Protect my USB flash drive

svennand · 03-25-2007, 10:26 AM

Hi.

I was surfing for a usb flash disk to store my personal files,
i see some of the sticks have software/hardware encryption.
Im running Fedora Core 5 and think that i therefor can rule out software version protection.
do anyone know if flash disks with hardware encryption will work under linux?

My problem.
i need to to protect those files so they cant come out in public.
since this disk will be written to and the context of it will be opened occasionally,
single protection would be a bitch, because that would give me a lot of extra work and maybe need to unload the files to the computer again?

is there someway to protect the entire flash unit, so i need to write in a password to access it. so its easy for me to just plug it in somewhere and enter a password and voila!?

Its important that the content of the disk would be a nightmare for people without the password to access=)

Be gentle with me, im kind of new to linux =)

After XP got trojan and bruteforced and my "private" stuff allmost got to the net i take no risks=)

BTW sorry for my bad english, not my native language...

chuckbuhler · 03-25-2007, 11:01 AM

You might look into truecrypt. There's a program that you run under linux or windows, the allows you to mount a truecrypt partition. And it's opensource too!

For example, if you have a 1GB stick, create a 800mb truecrypt "file" on it, and load the software packages on the remaining space. (They're quite small, you'll still have room for other, non-private stuff) When you want to use the truecrypt partition, mount it with the appropriate program. You can read and write it just like any other drive partition. When you're done, un-mount it. All that will show on the drive is a 800mb file, that looks like garbage if you try to open it.

There are a lot of security options with truecrypt, depending on how secure you really need your data to be. I use it personally to carry data to and from home to work. I don't keep the software on the stick, as it's between the same two or three computers, but it does work that way too.

www.truecrypt.com

svennand · 03-25-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckbuhler

You might look into truecrypt. There's a program that you run under linux or windows, the allows you to mount a truecrypt partition. And it's opensource too!

For example, if you have a 1GB stick, create a 800mb truecrypt "file" on it, and load the software packages on the remaining space. (They're quite small, you'll still have room for other, non-private stuff) When you want to use the truecrypt partition, mount it with the appropriate program. You can read and write it just like any other drive partition. When you're done, un-mount it. All that will show on the drive is a 800mb file, that looks like garbage if you try to open it.

There are a lot of security options with truecrypt, depending on how secure you really need your data to be. I use it personally to carry data to and from home to work. I don't keep the software on the stick, as it's between the same two or three computers, but it does work that way too.

www.truecrypt.com

Hmm i just came across this same program, its beeing bundled with Corsair Flash Voyager GT flash, just the memory stick that i fell in love with =),
Thanks a Bunch=)

Gotta love this forum.

EDIT the software is already in the pen =)