How to protect USB Flash Disk

Generally, the USB flash drive is relatively small, portable, lightweight, and can be read on all computers and any electronic device that has a USB port. These features make the USB stick into the practical and the perfect medium to transport data to a computer and transfer data to other gadgets and electronic devices. On the other hand, due to the small physical size of the USB stick the USB stick is prone to be lost or changed hands, either because it fell on the road, tucked away, wasted, or taken by someone else without our knowledge. In anticipation of such a condition, then we have to protect the USB stick so that files and data on the flash drive remains safe and easily accessible by others, or abused by others who found our flash. How to protect the flash is the means used to protect the flash / hidden partition on the flash, flash lock, and secure data and files on the flash, so that can not be accessed, opened or used by others. In general, the flash protection can be done in two ways, namely by encryption hardware and software encryption or partition and protect data in a flash.


How to protect pendrive by encrypting data / software is more easy to do and can be applied on all brands and types of flash. In this article, I will present how to protect flash with encryption software that is how to secure / hide the partition on the flash, flash lock, and secure your files and data in the flash, so that could not be opened, accessed and misused by others. As an important note for us, use the flash as the storage media or backup data backup, so that in the event of loss, we still have the basic data or data master, either on the computer or on CD / DVD.

Here are the steps or how to protect and lock your USB stick:

1. Giving passwords manually

How to flash protection is done by providing a password or the password manually on each file or data stored in the flash. So, for example, there are Word or Excel file, any file or document in Word / Excel is saved (Save As) with a password option. If there are various types of files in flash and a polynomial, then the files are grouped into folders according to its kind, and then each of the folders you compress or zip compression software (such as 7zip, Winzip, Winrar), and when doing compression choose or password protection option. So if the ZIP file from folders will be extracted before, it will not work if it does not know the password.

2. Flashdisk Encryption & Storage Partitioning

How to flash protection is done using encryption software to hide or protect existing partitions on the flash. How to flash protection like this can be done using software called Rohos Mini Drive. Rohos Mini Drive is portable, so you can immediately use and runs on flash, without the need to install it to your computer. Save the file Rohos Mini Drive is in the flash, and do encryption or to partition your flash setting, and place the files and folders you want protection, and then give the password, the files and folders on the flash is not accessible by others . For the free version, Rohos Mini Drive software can only be used to hide / protect 2GB pendrive. So, if you sized 32GB flash, then the files and folders can be hidden only up to a maximum of 2GB, so that 30GB can still be seen by others. Rohos Mini Drive can also be used on an external hard drive. Please download the free software Rohos Mini Drive in http://www.rohos.com/rohos_mini.exe

3. Lock Flashdisk

How to lock the flash with the flash protection, which can be done using software called portable USB Safeguard. So, if it does not know the password or the password required when the flash is plugged into the PC, then the flash will not be accessed / opened. For the free version, USB Safeguard is only running at maximum flash size up to 2GB. So, if you sized 16GB flash, then this software can not be used.
How to use USB Safeguard is:
- Download usbsafeguard.exe at address http://www.usbsafeguard.com/features.html
- Copy files usbsafeguard.exe Flashdisk
- Run or click the 2X in the flash file usbsafeguard.exe - enter a password to lock the flash / drive.
- To open, run the file again and enter the password.
- Locking procedure has to be repeated every time you want to lock or unlock the drive.