If you are only going to use it on Windows 10 and later computers, you can select the New encryption mode. Now you have to choose how to save the recovery key, either in a file or by printing it.

In case you use a password, enter it following the requirements (uppercase, lowercase and numbers).

Choose how you want to unlock the USB: you can use a password or a smart card (if your drive has one).

Right-click on the drive and select “Enable BitLocker” to install it automatically.

Go to your file explorer and find the USB.

Connect the USB to the computer and make sure it is completely empty.

On the one hand we have Bitlocker, a native encryption tool available in Windows 7 and later.

Both processes are extremely simple and can be done in a matter of minutes. There are several methods and tools to encrypt a USB in Windows. Advanced users should use this type of encryption. Software encryption gives you more flexibility by allowing you to choose your encryption algorithms. You can also encrypt your flash drive using native software for Windows and macOS, as well as third-party applications. However, you won’t need to install anything else or worry about updates as a result of this. Aside from that, it functions similarly to a standard flash drive.īecause there are no additional settings available on a flash drive with encryption pre-installed, you have less flexibility. Each time you want to access your files, you’ll have to type in the password. Some USB drives have a small chip built in that requires you to create a password the first time you insert the drive. If your encrypted USB stick is stolen, no one will be able to access the contents unless they have the key.

What is an encrypted or encrypted USB?Ī USB can be encrypted in one of two ways: by using specialized encryption software or by purchasing a flash drive with modified hardware.

On both Windows and Mac, we’ll show you how to encrypt a USB drive. If you’re new to encryption, there are a number of free resources available to assist you. However, if you don’t save the data on your own computer, it could be accessed by others.

USB flash drives are an extremely useful tool for transferring data between computers and storing important files. It’s also worth taking all of these precautions if you’re really concerned about your data being stolen. Encrypting a USB protects the data on it by encrypting it with a key that is only known to you.

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