20.03.2017

In our time, the issue of protecting personal information is more relevant than ever. And this applies not only to pages on social networks, because many people prefer to use all kinds of memory cards for storing various documents, photos, videos and other files, since the flash drive has a compact design, it is convenient to carry and use. In addition, portable drives have a fairly impressive amount of memory, which allows you to store any personal data on them, including those that should be hidden from prying eyes.

However, despite all the advantages of removable media, there is always a risk that information will fall into the wrong hands, which means that there is a need to protect personal data and the most effective and simple method of solving this issue will be to put a password on the USB flash drive, which the system will require you to enter each time you try to use it.

How to password protect a USB flash drive: ways to solve the problem

You can set a password on a USB flash drive in several ways, each of which is convenient and effective for users in its own way.
So, there are three most popular methods:

1. Purchase of a special flash drive with a hard-wired set of encryption utilities. Such models of drives are produced by all leading manufacturers of memory cards, but they are quite expensive.
2. Using various specialized utilities. This method is quite efficient, but not very convenient, because the software must be installed on a computer and can be used exclusively in the Administrator's account, which means that it will be difficult to use this method anywhere in an Internet cafe.
3. Encrypting media using standard Windows tools. This method is perhaps one of the most convenient, as it can be easily used everywhere. However, certain difficulties may also arise here, since an inexperienced PC user may simply not be able to cope with such a task.

Let's take a closer look at the last two methods, because if everything is very clear with the purchase of specialized equipment, then the choice of a utility or the use of system tools requires a more detailed analysis.

Choosing a data protection method

Nowadays there is a huge amount of all kinds of software specializing in information protection, because in addition to "independent" programs, almost every manufacturer of flash drives has its own solutions that differ in certain features.

Method 1: USB Safeguard

YUSB Safeguard is a portable utility that does not require installation on a computer.

In order to run it, you must first "reset" to a USB flash drive. At the same time, with the launch of the program, it "requires" reformatting the disk space of the flash drive to NTFS.

1. The utility automatically restarts and the user is asked to read the license and agree to its terms.

1. After the button is pressed "I Agree", a window appears asking you to enter the password, confirm it, and prompt.

1. Enter the password, click "OK" and we get a message that the password has been successfully set.

1. Now the working window of the flash drive looks like this:

1. And in order to enter the application that is displayed, you need to enter a password.

1. After the password is entered and the button is pressed "Open", the user opens a directly protected section in which information can be saved.

1. At the same time, each restart of the flash drive requires similar manipulations with entering the password and the user can call a hint if he forgets it.

Based on the results of using the program, it can be noted that it is quite convenient for regular use, does not take up much space on the flash drive, which allows you to "clog" the memory of the carrier almost "to failure". The only difficulty may be the English interface, which will cause some difficulties for users who do not have sufficient experience in using a PC or at least basic knowledge of English.

Method 2: Lim Block Folder

This program is designed to password protect individual folders that can be located on flash drives and other removable media. Lim Block allows you to separately encrypt each folder and set different passwords for them. In addition, for greater security, you can set a separate password directly on the program so that outsiders would not have the opportunity to use it.

1. So, the beginning of work "meets" the user directly with a working field, where you can select various actions, such as putting a password to launch the utility.

1. However, we need to encrypt the folder with the data on the flash drive, and therefore we press the next button with the folder image and we get the opportunity to select a specific folder for which encryption is required.

1. After selection, the folder is displayed in the working area, and the icon in the left part of the window also becomes active.

1. After clicking on "Lock" a window appears with fields for entering and confirming the password,

1. And after entering the combination, the program asks for the need to install a hint.

1. After all the manipulations, the desired folder is still displayed in the working field, however, the icon located below becomes active, through which you can remove the password.

1. When checking the contents of a removable disk, it turns out that the password-protected folder is not displayed in any way among others (even if you enable the display of hidden files).

That is, if before starting to work with the program, there were three folders with files on the flash drive,

then after all the manipulations we get, simply put, a "secret" folder that cannot be found by an unauthorized user.

