For lesson resources that contain no personal information, choose a USB drive that fits the full backup, works with the devices you use and accepts your largest individual file. If the backup may contain information about pupils, parents or staff, check your school or trust policy before buying and consider an approved encrypted drive with access control; encryption does not replace the rules for using removable media.
If your copy contains presentations, worksheets or media rather than personal information, start with the devices that need to open it, the folder size and your largest file. Check the contents of teaching folders before treating them as free of personal data.
Files identifying pupils, parents or staff call for a different decision. The Department for Education advises staff who are unsure to follow school procedures or ask a line manager or data protection officer; the Information Commissioner's Office identifies encryption as protection for personal information stored on USB and backup media.
If the backup moves between classroom computers and newer laptops or other USB-C devices, check the ports on each one. A dual-connector drive is useful when both connections are needed and the school permits the drive on its devices.
Check school permission and the type of data first, then work through device connections, backup size and copying frequency. The National Cyber Security Centre notes that removable media can help with backups but also introduces data-loss and theft risks.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Personal data and school policy | Check the backup for identifiable information and ask whether your school permits removable media. For approved sensitive files, assess encryption, access control and PIN management. | If my teaching folders may identify pupils or staff, I need permission and a way to protect the copy if it is lost. Around 38% of consumers put that security-and-policy decision first. |
| Device connections | List the USB-A and USB-C ports on devices that must use the backup; check whether adapters or personal drives are permitted. | Moving the same resources between classroom and home devices makes an unusable connector a practical obstacle. For around 31% of consumers, compatibility is the primary concern. |
| Capacity and file format | Measure the full folder and largest file, allowing room for revisions. PCMag UK notes that FAT32 cannot store an individual file over 4GB; confirm format support on every device that must write to the drive. | When my backup includes large lesson videos, I need both enough space and a format that accepts each file. Around 23% of consumers prioritise capacity and file format. |
| Copying time | Compare stated write speeds for the exact models and check the computer's port; a USB generation label alone does not establish transfer speed. | Repeatedly copying large media folders can make the time spent on each backup important. Speed comes first for around 8% of consumers. |
A teaching folder may contain identifiable pupil, parent or staff information. The Information Commissioner's Office advises protecting personal information stored on USB and backup media with encryption.
Separate non-personal resources where possible. If an approved offline copy must contain personal information, check the school's requirements before selecting an authenticated encrypted drive.
Managed devices may restrict removable media. The National Cyber Security Centre advises organisations to assess the risks of peripheral access.
Confirm the school's rules before relying on a drive, connector or adapter for your backup routine.
Enough total space does not resolve a file-system limit: PCMag UK notes that FAT32 cannot store an individual file over 4GB.
Check the largest video or other file, confirm which formats all required devices can read and write, then test copying and opening representative files.
Read and write figures describe a particular model under its stated conditions; the connected computer and files also affect a transfer.
If you often copy large folders, compare the exact models' stated write speeds and check the ports you will use.
Its datAshur lines are relevant when an approved offline backup may contain personal or confidential information.
The Extreme PRO USB 3.2 line is relevant to frequent copying of large, non-personal resource folders.
The Courier FIPS 197 is a USB-A encrypted-drive option to assess for an organisation's approved workflow.
These choices include a USB-A keypad-encrypted drive and drives with both USB-A and USB-C connectors. Match a drive to your backup contents, device ports and school rules rather than treating a connector or encryption claim alone as approval for school data.
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Consider this keypad drive if an approved backup needs access control and your devices use USB-A.
The product name specifies 16GB and AES-256 encryption. It describes FIPS 140-3 Level 3 status as pending, not completed; confirm any required status, school acceptance and whether the full backup fits.
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The two connectors suit non-personal resources that need to move between permitted USB-A and USB-C devices.
The product name specifies 128GB and USB 3.2. Check that your complete backup fits and that the drive's format works with every device that must write to it; do not assume it is suitable for personal school data.
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This dual-connector model is an option when the same offline backup must be used with USB-A and USB-C devices.
The product name specifies 256GB, USB 3.2 Gen 1, fingerprint access and stated speeds of 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write. Check how its claimed encryption works and whether your school approves it before storing personal data; stated speeds are not guaranteed transfer results.
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Consider this drive when you need to carry resources between USB-A and USB-C devices that permit removable storage.
The product name specifies 128GB and USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C. If personal information is involved, confirm the school's requirements and the software-encryption workflow described for this model rather than assuming whole-drive hardware protection.
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This USB-A and USB-C drive is a choice to assess for moving non-personal lesson resources between permitted devices.
The product name specifies 128GB, USB 3.2 Gen 1 and a stated read speed of 570MB/s. Compare capacity with your full folder and check file-format compatibility; a read-speed claim does not establish how long writing a backup will take.
Not every folder presents the same data risk. If a backup contains personal information, the Information Commissioner's Office identifies encryption as a protective measure for USB and backup media; follow your school's procedures and ask a line manager or data protection officer when unsure, as the Department for Education advises.
Check the school's removable-media and personal-device rules before connecting it. The National Cyber Security Centre notes that organisations may restrict peripheral access to manage its risks, so a suitable connector does not mean the drive is permitted.
FAT32 will not hold an individual file over 4GB, as PCMag UK explains. Check the video's size, then confirm that every device needing the backup can read and write the format you choose.
Choose capacity against the size of your complete resource folder, with room for revisions or added media. Check the largest individual file as well: total free space alone does not overcome a file-system limit.
No. Encryption can help protect stored personal information if a drive is lost, but the National Cyber Security Centre also identifies data-loss and other risks from removable media. Use a drive only within your school's approved process and protect any access PIN.