Most people only think about backup storage once it’s too late—right after they lose something they can’t get back. A hard drive fails, a laptop gets stolen, a ransomware attack locks everything down. At that point the $215 for a WD My Passport 5TB feels like a bargain they should have taken six months ago. That’s what it’s going for at Amazon right now, down from $285, and it’s a great opportunity to get ahead of the problem for once rather than react to it.
Five terabytes on a 2.5-inch portable drive that fits in a jacket pocket is a lot of runway. That’s your entire photo and video library, your documents, your music, your work files, and a sizable archive of whatever else you can’t afford to lose, all on a drive lighter than most paperback books. For most people it’s more capacity than they’ll ever fully use, which is fine, because the point of a backup drive is to never have to think about whether something will fit.
Actual Useful Software
WD’s backup software preloaded onto the My Passport is worth actually using rather than ignoring or deleting. The most useful piece is the ransomware protection (Acronis True Image for Western Digital), which monitors your system for the kind of suspicious encryption behavior that characterizes a ransomware attack and intervenes before it can spread to your files and connected drives. Ransomware is a genuine threat worth taking seriously, and having protection baked into the drive you’re already using for backup is a cleaner solution than managing a separate security subscription.
Password protection and 256-bit AES hardware encryption round out the security layer. If the drive gets lost or stolen, someone finding it can’t just plug it in and start reading your files. That’s a very big deal indeed for anyone who keeps financial records, tax documents, or client work on a drive that travels with them.
Fast, Versatile, Secure
The My Passport connects via USB 3.0 and transfers at up to 5 Gbps, which is fast enough that moving a large batch of files doesn’t turn into a waiting game. It comes preformatted for Windows, but reformats cleanly for Mac without losing any of its features. The setup is genuinely drag-and-drop ready from the first connection, and automatic backup scheduling means you don’t have to remember to do this manually.
This 25%-off Amazon deal for the WD My Passport takes a trusted 5TB portable drive that comes with security software included and turns it into a $215 slam dunk. The deal doesn’t require a membership or a code. You just click Buy Now and stop doing the high-wire act with your data and files.
