We, as people, always can remember the past, the way things used to be. We are normally afraid of the future or the unknown. The dawning of the 21st century has had an enormous effect on information, the way we use information and the way we store information. For that matter, the Information Age has introduced a certain necessity to be connected to unlimited amounts of data that is impossible to keep contained in our heads. It affects every walk of life and every profession in the world. From crunching numbers to home budgets to researching why the universe exists, the data is all available online. Every person has their own needs and, consequently, needs for answers.

All of this has led to an influx of smart phones, faster and faster computers and larger data storage capacities. In fact we store so much data that, very often, we forget where we stored it. So the proliferation of portable storage is growing so quickly that portable data storage has become a way of life for us. From external hard drives, the introduction of the Cloud to tiny USB Flash Drives (USB Sticks), all now necessary to hold what data we now consider important. Government workers, aerospace engineers, financial managers, almost every profession now use USB Flash Drives to make that data portable for themselves. For that matter, the sales for USB Flash Drives is estimated to hit half a trillion pieces by 2015.

Well along with the massive amounts of data storage, hacking, prying and electronic data theft has also grown. Everybody knows that the internet is not private, so using the Cloud for personal or important information is not a good idea as passwords are hackable. Even your 10-digit alpha-numeric mixed upper/lower case passwords can be hacked using available software.

One of the most secure forms of protection is Biometric encryption where only you physically have the key. Biometric Finger Printing is, by far, one of the most secure locks available. Are there detractors to this statement, for sure, but if you want to worry about someone cutting off your finger, maybe you have more to worry about than the information you have stored.

Getting past a biometric scanner is not as easy as the fears many people have about it. First, there is a matter of someone actually acquiring the finger print from the correct finger. Next they have to duplicate it somehow, then they have to figure out which part of the finger was used, the tip or the swirl. Then they have to figure out which orientation they have to use on the scanner. The permutations and combinations are countless. So unless you actually help somebody break your biometric lock, you should just wish them good luck. Realistically it doesn’t even have to be a Finger print, just some part of your body like a toe, for example.

Today, many people already walk around with information/data on USB Flash Drives that are not protected and if this information/data gets out, it could affect a great many people or possibly give away company secrets. A great many of these Flash Drives are lost but, as a rule, the general public never hears about it.

A small company from Toronto has just introduced a new line of biometric finger print scanners which will protect your portable data. The Encriptor One line of encryption devices by Great Durable Products Ltd. Encrypt your stick and you’re covered.

Mark Borkowski is president of Mercantile Mergers & Acquisitions Corporation.  Mercantile is a mid market mergers & acquisitions brokerage firm. Mark or his staff can be contacted in confidence at mercantilemergersacquisitions.com

www.encriptorone.com