iStorage IS-DAP2-256-SSD-512-C-X DiskAshur PRO Secure Solid State Drive User Guide

User Guide

Remember to save your PIN in a safe place. If lost or forgotten, there is no way to access the drive.
If you are having difficulty please refer to the complete user’s manual which is loaded on your diskAshur PRO drive and is also available at iStorage’s website: www.istorage-uk.com/support

Copyright © iStorage Limited, Inc 2013. All rights reserved.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
All other trademarks and copyrights referred to are the property of their respective owners.
Distribution of modified versions of this document is prohibited without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.
Distribution of the work or derivative work in any standard (paper) book form for commercial purposes is prohibited unless prior permission is obtained from the copyright holder.
DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED AS IS AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON- INFRINGEMENT, ARE DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH DISCLAIMERS ARE HELD TO BE LEGALLY INVALID

About the diskAshur PRO

Looking for the highest level of security for your data while utilizing the fastest USB 3.0 speeds?
Look no further than the diskAshur PRO 140-2 Validated Drive, certified and tested to NIST FIPS 140-2 Level 2 requirements and with the fastest speeds of iStorage’s Secure Drive line. Sporting an easy-to-use keypad design that is impervious to dust and grit,  with a software free setup and operation, the diskAshur PRO enables you to access the drive simply and easily with your own unique PIN. And with a super fast integrated USB 3.0 cable, you can access your data faster than ever before.

Package contents

• diskAshur PRO drive with integrated USB 3.0 cable
• Travel pouch
• USB Y-cable
• Quick Start Guide

diskAshur PRO – Connections

Before you begin
Be sure to review the following information before you begin to use diskAshur PRO.
Attention: Use only the included cables with your diskAshur PRO.
You might damage the drive if you use a cable not included with the diskAshur PRO.
diskAshur PRO is designed for portable use without an AC power adapter and in most cases will be able to power on a single USB port. In the event that diskAshur PRO is unable to power on a single USB connection, use the included USB Y-cable. The diskAshur  PRO is not self-powered and requires connection to a USB port to perform all operations.

Connecting diskAshur PRO

1. Attach the integrated USB cable of the diskAshur PRO drive to an available USB port on your computer, as shown below.
   NOTE: While diskAshur PRO will work with any USB port, for the fastest speeds connect to a USB 3.0 port on your computer.

2. At least one of the diskAshur PRO LEDs should turn on, indicating that it is receiving power.

If none of the LEDs turn on or the drive locks when writing to the disk, use the included USB Y-cable. Refer to directions on the following page

Connecting with the USB Y-Cable

If none of the diskAshur PRO LEDs power on a single USB connection, use the included USB Y-cable.

1. Attach diskAshur PRO’s integrated USB cable to the female connector of the USB Y-cable.
2. Connect the two male USB connectors to two available USB ports on your computer.
3. At least one of the diskAshur PRO’s LEDs should turn on, indicating that the diskAshur PRO is powered.

diskAshur PRO Keypad Panel

When you first plug in the FIPS diskAshur PRO drive, the unit will do a self- test to verify all security components are working properly.
The LEDs will go through 3 test stages RED, GREEN, and BLUE. This will be followed by three GREEN flashes on a successful test. Any test failure will leave the unit in an interoperable state with the RED LED flashing.

First Time Use

Before diskAshur PRO can be used, the Admin PIN MUST be set. The LED will display Solid BLUE and Solid GREEN to indicate diskAshur PRO is waiting for a PIN to be set.
To Set-up the Admin PIN:

1. Press UNLOCK + 9. The LED will change to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.
2. Enter the new Admin PIN and press UNLOCK key. If accepted the GREEN LED will flash for 3 short blinks, then return to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.
3. Re-enter the Admin PIN and press the UNLOCK key. If accepted the GREEN LED will be Solid for 3 seconds.
4. LED will then turn BLUE and remain in Admin mode for 30 seconds or if the 0LOCK key is pressed, will return the drive to a standby state.
5. The Admin PIN is now set and will allow access to the drive or the Admin features.
6. To UNLOCK the drive, exit Admin by pressing the LOCK button. Then enter the new PIN and press UNLOCK.

