CBL Data Recovery uncovered some perplexing and concerning discoveries regarding these free USB sticks. Most of them were low-cost devices given as promotional freebies, yet not all of them. CBL Data Recovery was surprised to find NAND chips from reputable companies such as Samsung, Sandisk, or Hynix inside inexpensive items. These chips, when tested, exhibited decreased power and reliability. Additionally, their manufacturer’s logos had been either removed through abrasion or replaced with random words. In some cases, there were no NAND chips at all; instead, a microSD card, potentially integrated into the controller, with altered identifiers was present on the USB interface board. CBL noted that these “anonymous” products lacked credibility. While CBL did not specify any brands in its report, it did discover products featuring chips similar to those of commercially available cards. Most chips have the manufacturer’s name printed on their labels; however, one cheap USB stick only printed the name in capital letters to avoid scrutiny. CBL also observed a NAND device with its original name removed by abrasion. In addition to cutting corners on appearance, advancements in NAND storage cells have contributed to diminished reliability, as noted by CBL. SLC, or single cell storage, stores one bit per cell (either 1 or 0) using two different voltage levels. In contrast, a QLC (quadruple-level) chip utilizes four bits per cell, meaning it requires 16 correct voltage levels. While QLC allows for greater storage, it also leads to diminished speed and endurance as the data volume of NAND cells increases. With high-end chips, extensive work is required for error correction and thermal management. CBL noted that with microchips that are not genuine or were sourced from an untrustworthy database, data loss should not come as a surprise. In conclusion, the CBL report emphasized the importance of proper storage methods for USB sticks. This may not be groundbreaking for those familiar with appropriate storage practices, but CBL provided advice for individuals who rely on USB sticks for data storage: Store them in a cool environment, refrain from utilizing them for important data, and read/write to the USB stick annually to maintain its performance. CBL also advised against overloading the stick to increase the chances of successful data recovery and maintenance. The market for affordable, compact storage has proven to be unpredictable in recent years. While high-quality storage is readily available, it is not ubiquitous, especially on closer inspection. In mid-2022, a falsely labeled “30TB” external SSD was listed on Walmart and AliExpress for over $30, yet it contained two MicroSD cards attached to a USB 2.0 board with firmware that misrepresented its true capacity to Windows, only to repeatedly rewrite in a few places during data transfer. Similarly, the “16TB” SSD, available for $70 and highly praised in a gaming review, turned out to consist of 64GB worth of microSD cards, as uncovered by Review Geek. This issue has been previously examined, and the problem persists with Amazon sellers swiftly disappearing once exposed, only to resurface later with a new set of MicroSD cards boasting impressive capacities.
