Encrypting a flash drive.

[reallyfull]

Don't know if this is the right forum to post this in. I'm just wondering some good methods to encrypt my flash drive? Anybody prefer certain tools/software to do it?

Thanks.

 

[Auric]

truecrypt

/thread

 

[Fike]

I tried Truecrypt and it worked great....except for user error.

I ended up corrupting the data on my drive several times by removing the stick without unmounting the virtual drive that truecrypt created. I gave it up because I kept having my memory stick lay around like a miniature soap-on-a-rope (ie. worthless) after accidently removing the drive before unmounting. You can always reformat the drive and it's fine, but that doesn't help you secure your data.

 

[zephyrprime]

Some drives come with encryption software as well. Vista also comes with some sort of encryption ability.

 

[engiNURD]

GPG works, too.

 

[Skeeedunt]

TrueCrypt is a winner. I assume you can use the built in Windows XP encryption, just don't forget to back up your private key.

 

[Double Trouble]

Truecrypt or PGP. Truecrypt is a little better for doing it cleanly, but if you yank the flash drive out without unmounting etc, you'll end up with a corrupt volume. I don't know about everyone else, but I rarely remember to unmount anything before taking out the flash drive.

You can use PGP to create a self extracting PGP volume or encrypt the entire volume, but I don't know of any easy/clean way of encrypting a flash drive and still being able to use it anywhere without hassle.

 

[xfile]

Another vote for Truecrypt here.

 

[imported_scoobydoo]

The only problem with a lot of these encryption programs, Truecrypt included is that they all require administrator rights to use it.

Short of buying a new flash drive with the encryption builtin (can someone tell me how it works?) are there any that don't?

 

[Matthias99]

Short of buying a new flash drive with the encryption builtin (can someone tell me how it works?) are there any that don't?

A flash drive with 'built-in' encryption would have to have the decryption utility included on the drive. You would have to install it and then use the program to encrypt/decrypt the data.

You shouldn't need admin rights to use TrueCrypt, but you do need them to install it. Looking at their documentation, you may also need admin rights to create a new encrypted partition, but not to use one that has already been created. Of course, this doesn't help you if you want to take the drive somewhere else where TrueCrypt isn't installed and you don't have admin privileges.

Winzip has encryption capabilities, but I'm not sure if you can install it if you're not an administrator.

 

[imported_scoobydoo]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

You shouldn't need admin rights to use TrueCrypt, but you do need them to install it. Looking at their documentation, you may also need admin rights to create a new encrypted partition, but not to use one that has already been created. Of course, this doesn't help you if you want to take the drive somewhere else where TrueCrypt isn't installed and you don't have admin privileges.

Winzip has encryption capabilities, but I'm not sure if you can install it if you're not an administrator.

That's what I meant. It's also the whole point of having encryption on a flash drive - if I can't take it about and use it on other computers (without admin privileges) then it's pointless.

 

[Mark R]

Many flash drives with encryption, will only allow access to the encrypted data if you install their drivers. This means that, just like truecrypt and others, you will need administrator rights to install them.

Some flash drives come with 2 'partitions' of which only the 'insecure' parition is visible. You can then run a program (stored in the insecure partition) that accepts a password and switched the stick over to the secure partition. Again, this requires that you have the ability to run the exe file off the stick, but may not need admin rights.

Caution is also advised, as there have been several reports of very poorly implemented security on these encrypted flash sticks - one of the worst cases I've heard of, simply stored the password on the drive, and compared what was entered, with what was stored - encryptign the drive contents with a key stored unencrypted with the password.

Once installed you shouldn't need admin rights, again just like truecrypt, etc.