Requirements for Admin, User and Self-Destruct PIN:
PINs must be a minimum length of 7 maximum 16 digits.
Cannot contain all consecutive numbers (2345678 or 9876543)
Cannot contain all same number (1111111)
The SHIFT key can be used for additional combinations.
SHIFT + 1 are a separate value than just 1.

Locking the Drive
To lock the drive, press the LOCK button.
If data is still being written to the drive, diskAshur PRO will wait until all data has been written to the drive and then it will lock automatically.
Note: The diskAshur PRO will not be recognized by the operating system in the standby state.
Unlocking the Drive
Admin Mode
To enter the Admin Mode, do the following:

1. Attach the USB cable to an available USB port on your computer. The diskAshur PRO goes into the Standby Mode after the self-check, and the LED turns RED.

2. Press and hold UNLOCK + 0 for five seconds until the LED flashes RED.
   This indicates that you can enter the Admin PIN.

3. Enter the Admin PIN and press the UNLOCK button.

4. The drive is in Admin Mode when the LED has changed to BLUE.

Changing the Admin PIN
You can change the Admin PIN by doing the following:

1. Enter Admin Mode (UNLOCK + 0 for five seconds. Enter Admin PIN and press UNLOCK).
2. Press and hold UNLOCK + 9 until the LED turns to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.
3. Enter the new PIN and press UNLOCK (The PIN must be a minimum of 7 digits and a maximum of 16 digits). The LED flashes GREEN three times, then returns to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.
4. Re-enter the new Admin PIN and press UNLOCK. The LED stays solid GREEN for two seconds and then solid BLUE indicating that the Admin PIN has been changed successfully.

To unlock the drive:
Enter either a User PIN or Admin PIN and press the UNLOCK button.
Note: The diskAshur PRO cannot be recognized by the operating system in the standby state.

Adding a new User PIN
Deleting the User PINs
You can delete ALL User PINs by doing the following:

1. Enter the Admin Mode (UNLOCK + 0 for five seconds. Enter Admin PIN and press UNLOCK).
2. Press and hold 7 + 8 + UNLOCK for five seconds until the LED flashes GREEN three times and then changes to BLUE / RED alternating.
3. Press and hold 7 + 8 + UNLOCK a second time for five seconds until the LED goes on solid GREEN for two seconds and then back to solid BLUE, this indicates that the User

PINs were deleted successfully.
Changing the User PIN
You can change the User PIN by doing the following:

1. Unlock the drive by inputting your User PIN and pressing the UNLOCK button.

2. Press and hold UNLOCK + 1 until the LED flashes RED.

3. Enter your current PIN and press UNLOCK.
   The LED will be Solid BLUE and Solid GREEN.

4. Enter the new PIN and press UNLOCK (The PIN must be a minimum of 7 digits and a maximum of 16 digits). The LED will flash GREEN three times, then returns to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.

5. Re-enter the new User PIN and press UNLOCK. The LED stays solid GREEN indicating that the User PIN has been changed successfully.
   1. Enter the Admin Mode (UNLOCK + 0 for five seconds. Enter Admin PIN and press UNLOCK).
   2. Press and hold UNLOCK + 1 until the LED turns to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.
   3. Enter a User PIN and press UNLOCK (a minimum of 7 digits and a maximum of 16 digits).
   The LED flashes GREEN three times, then returns to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.
   4. Re-enter the new User PIN and press UNLOCK. If the LED stays solid GREEN for two seconds and then solid BLUE, the User PIN was successfully added.

Setting the Unattended Auto Lock Feature

To protect against unauthorized access if the drive is unlocked and unattended, diskAshur PRO can be set to automatically lock after a pre-set amount of time. In its default state, the diskAshur PROUnattended Auto Lock feature is turned off. The Unattended  Auto Lock can be set to activate after 5, 10 or 20 minutes.
To set the Unattended Auto Lock please uses the following steps:

1. Enter the Admin mode by pressing and holding UNLOCK + 0 for five seconds until the LED flashes RED. This indicates that you can enter the Admin PIN.

2. Enter the Admin PIN and press UNLOCK. The drive is in Admin Mode when the LED has changed to solid BLUE.

3. Once in Admin mode, press UNLOCK + 6. The LED should start flashing RED and BLUE intermittently.

4. Press one of the numbers below that corresponds to amount of time you would like the drive to lock after no activity:
   1=5 minutes
   2=10 minutes
   3=20 minutes
   0=OFF
   The Default is OFF for this feature.

