USB Flash drive with read/write switch?

Homer-Simpson said:
I am looking for one where the switch cannot be overridden by software. Can anyone recommend one that doesn't cost the earth? Looking for 8GB upwards if possible.
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not with a normal usb stick...

i suggest an SD card with a lock switch and a usb adapter, the lock switch can stop writes :)
 
panyan said:
not with a normal usb stick...

i suggest an SD card with a lock switch and a usb adapter, the lock switch can stop writes :)
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From all my reading SD cards don't have hardware write protection.

SD Cards – Not Recommended

SD Cards, while they have a write-protect switch, are actually no good for this purpose because it’s not actually hardware write protection – at best the card reader sends a signal to the operating system that the drive should be treated as read-only. The write-protect switch on the cards is read by a sensor that’s part of the card reader, and the card reader then passes along to the operating system whether the card is read-only. According to the specification from http://www.sdcard.org/:

A proper, matched, switch on the socket side will indicate to the host that the card is write-protected or not. It is the responsibility of the host to protect the card. The position of the write protect switch is unknown to the internal circuitry of the card.

Basically this means that either a) cheap card readers that lack the sensor or b) operating systems or malware that don’t respect the “please don’t write to this disk” flag can write to the drive. While this may not be likely, it’s also not as secure as you might think based on the presence of that switch.
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A number of resources are saying similar things

The problem is, all the USB Flash drives they list don't seem to be sold anymore/can't find a reputable shop selling them.

EDIT: Link removed as it had links to competitors.
 
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Not quite what you're looking for, but you could try getting hold of a write protected card reader, this kind of thing: http://www.siliconforensics.com/ps-135-2-read-only-write-protect-usb-media-card-reader.aspx and then it's just a case of popping a memory card in it. Afraid I can't recommend one as work uses the (excellent) MicroSystemation ones but I think they only come as part of their full kit, which is HUGELY expensive: http://www.msab.com/xry/xry-complete

You could also use a Forensic USB Write Blocker too. Again, not the cheapest of kit, but it's used by the police and military to make any USB device read-only so definitely reliable: http://www.dataduplication.co.uk/forensic/WriteBlockers.html

Sorry none of these are the nice, cheap option you were aiming for, but it might be another avenue to go down?
 
Confused Stu said:
Not quite what you're looking for, but you could try getting hold of a write protected card reader, this kind of thing: http://www.siliconforensics.com/ps-135-2-read-only-write-protect-usb-media-card-reader.aspx and then it's just a case of popping a memory card in it. Afraid I can't recommend one as work uses the (excellent) MicroSystemation ones but I think they only come as part of their full kit, which is HUGELY expensive: http://www.msab.com/xry/xry-complete

You could also use a Forensic USB Write Blocker too. Again, not the cheapest of kit, but it's used by the police and military to make any USB device read-only so definitely reliable: http://www.dataduplication.co.uk/forensic/WriteBlockers.html

Sorry none of these are the nice, cheap option you were aiming for, but it might be another avenue to go down?
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Thank you :) Worst case scenario I will have to spend a bit more to get what I need. The links will be useful :)
 
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