Password Protect USB Drive

[cerbera147]

Can any IT experts help me on this one please? 

I am now carrrying a USB drive as part of my EDC. My plan is to have important documents on it, passport, birth certificate, etc.
Obviously I want to have this protected through some kind of encryption password.

I have tried a program called TrueCrypt which seems good but I cannot work out how to use on the flash drive 

I have a Kingston Data Traveller II as well; it has great application on it. Basically I create a 'privacy zone' and password protect it. So I can have regular stuff on it as well as protected stuff. Something like that would be ideal

Any help will be appreciated or recommendations of safe applications to use 

[Benner]

Why don't you PM Mike? 

(little joke there  )

[Magnus]

My EDC usb drive is an Ironkey, They have a separate hardware encryption chip that will self destruct if the password is entered wrong five times.  They are also the only USB flash drive to meet FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 Level 3.  Very pricey though, personally I bought it because it is indestructible.

[Sazabi]

Can any IT experts help me on this one please? 

I am now carrrying a USB drive as part of my EDC. My plan is to have important documents on it, passport, birth certificate, etc.
Obviously I want to have this protected through some kind of encryption password.

I have tried a program called TrueCrypt which seems good but I cannot work out how to use on the flash drive 

I have a Kingston Data Traveller II as well; it has great application on it. Basically I create a 'privacy zone' and password protect it. So I can have regular stuff on it as well as protected stuff. Something like that would be ideal

Any help will be appreciated or recommendations of safe applications to use 

If memory serves, you need to have a small unencrypted partition on the USB drive to contain the TrueCrypt program, while the remaining space, which is encrypted, can be used for data storage.

[Abe Arceo]

All of the USB drives that we use at work are U3 capable, and the only reason we went that route is because of the built-in password protection. 

My Co-Worker uses a third party password software package for a couple of his USB drives and he says he likes it so far.  I can try to get the name of it for you when he comes in next week...I think it was like $20 give or take.

But for all of the data that we transport the U3 drives and the built-in password protection have worked perfectly fine for us.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I use a U3 drive as well and while it isn't impossible to crack, it is good enough to keep most people out.  The drawback is, you need to buy a U3 drive as you can't download/install it on a drive you already have.

I have used TrueCrypt as well and while I think it has potential, it's only good if every computer you use has the PC interface on it, which doesn't help much if you use a lot of different computers.

There might be something at www.Portableapps.com which is like U3 but can be installed on any drive or memory card.

Def

[cerbera147]

Thank you all for your replies 

On the lines as Grant's U3 drive, it doesn't have to be unhackable just good enough to keep the average joe out 

Perhaps I'll EDC my Kingston Secure Data Traveller as it has what I need. I had wanted something similiar on my smaller flash drive.

Your Iron Key sounds great Magnus but tbh I wouldn't need that much protection, although our MP's and civil servants do 

[eCustomKnife]

You could just put the files in a WinRAR zip file w/ a password & then move to Flash drive.
http://www.rarlab.com/
This would protect you from most people.

fmg