5. After you have input the number, the LED should flash GREEN 3 times to indicate that you have successfully set the Unattended Auto Lock feature.

diskAshur PRO Brute Force Protection
What is Brute Force Attack?
A brute force attack is a method of defeating a cryptographic scheme by systematically trying a large number of possibilities; for example, a large number of the possible keys in a key space in order to decrypt a message. In most schemes, the theoretical  possibility of a brute force attack is recognized, but it is set up in such a way that it would be computationally infeasible to carry out.
Accordingly, one definition of “breaking” a cryptographic scheme is to find a method faster than a brute force attack.

Brute Force Feature

After FIVE tries entering the incorrect user or admin PIN attempts, the keypad will not respond and LED will turn off. The drive will need to be unplugged from the USB port and re-plugged.
If the user, unsuccessfully tries to UNLOCK the drive on the 10th try the keypad will lock and the LED will begin blinking RED quickly. Even after unplugging and re-plugging in the unit, the drive will remain locked and the LED will continue to blink rapidly.
Here are the steps to allow the user to unlock the keypad for 10 more attempts to unlock this drive.

1. Unplug the device from the computer
2. Push and hold the number five key and plug-in the drive
3. The LED will be blinking alternating RED and GREEN rapidly
4. Enter the PIN 5278879 and press UNLOCK.
5. The keypad will unlock and will be in the standby state with the LED solid RED, this will allow only 10 more attempts
6. After a total of 20 Attempts the drive will remain locked with the LED flashing RED quickly. You must now go through the reset process and reformat the drive to be able to use the drive again.

Setting a Self-Destruct PIN

1. Enter the Admin mode by pressing and holding UNLOCK + 0 for five seconds until the LED flashes RED. This indicates that you can enter the Admin PIN.
2. Enter the Admin PIN and press UNLOCK. The drive is in Admin Mode when the LED has changed to BLUE.
3. Once in Admin mode, press UNLOCK + 3. LED will be alternating BLUE / RED.
4. Input in the PIN that you would like to use as the Self Destruct PIN and press UNLOCK.
5. If the Self Destruct PIN is accepted the LED flashes GREEN.
6. Immediately re-enter the new PIN and press UNLOCK. If the LED stays solid GREEN for two seconds and then goes to solid BLUE, the Self Destruct PIN was added successfully.
7. To delete the Self Destruct PIN, you will need to delete all of the User PINs.
   Disconnect and re-connect the drive, then refer to the instructions on the previous page – Deleting User PINs.

The self-destruct feature allows you to set a PIN which can be used to perform a crypto-erase on the entire drive. When used, self-destruct PIN will delete ALL data, Admin/User PINs and then unlock the drive. Activating this feature will cause the  Self-Destruct PIN to become the new Admin PIN and the diskAshur PRO will need to be partitioned and formatted before any new data can be added to the drive.
Once the Self-Destruct PIN is set, the feature can be activated by plugging the drive into a USB port, entering the self-destruct PIN and then press the unlock button.

Performing a Complete Re-Set

To perform a complete reset of the drive, do the following:

1. Press and hold the LOCK button while you attach the diskAshur PRO to an available USB port on your computer. The LED will flash RED, GREEN and BLUE alternately.
2. Release the LOCK button.
3. Press and hold LOCK + UNLOCK + 2 for 10 seconds until the LED turns Solid GREEN for two seconds, followed by Solid BLUE and Solid GREEN. You have  successfully reset the diskAshur PRO.

Initializing and formatting the diskAshur PRO after a complete reset
A complete reset of the diskAshur PRO will erase all information and partition settings.
You will need to initialize and format the diskAshur PRO.
To initialize your diskAshur PRO, do the following:

1. After a complete reset, attach the diskAshur PRO to the computer.

2. Press UNLOCK + 9. The LED will change to Solid BLUE / Blinking GREEN.

3. Enter the new Admin PIN and press UNLOCK key. If accepted the LED will flash 3 short blinks of the GREEN LED, then return to Solid BLUE and Blinking GREEN.

4. Re-enter the Admin PIN and press the UNLOCK key. If accepted the GREEN LED will be Solid for 3 seconds.

5. LED will then turn BLUE and remain in Admin mode for 30 seconds or if the LOCK key is pressed, will return the drive to a standby state.

