Best program to Lock Flash Drive and Secure Data ?

[gawguy]

Lock the drive, encrypt the data, then hide the encrypted data. Something like that should work for me.

 

What program is best?

 

Thank you. GG

[cavanami]

Like to hide it from the USA TSA "friends"? let me know what you come up with!

[kamui]

Most famous is the free, open source software Truecrypt. It does everything you want:

 

 

Main Features:

- Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.

 

- [color:red]Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive[/color].

 

- Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed (pre-boot authentication).

 

- Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent.

 

- Parallelization and pipelining allow data to be read and written as fast as if the drive was not encrypted.

 

- Encryption can be hardware-accelerated on modern processors.

 

- [color:red]Provides plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password[/color]:

 

- [color:red]Hidden volume (steganography) and hidden operating system[/color].

 

 

 

[TheCorinthian]

I use this:

 

 

 

 

 

[doxx]

Can you tell us what type of information you look to secure/hide? HOW sensitive is it?

 

Kamui, has you covered there but there's at least a few things to consider still:

 

1.) How does Truecrypt do key management?

 

2.) What cryptos and key lengths are used?

 

3.) Can states/governments break these keys/cryptos and is TrueCrypt providing them wiht a "backdoor" (Microsoft used to at least and there will be pressure on other vendors too)

 

4.) Any data previously written to your USB key or harddrive can still be recreated, even if overwritten with now encrypted data. If your information is truly secret shit, then start from a brand new USB stick.

[kamui]

Doxx, I am not a specialist in cryptography, therefore you'll have to check Truecrypt's website in regard to your questions.

 

Anyway, Truecrypt is recommended by security experts like Bruce Schneier. One reason might be, because it is Open Source, so everybody is able to check the program for backdoors.

 

And I remember this article on the FBI trying to open files secured with Truecypt:

 

Not even FBI was able to decrypt files of Daniel Dantas

June 2010

Hard drives were seized by the feds during Operation Satyagraha, in 2008.

Information is protected by sophisticated encryption system.

 

The FBI failed to break the encryption code of hard drives seized by federal police at the apartment of banker Daniel Dantas, in Rio de Janeiro, during Operation Satyagraha. The operation began in July 2008. According to a report published on Friday (25) by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, after a year of unsuccessful attempts, the U.S. federal police returned the equipment to Brazil in April.

 

According to the report, the fed only requested help from USA in early 2009, after experts from the National Institute of Criminology (INC) failed to decode the passwords on the hard drives. The government has no legal instrument to compel the manufacturer of the American encryption system or Dantas to give the access codes.

 

The equipment will remain under the protection of the feds. INC expect that new research data or technology could help them break the security codes. Opportunity Group reported that the two programs used in the equipment are available online. One is called [color:red]Truecrypt[/color] and is free. The programs were used due to suspected espionage.

 

According to the report, the FBI and the INC used the same technology to try to break the password. It is a mechanism called a "dictionary" - a computer system that tests password combinations from known data and police information. Experts from the INC used this technique for five months, until December 2008, when the discs were sent to the United States.

Globo.com

:content:

[Vintage_Kwai]

Kingston used to package an encryption program with it's earlier DataTravellers, but has been discontinued.

 

They still do sell specific secure drives (DataTraveler Locker)and are available at some IT shops in Thailand. Expect to pay more than a standard drive though.

[gawguy]

I use TC and have done so for a long time. My need is not to have something that is FBI or govt proof. I don't have anything that private. I just want to protect it from little family hackers if I go to the big land in the sky, u know what i'm sayin ?

 

I don't use a key and my password is medium length.

 

I have another question and I'll write the post now.

 

Thanks,

GG