SanDisk 1 GB Cruzer Profile Biometric USB Flash Drive (SDCZ5-1024, Retail Package)

by SanDisk

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1.2 inches ; 3.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000A4AW22
• Item model number: SDCZ5-1024-A10
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

With built-in biometric security, Cruzer Profile delivers the ultimate in portable data security. This highly-secure product stores all your data and passwords, accessible only with the swipe of your fingerprint. Just plug in the drive, swipe your finger, and you can log-on to any of your stored protected areas in a snap with the exclusive CruzerPass password bank. You can use any host PC with your Cruzer Profile without having to install any cumbersome software or leave any trace on that PC.

Special two-piece design allows the most flexibility for the user. Just position the product and sensor for a convenient swipe. This allows flexibility for different USB port configurations, and the slide on cap protects sensor for safe travel.

Cruzer Profile includes trial versions of CruzerSync (synchronization) and PocketCache (backup) software.

Product Description

SanDisks Cruzer Profile is a unique, biometric USB flash drive that provides the ultimate in portable data security. This high-security product stores all your data and passwords, accessible only with the swipe of your fingerprint. Just plug in the drive, swipe your finger, and you can log-on to any of your stored protected areas in a snap. You can use any Windows PC with your Profile without having to install any cumbersome software or leave any trace on that PC.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good little biometric USB drive at a good price, June 13, 2006

By 

J. F. Herlocker Jr. - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SanDisk 1 GB Cruzer Profile Biometric USB Flash Drive (SDCZ5-1024, Retail Package) (Personal Computers)

The Cruzer Profile is a good little biometric USB drive at a good price. Utilities that come with it give you the ability to synchronize data files with your PC (good for taking work home or on the road); use the Cruzer Profile to cache user names and passwords for logging on to websites (so just your fingerprint will provide security without having to write down passwords); and back up files to the Cruzer Profile (14-day trial software, $20 registration).

The drive is recognized immediately by Windows XP when inserted in a USB port. No software is required to be installed for use; instead you get a pop-up window asking if you want to log in. (This also means no biometric data is installed on the PC, although there might be traces that a clever hacker with too much time and too little to do could use.) Without logging in, there are two virtual drives, one that is totally open (and runs the authorization software) and the other (much larger) that can only be accessed with an authorized fingerprint. Files copy swiftly with a USB-2 connection and slowly with a USB-1.1 connection, as you would expect.

The cable is a little short if you need to stick the unit into a USB port behind a PC, but a little long if you keep it in a pocket with things that snag. The software lets you use any finger to act as a password, but I strongly recommend you register both thumbs, for two reasons: (1) it is easy to hold the scanner in your hand with your fingers while passing your thumb over it; (2) your left hand may have an easy time reaching behind one PC to insert and activate the drive, but the next PC may only allow your right hand easy access.

You can register all ten fingers, but there is nothing in the software that says they have to be *your* fingers. I suppose they don't even have to be fingers, but I didn't test out my toe prints as security keys (I work in an office environment that does not encourage employees to have bare feet on the desks, whether for test purposes or not).

I purchased these for the managers in our company to transport sensitive data (and at 1GB they can move a *lot* of data), which brings up the reason I only rate this as four stars: there is no way to have a "master password" (master finger?) for drives that are shared. For individuals this is probably a feature, not a bug, so take that into account when judging my rating.

Another drawback is that there seems to be no way to change the partition between the protected and unprotected data. You are stuck with a small unprotected section, even though it might be nice to have a larger open data partition.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars SanDisk is not providing Vista drivers, April 9, 2007

By 

H. Kee - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SanDisk 1 GB Cruzer Profile Biometric USB Flash Drive (SDCZ5-1024, Retail Package) (Personal Computers)

**DOES NOT WORK WITH VISTA. NO VISTA DRIVERS FORTHCOMING.**

Under Windows XP, I think this is a good USB drive, and the biometrics work well, as others have said. However, the Profile is not Vista compatible, and SanDisk has decided that it's not supporting it anymore.

I upgraded to Vista last month, and I found that the Cruzer Profile doesn't work at all with Vista (you can't even access the Profile as a regular flash drive). I wrote SanDisk back then, and I was told that they were working on a Vista driver. Having not heard anything from them, I pinged them again this month. Today, I get this reply from SanDisk: "We do apologize but the profile is not Vista compatible. The product is End of Line and there will no update to be released for compatibility issues." Frankly, I think this is a poor way to support your product and to treat customers. The SanDisk website says nothing about Vista incompatibility (only says the Profile is "Windows compatible.") The support FAQ has zero mention of this important issue.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great USB Flash Drive Despite Flaws, February 23, 2006

By 

Erik C. Hjerpe (Bloomington, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SanDisk 1 GB Cruzer Profile Biometric USB Flash Drive (SDCZ5-1024, Retail Package) (Personal Computers)

This thing is great. It is fast and high-capacity for the price; a great value. The biometric security works "as advertised" and seems to be fairly robust. I have not had any problems at all with it. Somne of the software bundled with it is pretty good too.

Flaws:
-The design is awkward, especially if used on PCs or laptops where the USB ports are on the back. You may need to be a contortionist to swipe your finger over it. I also wish it were a one-piece design. I;m worried the little cable will wear out.
-Much of the software is Windows/IE centric.
-I could not get non-windows PCs, or older PCs, to see the protected portion of the drive.