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So I was perusing the latest Law Technology News and tickling my inner-IT geek fancy when I came across an article regarding micro-sized data storage devices -- these little pack-of-chewing-gum-sized hard drives can be downright lifesavers if you are ever faced with a desktop or laptop crash and there's no tech support available to deliver you from the clutches of mass hysteria and several days' or weeks' worth of data recovery.

"Thumb drives" (as they are called by most in the know) come in storage capacities ranging from 64Mb (megabytes) to 4Gb (gigabytes). These drives are generally plug and play; that is, you don't need to load any special software on your PC/laptop for them to work. Best of all, they don't require a power source (no messy wiring) and are ultra-portable (if you have a pocket, you have a data center!) Thumb drives can serve as a proxy document backup solution for your most important files -- they can be carried on business trips or ferried back and forth from the office proper to the home office if need be.

Perhaps the only drawback to these diminutive data saviors is the inherent security risk in using them. Because of their portability, small footprint, and lack of software, thumb drives do not protect the data entrusted to their care; rather, they exist to make data transfer EASY with as little to no barriers as possible from achieving that purpose. Thus, no security measures are available to users of thumb drives. But alas, all is not lost. Astute users can choose to encrypt their data before transfer and reduce any risk that the drive will fall into the wrong hands (or simply become lost like that set of car keys you own).

So this holiday season, give yourself the gift of piece of mind. Embrace these little marvels of modern data storage lest you suffer a data recovery disaster that catches you off guard and leaves you with a lump of coal in your stocking.

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