6. The Admin PIN is now set and will allow access to the drive or the Admin features.

7. To UNLOCK the drive, enter the new PIN and press UNLOCK.

8. Windows 7 and earlier: Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage from the Windows desktop.
   Windows 8: Right click left corner of desktop and select Disk Management.

9. In the Computer Manage window, click Disk Management. In the Disk Management window, the diskAshur PRO is recognized as an unknown device that is uninitialized and unallocated.

10. Do the following to make the drive recognized as a basic drive.
    • If the Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard window opens, click Cancel, then initialize the disk manually using the following steps.
    a. Right-click Unknown Disk, and then select Initialize Disk.
    b. In the Initialize Disk window, click OK.

11. Right-click in the blank area under the Unallocated section, and then select New Partition. The Welcome to the New Partition Wizard window opens.

12. Click Next.

13. Select Primary partition and click Next.

14. If you need only one partition, accept the default partition size and click Next.

15. Click Next.

16. Create a volume label, select Perform a quick format, and then click Next.

17. Click Finish.

18. Wait until the format process is complete. The diskAshur PRO will be recognized and it is available for use.

Hibernating, Suspending, or Logging off from the Operating System
Be sure to save and close all the files on your diskAshur PRO before hibernating, suspending, or logging off from the Windows operating system.
It is recommended that you lock the diskAshur PRO manually before hibernating, suspending, or logging off from your system.
To log off the diskAshur PRO, double-click Safely Remove Hardware on the Windows desktop and remove the diskAshur PRO from your computer.
Attention: To ensure the data integrity of your diskAshur PRO, be sure to lock or log off diskAshur PRO if you are:

• away from your computer
• using the switching user function by sharing a computer with others

diskAshur PRO Setup for Mac OS

Your diskAshur PRO is preformatted in NTFS for Windows. To reformat the drive to a Mac compatible format please read the below.
Once the drive is unlocked, open Disk Utility from Applications/Utilities/Disk Utilities.
To format the diskAshur PRO:

1. Select diskAshur PRO from the list of drives and volumes. Each drive in the list will display its capacity, manufacturer, and product name, such as 232.9 diskAshur PRO.
2. Click the ‘Erase’ tab.
3. Enter a name for the drive. The default name is Untitled. The drive’s name will eventually appear on the desktop.
4. Select a volume format to use. The Volume Format dropdown menu lists the available drive formats that the Mac supports. The recommended format type is ‘Mac OS Extended (Journaled).’
5. Click the ‘Erase’ button. Disk Utility will unmount the volume from the desktop, erase it, and then remount it on the desktop.

Troubleshooting

This section contains troubleshooting information for the diskAshur PRO. If you encounter any of the following problems when using diskAshur PRO, refer to the corresponding answers.
Q: What can I do if I forget the User PIN?
A: Use your Admin PIN to enter Admin Mode, and then create another User PIN in Admin Mode.
Q: What can I do if I forget the Admin PIN?
A: There is no other way to retrieve the Admin PIN except a complete reset of diskAshur PRO. After a complete reset, all data will be lost and you will need to initialize, allocate and format the diskAshur PRO manually.
Q: Why did the operating system not recognize the diskAshur PRO after I enter the User Mode and completely reset the computer?
A: You need to initialize, allocate and format the diskAshur PRO manually. For more information, refer to Initializing and formatting the diskAshur PRO after a complete reset in this manual.
Q: How do I use the diskAshur PRO without a PIN?
A: As a full disk encryption product, the diskAshur PRO can never be used without a PIN.
Q: What encryption algorithm is used in this product?
A: The diskAshur PRO uses AES 256-bit algorithm.
Q: Why could I not initialize, partition or format the diskAshur PRO?
A: Ensure that you have administrator privileges. You will need Admin privileges to use the Disk Management Utility.
Q: The LED is blinking RED and I can’t enter a code. Why?
A: Somebody has tried to access the drive and the code has been entered 10 times incorrectly (see Brute Force section of this manual).
Q: Why do the LEDs blink Blue, Red and Green after I plug the drive in?
A: When you first plug the drive in, it does a self-test on the encryption components of the drive. If any component fails the test, the LED will stop on RED and the drive will not function.
Q: What is FIPS 140-2?
A: This is a government standard to accredit cryptographic modules. The government regulates certain industries that collect, store and/or transfer sensitive data to use security that meets this standard. For a general explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIPS_140-2
Q: What kind of speed can be expected out of this drive?
A: USB speed will be affected by a variety of factors (USB type – 1, 2 or 3, Host controller, Driver version, hard drive read/write speeds, Operating System). On average, if using a USB 3.0 port, speeds should be from 80+ MB/s for a newer rotating drive and 250+ MB/s for a newer SSD version. If you are experiencing lower than expected speeds, check to make sure you have the latest host controller driver available. If you are getting considerably less, make sure that you are plugged into a USB 3 port. USB 3 ports use a  blue center contact.
Q: Is there any way to recover my data if I forget the PIN?
A: If an Admin PIN has been previously set, the Admin PIN can be used to unlock the drive and recover the data. If you forget the PIN and do not have an Admin PIN, the drive can be re-set so it can be used again, but the data cannot be recovered.
Q: Why does the LED indicate an error when I try to change the PIN?
A: PIN requirements for this drive must meet a minimum security level. There are several combinations that are not allowed, such as, all repeating numbers, sequential number going up or down. The PIN must also be a minimum of 7 digits and cannot be longer  than 16 digits.
Q: What are the ECCN and HST codes used for shipping this device outside the US?
A: ECCN: 5A992A and HTS code 8473.50.3000