As a result of the utility's work, we can conclude that it quickly and efficiently copes with all tasks, and also provides reliable protection for encrypted files. At the same time, it has a simple and accessible interface, which even a beginner can understand.

Method 3: block office data

If the media contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint documents, then access to them can be protected by setting a password for the documents. The main disadvantage of this method is that you need to set a password for each file manually, and if there are a lot of them on the flash drive, it will take a lot of time.

Consider the process of blocking any Microsoft Office file:

Thus, even if someone gains access to the media, they will not be able to view or make changes to the documents. However, it will be able to view other, unprotected files without any problems.

Method 4: lock using your phone

This method is suitable only for memory cards and only for owners of smartphones running Android or iOS of the latest versions. It is important to note that in order to block cards, it is also necessary that the phone itself be protected by some kind of password, which you can set via "Settings" by going to the section "Security", and after in "Screen lock".

It is important to note that this method does not work on all phones, and the settings interface may differ slightly depending on the smartphone model. Instructions:

1. Go to "Settings" and find in the menu or tab "Security" or "Location and device security"(the name depends on the phone model).
2. Next, find the item "Registration data store" and it should have a button "Set password".
3. Set a password and confirm the action.

Using system tools

When using a flash drive, various situations may arise when installation and use of special utilities are difficult or impossible. And here the system capabilities of Windows come to the rescue.

Method 1: BitLocker

If you have Windows 7 or higher installed, the system provides encryption of drives and their partitions using the standard BitLocker tool.

There are two ways to launch this tool:

Start Menu - Control Panel - BitLocker Drive Encryption

My Computer - Removable Drive - Enable BitLocker

1. In this case, you can also display the menu "Help and Support" and learn more about the utility's capabilities. However, we check the box and enter the password, click "Further" for further work.

1. The next message prompts the user to choose a way to save the key (it can be saved in a file or printed).

1. We choose "Save recovery key in file" and we get a window for selecting the folder for saving the key.

1. We save the key and get a text file with the appropriate name in the folder specified for saving.

1. At the same time, the text file contains the recovery key and identifier.

1. However, let's go back directly to the program and perform the next step. Button "Further" leads us to disk encryption.

1. We press "Start encryption" and wait for the end of the process.

1. Perhaps it is worth noting that encryption takes quite a long time and it directly depends on the amount of data. However, the system issues an end message.

1. It is necessary to check the final result. If you open "My computer", you can see a rather unusual flash drive icon, which means that the media is password protected.

1. If the flash drive is connected to a computer, the system displays a message asking you to enter a password.

1. In this case, you can mark the item "In the future, automatically unlock this computer" if it is the user's personal PC and is guaranteed not to be used by outsiders. After entering the password, the autorun window appears and the removable media can be used in normal mode.

It should be noted that this tool is quite easy to use and even an inexperienced user can cope with the encryption of a flash drive. In addition, BitLoker does not require downloading and installation, which means that you can freely use it in any situation.

Method 2: blocking by the archiver

If there are many different files stored on a USB flash drive and it will be too long or impossible to put a password to each one, then they can be moved into one archive and put a password on the entire archive at once. This method is more convenient and reliable, because you can wrap all the data on the media in one archive, put a password on it and extract the necessary files if necessary (you can work with most files without extracting them from the archive).

To set a password for the archive, follow these instructions:

This is a quick way to password protect large amounts of information on Flash media, but if you forget or lose your password, it will be extremely difficult to restore access to the archive.

In addition to the aforementioned methods and software, of course, there is a fairly large number of different software that is installed on a computer, flash drive or other media, has a different efficiency and level of complexity of work, so that each user can choose the most appropriate solution to ensure the security of personal data.

How to put a password on a USB flash drive - the most reliable ways in this article! Although a large number of people prefer to store confidential data on a flash drive and carry it with them. And if she gets lost, or worse, will she be kidnapped? Information that falls into the wrong hands can cause a lot of trouble. Take care of how to put a password on a USB flash drive, storing something really important on it.

