It is shocking and worrisome that the memory sticks used by the MoD are not ecrypted usb memory sticks.  These encrypted memory sticks could be lost or stolen without compromising security since the person who obtains the memory stick would not be able to view the data saved on it.  Encrypted USB memory sticks offer many levels of security that allow your data to be easily accessible by you but not by anyone without the authorization to view your data.  All companies with employees that are using memory sticks to transfer information relating to patents, financial documents, trade secrets, source code, or other proprietary information should supply their employees with encrypted usb flash drives to prevent data loss or theft.

The long awaited increased capacity in usb thumb drives means users could now store their entire operating system and documents on a memory stick instead of locally on their computer.  A 64 GB flash drive could also hold over 15 full length movies or over 30,000 mp3s all in a package the size of a pack of gum.

While the $300 price tag may still be prohibitive for some people, it is a drastic decrease from earlier reported retail prices and is an incredible value for the amount of portable memory.  The price will also decrease drastically over the next year as more manufacturers join the large capacity usb memory stick market.

We don’t expect that 64 GB memory sticks will be in demand for bulk customized usb memory stick purchases in the near future given the price but in a few years, 64 GB could be the new standard for memory sticks like 1 GB is now.