Technical Support

iStorage provides the following helpful resources for you:

1. iStorage’s Website (http://www.istorage-uk.com)
   This gives you the ability to check for up-to-date information

2. E-mail us at support@istorage-uk.com

3. Or call the Technical Support Department +44 (0)20 8991 6265 iStorage’s Technical Support Specialists are available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Greenwich Mean Time Monday through Friday

Warranty and RMA information

Three Year Limited Warranty:
iStorage offers a 2-year limited warranty on the diskAshur PRO against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. The warranty period is effective from the date of purchase either directly from iStorage or an authorized reseller.
Disclaimer and terms of the warranties:
THE WARRANTY BECOMES EFFECTIVE ON THE DATE OF PURCHASE AND MUST BE VERIFIED WITH YOUR SALES RECEIPT OR INVOICE DISPLAYING THE DATE OF PRODUCT PURCHASE. ISTORAGE LIMITED WILL, AT NO ADDITIONAL  CHARGE, REPAIR OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS WITH NEW PARTS OR SERVICEABLE USED PARTS THAT ARE EQUIVALENT TO NEW IN PERFORMANCE. ALL EXCHANGED PARTS AND PRODUCTS REPLACED UNDER THIS WARRANTY WILL BECOME THE PROPERTY OF ISTORAGE.
THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT EXTEND TO ANY PRODUCT NOT PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM ISTORAGE OR AN AUTHORIZED RESELLER OR TO ANY PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED OR RENDERED DEFECTIVE: 1. AS A RESULT OF  ACCIDENT, MISUSE, NEGLECT, ABUSE OR FAILURE AND/OR INABILITY TO FOLLOW THE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN THIS INSTRUCTION GUIDE: 2. BY THE USE OF PARTS NOT MANUFACTURED OR SOLD BY ISTORAGE; 3. BY  MODIFICATION OF THE PRODUCT; OR 4. AS A RESULT OF SERVICE, ALTERNATION OR REPAIR BY ANYONE OTHER THAN ISTORAGE AND SHALL BE VOID. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.
NO OTHER WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OR MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, HAS BEEN OR WILL BE MADE BY OR ON BEHALF OF ISTORAGE OR BY OPERATION  OF LAW WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT OR ITS INSTALLATION, USE, OPERATION, REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR. ISTORAGE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE BY VIRTUE OF THIS WARRANTY, OR OTHERWISE, FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR  CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE INCLUDING ANY LOSS OF DATA RESULTING FROM THE USE OR OPERATION OF THE PRODUCT, WHETHER OR NOT ISTORAGE WAS APPRISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

© iStorage Limited, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.
iStorage Limited, iStorage House,
13 Alperton Lane, Perivale, Middlesex, UB6 8DH
+44 (0)20 8991 6260 www.istorage-uk.com

References

• FIPS 140-2 - Wikipedia
• UK.COM
• iStorage Home - iStorage (UK)
• We’re here to help - iStorage (UK)
• Manual-Hub.com – Free PDF manuals!

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