Content:

What is the most effective way to protect data on a flash drive

The most reliable way to store really important information is to keep it under the supervision of an armed guard deep underground. And in the case of an electronic storage device, it must also be disconnected from the network (Internet). The method is exaggerated, but this is not a joke. However, the real world and the constant need to have access to the right data does not allow such methods to be used. For this reason, various methods have been developed to restrict access to information.

The most widespread is encryption, because with the right approach, encryption does not allow an attacker or a random person to gain access to the data. Encryption tools using modern long-key algorithms provide effective protection when the user uses a complex password. The use of such protection will be discussed.

How to put a password on a USB flash drive without additional programs

The question of how to password-protect a USB flash drive without using special programs is quite relevant. It happens when at the right time there is simply no opportunity to use the special. software. There are two possible options.

The first way. You initially took care of purchasing a flash drive with hardware encryption. For such devices, third-party software is not required; when connecting to a USB port, you need to enter the pin code on the keyboard located on the body of the flash drive itself. Disconnecting from a port will result in automatic blocking. It is important to remember that multiple incorrect password entry will end up permanently blocking all stored information. Toshiba Encrypted USB Flash Drive is one of the representatives of this class of devices.

Second way. Use of improvised means.

Timely concern for protecting data on your phone's flash drive can return a hundredfold, since users always trust confidential data to devices they carry with them (which are phones). Full encryption of the phone's memory is standard for Android versions higher than 4.0, and for an external memory card - starting with version 4.1.1, but in inexpensive models such information protection may not be available.

If you have a phone of a non-budget class, you can enable encryption in the settings, section "Security", for which the screen lock with a password must be active, otherwise encryption will be unavailable. Starting with the sixth version of Android, this option will be enabled initially, which, by the way, has already been implemented in iOS (iPhone).

If standard tools are not available, Google Play search will offer a good selection of data protection programs. "SSE encryption" has good reviews, which, among other things, has additional features such as a text encryptor and a password manager. After installation, you will see an intuitive interface prompting you to select the data to be protected.

The situation is somewhat simpler with old Symbian phones. In Nokia (with phones from other manufacturers it is the same), go through the items "Menu" - "Settings" - "Security" - "Security level", where select the desired option.

How to password protect a USB flash drive using programs

This is not to say that the choice of software tools for data protection is scarce. In addition to independent development, every decent flash drive manufacturer offers its own solution. The general principle of customization is present, if not in all, then in most of these utilities. Let's look at how to set a password on a USB flash drive using the example of a program.

1. Download from the manufacturer's website and install the program.
2. Connect the USB flash drive to your computer.
3. Run the program, select "Encrypt USB Disk".
4. Come up with a good password and enter it in the appropriate fields.
5. In the "Disk parameters" section, specify the required size of the protected partition. The peculiarity of the program is that it does not encrypt all data, but creates a special section for this purpose.
6. After the inputs are set, you can click "Create Disc".

Now all data will be reliably protected and hidden from view. You can access them through the main menu of the program or using an executable file created on an unprotected partition (Rohosmini.exe).

The best programs for password protection of flash memory cards

Not all specialized programs are good for data protection. Some have clear flaws in stability or reliability. Below will be indicated and briefly reviewed four programs that have already proven themselves on the positive side.

Very often, users store important information on their medium. The most convenient of all media, of course, is a USB flash drive, but it is easy to lose or steal, and I propose to protect yourself from such situations using encryption.

There are only 3 ways to protect your wearer:

1. Built-in Bitlocker.
2. Hardware protection ( when there is a display on the flash drive with the input of various characters).
3. Third party encryption software.

The most popular solutions to this problem:

1. Myfolder- allows you to simply set a password for a separate folder, but uses an unreliable encryption algorithm.
2. TrueCrypt Is the most popular encryption program. Recently, the developers reported on the vulnerability of its protection algorithm. Therefore, it is better to find a safe analogue.
3. Rohos mini drive- a simple program that does not require installation. Perfect for protecting information on your media.

