Secure SSD can cost over 1,000 USD for a 1 TB option. Additionally, Cigent has confirmed that these SSDs come in a standard M.2 2280 drive form factor, with mentions that it is a double-sided design, so some ultra-thin laptops could not support it. On the company website, Cignet offers a pre-order option, where you need to fill out a form.