How does an encrypted usb drive work

Requirements This guide applies to encrypting a flash drive on Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 10 Enterprise, and Windows 10 Pro using the built in encryption tool known as BitLocker. Windows 10 can unlock a flash drive encrypted on Windows 7 and vice versa. Follow the steps below to encrypt a USB flash drive within a Windows operating system. Open File Explorer. Right click on flash drive and select Turn on BitLocker. You will be prompted on how you would like to unlock the drive.

Enter and confirm a password in the spaces provided to unlock the drive. You can change this password later, provided you remember the original password.

Save this recovery file in a location of your choosing that only you have access to. Please note that this file does not contain your password.

If available, please select Encrypt Used Space Only. Windows will securely encrypt your USB flash drive; it should only take a few minutes. You will be notified when it is complete. The easiest and most effective though expensive way to do this is by purchasing devices with robust encryption algorithms built-in.

Also, administrators can provide users with USB devices whose file systems have been manually encrypted. Lastly, users can be required to encrypt individual files before transferring them to a USB device as part of a data loss prevention policy.

The USB port control, native to most operating systems, is severely limited in terms of options and flexibility. Administrators can either render USB ports read-only or disable them altogether. To ensure finer control over file types and allowed devices, you may have to use robust, third-party applications that provide USB control with varying degrees of granularity. As part of the connection protocol, USB hardware specification requires each plugged-in device to tell the operating system what kind of device it is.

By using this information, some USB control applications allow admins to block specific kinds of devices on specific ports. For instance, admins can instruct the operating system to allow USB mice or keyboards on all ports but not thumb drives. Some applications allow for a much finer USB control by letting admins specify that a port can only be used by devices that have been whitelisted based on their serial numbers, which are linked to specific users.

Admins can also specify what kinds of files can be written or read through a particular USB port. Thus, they prevent a situation where someone either wants to take out unauthorized data from the system or wants to load rogue programs such as malware into the system via the port. USB control and encryption helps to prevent a system infection by controlling access to USB ports and by encrypting data going out of the system or the portable media it is stored on. Since only authorized devices are recognized and connected to the system, the risk of malware entering an endpoint system and spreading throughout the network infrastructure is minimal.

Although antivirus, signature-based defense solutions are useless against zero-day exploits , a USB control helps to prevent zero-day USB-based exploits from gaining access to the network through an endpoint. USB control and encryption helps to protect your valuable data by encrypting it or the portable device it is stored on before it leaves the corporate network.

It does this by enforcing AES encryption on authorized flash drives , while disallowing the use of unauthorized portable devices on protected endpoints. Encryption can help protect the sensitive data on an external drive should it fall into the wrong hands through loss or theft, but there are other reasons for encryption, too. For instance, non-encrypted flash drives can leave you vulnerable to malware and other device security threats.

But what does it really mean to encrypt your data and how does it work? Encryption means only those with an encryption key file or password will be able to access the data on an encrypted flash drive. An important factor in the encryption process for your flash drive is your filesystem. Your filesystem organizes your drive by dictating how and how much data is stored, and what type of data can be attached to files.

Different filesystem types will impact your encryption options in different ways. Here are the differences. NTFS is the most modern file system that Windows uses by default for its system drive and non-removable drives. NTFS is the ideal filesystem for internal drives. ExFAT is the modern replacement for FAT32 and is a great cross-platform option, supported by more devices and operating systems in its compatibility with both Windows and macOS.

Then select your USB drive and choose Erase. You may want to consult a professional for advice. Windows uses built-in encryption software known as BitLocker drive encryption, which is built into Windows Vista, including Pro, Ultimate, Enterprise, and Windows While Bitlocker can encrypt your operating system drive and fixed data drives on your computer, Bitlocker to Go can encrypt your external USB flash drive and external hard drives.

Windows also gives you a choice between three filesystems, as mentioned above. To encrypt your flash or external drive, select the drive in your file explorer, hit your Manage tab, Select BitLocker, and turn BitLocker on.

If you choose to set a password, create a strong password and enter it twice. Your decision will depend on factors that include your operating system, ease of use, level of encryption, safety features, speed, file size, and cost.

Below is a listing of several encryption tools you may want to consider for your removable media. Other than choosing the size of your encrypted partition, everything else is automated. The highlights of USB Safeguard are just what its name implies: its safety features.

The app lets you create virtual containers to keep your data safe, and also automatically locks when unplugged or when a user is inactive for a certain time.