All of them are partially free. I believe that the last of these programs is the best at the moment and will demonstrate it.

Setting the Bitlocker password

This utility is great for media security. Come up with a strong password and remember it. If you forget it, then the data you most likely will not be able to recover.

This method is suitable only for those who have an operating system:

1. Windows 7 Ultimate / Enterprise
2. Windows Vista Ultimate / Enterprise
3. Windows 8

Find out which one you have and if suitable - proceed with this instruction. In earlier versions, the utility is not present. If the system does not fit, then go to the next method.

This utility does not encrypt individual folders.

Perhaps it will be more convenient for you to watch a video of how this is done.

Go to My Computer and open the context menu by clicking on the icon of your flash drive. In it, enable Bitlocker. It is built into the Windows system and you do not need to download anything.

In the window that appears, select a blocking method. After entering the password, click next.

Save your recovery key. If you lose your password, the recovery key will give you access to the data. Save it to a file.

This is how it will look.

Then start the process of encrypting the USB stick.

Wait for the end of the encryption. The process can be long. It all depends on the capacity of your device.

After successful completion, you can unlock your USB stick for your computer and check the encryption. You will be required to enter the password specified before encryption.

You have successfully installed protection. Now I will demonstrate how to remove it. The principle is much the same.

How to remove encryption

Go to Start >> Control Panel >> Bitlocker Drive Encryption:

In the window that appears, select the line "Turn off Bitlocker" as in the image below.

And then click "Perform disk decryption" and you will remove the password from the flash drive.

Now let's look at a third party program.

Setting a password with Rohos Mini Drive

If you have the wrong operating system, then use a third-party solution. Download free software Rohos Mini Drive Portable and unpack the archive.

Only 2 Gb can be encrypted in the free version of this program. I hope this is enough for you. It is lightweight and easy to use. It uses the most popular and strongest AES encryption method.

One very important feature of this program is that it does not require administrator rights for encryption.

Place the program on your USB stick.

I will show an example on my file with the name of my site, and you have yours, respectively. Run the program and close the window that appears. Then go to the settings like in the image below.

Now you have to choose which files and how you will protect. Let me explain what each line means:

1. The first line means that you will make an encrypted disk with a maximum capacity of 2 gb ( in the free version).
2. The second line means that you will create an already hidden disc with music or video.
3. The third line means that you will create a hidden section ( administrator rights required).

I selected the first item and now I need to enter the password.

Then you need to add the data to the encrypted partition. Click on Import and select the files you want.

Already added are displayed on the right.

Now check if the protection is working. Close the program and start again. You will see a window in which you will be required to enter a password. By entering it you will get access to the files.

After such a procedure, all information that is stored on the flash drive will be available only with a password. The main thing is to come up with a strong password and do not forget it. Otherwise, you will have to use hacking programs, and they most likely will not help you.

There are also flash drives with built-in protection already on them, but this is suitable only for their owners and therefore I will not consider them in this article.

Did you manage to set the password?

A flash drive is a convenient way to store information. Gigabytes of information are recorded on a flash drive: personal photos and videos, data for work, useful utilities. But there is one drawback: a flash drive the size of a lighter is easy to lose. To ensure that information does not end up in the wrong hands and is not used by attackers, it is necessary to ensure the protection of personal data.

Setting access to information by password

There are two ways to install reliable protection on a USB flash drive. The first option is to use the built-in Bitlocker program. It is available to users of the operating system Windows 7, 8. In the Bitlocker application, the developers used a simple interface. The program encrypts information on a logical disk or flash drive. Using Bitlocker, you cannot set a password for a separate folder.

The second method is to use third-party programs to protect personal files. There is a lot of such software. A set of program capabilities will help to restrict access to both the media and a separate folder on a USB flash drive or logical drive.

Protecting a USB flash drive in Windows

If the personal computer has Windows 7 editions Ultimate, Enterprise or Windows 8 and higher, the user has access to the built-in Bitlocker data encryption application. After completing simple steps, we will get password-protected access to the data drive.

Step-by-step instructions for protecting information on a flash drive:

1. We connect the USB flash drive to the computer.
2. Open the "My Computer" folder and right-click on the flash drive icon.
3. Select Bitlocker from the context menu.
4. In the new window, put a check in the field "Use a password to unlock the USB flash drive". We come up with a strong password and enter it in the proposed window. Click the "Next" button.
5. At the next step, Bitlocker offers to create a special key. It will help restore access to information if the user suddenly forgets the password. This key is printed on a printer or stored on a local disk. The decision is up to the user.
6. We choose which part of the drive will be protected. If the data is very important, then it is better to choose the full encryption option.
7. We are waiting for the end of information encryption and press the "Close" button.
8. Checking the protection setting. We take out and re-insert the USB flash drive. A lock icon should appear in the My Computer folder next to the flash drive icon. It means that protection is installed and access to data is only by password.

It looks like a local disk protected by bitlocker

Free software for data protection

Software products are available for users via the Internet. They will help protect your personal information. Three popular freeware programs are described below.

TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt ranks first in popularity among users. She's reliable. The complex interface is the main drawback of the program. It takes time to understand the intricacies of TrueCrypt. The program can encrypt a separate folder on a USB flash drive or a logical drive as a whole.

Rohos Mini Drive

The developers of Rohos Mini Drive tried to create a functional application of a small size, and they succeeded. The free version of the program does not require administrator rights, but it is not able to encrypt a USB flash drive with a volume of more than 2 Gb. Rohos Mini Drive creates a secret sector up to 2 gigabytes in size (i.e., for example, a 16 GB flash drive is enough for you). A password is required to access the information posted there. The program uses a strong AES encryption algorithm with a 256-bit key.

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric block encryption algorithm (block size 128 bits, key 128/192/256 bits). The United States government has adopted it as the encryption standard.

MyFolder

The self-explanatory MyFolder program helps you protect a folder on your local drive or USB drive. To open such a folder, you need to enter a password. MyFolder encrypts at high speed, but uses the unstable Blowfish algorithm. Also, the program does not work under a 64-bit operating system.

Blowfish is a cryptographic algorithm that implements variable-length symmetric block encryption. Designed by Bruce Schneier in 1993.

Setting a password for a separate folder

In some cases, it becomes necessary to set a password for a folder with files on a USB flash drive. Special programs will help you easily and quickly protect personal information.

One of them is Anvide Lock Folder. The software has the following advantages:

Once downloaded, Anvide Lock Folder is ready to go. The interface is simple and straightforward. In the program window, specify a folder on a USB flash drive or personal computer and press the button with a closed lock icon. Enter your password and the folder is password protected. Access to it opens through the program. Anvide Lock Folder itself can be protected by an additional password.

Setting a password on a USB flash drive without a program

Manufacturers of Flash-drives offer to use hardware protection of information. To use manufacturer-supplied data encryption, you must activate it the first time you use it. A password is set on the USB flash drive. It must contain letters, numbers and special characters.

USB Flash drive in the form of a keychain from Toshiba in an aluminum case with buttons for entering a password

A password longer than 8 characters is considered good. You shouldn't forget him. It is impossible to restore access or change the secret word in 99% of cases... Without a secret word, it will not be possible to format the USB flash drive.

Ways to restore access to a flash drive

What if I forgot my password? There are hundreds of programs on the Internet screaming about their capabilities, but their effectiveness is questionable. The second option is to look for a neighbor hacker who can remove or crack the password. Remember: the use of special software is fraught with unpredictable consequences. Viruses and malware can get on the personal computer. Therefore, it is better to come up with a good password that will not be forgotten, or never use a password.

Often, users use a storage device in the form of a microSD memory card. They are used in mobile phones, tablets and cameras. MicroSDs are often password protected. It is installed through the menu of the electronic gadget. If you reinstall the memory card in another phone or camera, you will need a password. If you forgot it, then it is impossible to restore access to the USB flash drive without losing data on the MicroSD.

An online store sells a microSD card password reset device

Now online stores sell devices called unlockers. They cost about $ 10-20. With the help of an unlocker, the protection is removed and the memory card is formatted. The data will be lost forever, but the MicroSD card will remain at the owner's disposal. If you do not want to buy a device, then contact a specialized service. The unblocking service is offered by firms that repair mobile phones and computers.

Keep your personal files under lock and key. This also applies to data stored on a USB flash drive. It is especially easy to lose a micro SD flash drive due to its small size.

Summarize. Choose security password. Remember the secret word. Have a memory problem? Then it is better not to set the password. The pain of restoring access will be considerable, it is unlikely that it will be possible to remove the password on your own without losing data, and the result of using hacking programs is not always positive.

USB drives are small, portable, and versatile storage devices. Flash drives are very convenient for transferring data between computers. However, due to its portability and compactness, USB sticks can be easily lost. Therefore, you need to take care of reliable protection of the data on the flash drive.

Unfortunately, you cannot just set a password for the entire drive, as is the case with a smartphone or computer. For increased protection of your files, you need to use encryption. If you don't want to buy a separate hardware-encrypted secure flash device, you can use free software to get a similar level of security.

In this article, we have provided some simple ways to protect files and folders on a USB flash drive.

If you need to protect only individual important documents, and you do not need to encrypt entire folders, then you can simply limit yourself to setting password protection for individual files.

Many programs, including Word and Excel, allow you to save files with a password.

For example, when the required document is open in a text editor Microsoft Word, you can go to the menu File> Info, select item Document protection and option Encrypt with password.

All that remains is to set a secure password and confirm its installation. Remember to save the document and be sure to remember or write down the password.

Download the portable version of VeraCrypt and unzip it to a USB drive. When launching the application, a list of available drive letters will be displayed. Select a letter and press Create volume

To create a virtual encrypted disk inside a file, select the option Create encrypted file container and click Next.

In the next step, you can choose the type of volume: regular or hidden. Using a hidden volume reduces the risk of someone forcing you to reveal your password. In our example, we will create a regular volume. Next, select the location of the encrypted volume - removable USB drive.

Configure encryption and specify the size of the volume (must not exceed the size of the USB drive). Then select the encryption and hash algorithm, you can use the default settings. Then set your volume password. In the next step, your random mouse movements will determine the cryptographic strength of the encryption.

After encryption is complete, each time you plug the USB drive into any computer, you can launch the VeraCrypt hosted on it and mount the encrypted file container to access the data.

VeraCrypt supports encryption of entire partitions and storage devices.

Download VeraCrypt and install the program on your PC. When launching the application, a list of available drive letters will be displayed. Select a letter and press Create volume... The VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard will start.

To encrypt your entire USB drive, select the option Encrypt non-system partition / disk and click Next.

In the next step, you can choose the type of volume: regular or hidden. Using a hidden volume reduces the risk of someone forcing you to reveal your password.

On the next screen of the wizard, you need to select a device, i.e. our removable USB drive, then click "OK" and "Next".

In our example, we will create a regular volume. On the next screen of the wizard, you need to select a device, i.e. our removable USB disk, then click "OK" and "Next".

To encrypt your entire USB drive, select Encrypt partition in place and click Next. VeraCrypt will warn you that you must have a backup of your data - if something goes wrong during encryption, you can restore access to your files. Then select the encryption and hash algorithm, you can use the default settings. Then set your volume password. In the next step, your random mouse movements will determine the cryptographic strength of the encryption.

Then select the cleaning mode. The more rewriting cycles, the more reliable the cleaning. In the final step, choose Encryption to start the encryption process.

After encryption is complete, every time you plug the USB drive into your computer, you will need to mount it using VeraCrypt to access the data.

Many modern archivers, including the free 7-Zip, support AES-256 encryption and file password protection.

Install 7-Zip, then right click on a file or folder on your USB drive and select 7-Zip> Add to Archive... In the "Add to archive" window, select the archive format and set a password. Click "OK" to start the archiving and encryption process.