Encrypted USB Drives

[@youenjoy8468]

I feel that the encouragement to the usb really helped it copy the data faster. Well done.

[@Patrick-tf1ri]

All Sandisk USB flash drives come with a free copy of encryption. It’s fairly neat but I’m not sure about the safety measures. Chris, a video covering this would be great!

[@diarykeeper]

6:24 Cheering on a USB Drive. Marvelous :D

[@CesareVesdani]

Please can you explain to me on how to permanently write protect any USB flash drive like a CD-ROM.

[@discoj100]

Getting a crypto ordered right now. With all the KZbin hacking going on nowadays, I just don't feel safe with my information on the internet. I also plan on getting KeePass portable on it as well for extra protection (I will also backup info on a few pieces of physical paper hidden/locked away). Information is too valuable in this day and age. Cheers for the informative video!

[@zephyfoxy]

Well this certainly is a nice idea! I put myself in an awkward position back when I encrypted my external devices with BitLocker and then migrated to Linux. I had to decrypt everything with BitLocker before Linux would read them. But a flash drive with it's own encryption that's universal, now that's a good idea.

[@MrMoonpie001]

Thanks Chris, very timely video. In the US, the USB drives are getting handed out like sticks of free chewing gum, however one bad experience and now you may have an infected computer! I have for most part said "no thanks" and have written these devices off, that is till now! I will have to reexamine the subject, I have enjoyed using the USB drives when I had higher confidence in them. Thank you my friend for your efforts! Rich

[@kirbfx]

Only 8 to 16 characters on a software based vault is TERRIBLE! You need at LEAST 20 characters to have some real security. I would recommend adding an additional Veracrypt vault WITHIN that drive with a very lengthy multi -character passwords (at least 30 characters). In fact, I recommend this for all encrypted usb drives so your files are behind two layers of encryption making it very difficult, if even at all possible for them to be cracked.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Point taken, but the dataShur and Corsair encryption here is not software based.

[@kirbfx]

ExplainingComputers I understand. However, my concern is that they will be able to create a workaround that allows for the device to be brute forced by hooking it up to computer and then running a brute force software that will circumvent the chips ability to detect how many attempts are being made to enter in the numbers. A group from Sweden were very close to doing so when they presented there findings at DEFCON.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Very interesting. Breaking into one of these devices should be very hard indeed, as there is no way to hook it up to a computer, as there is no interface for that (the USB connector only becomes available when the internal electronics have accepted the password). So I don't know how the team from Sweden could access the chip -- at least on a device like the dataShur or Corsair here. But on the one with a software/hardware interface -- totally! :)

[@kirbfx]

ExplainingComputers Thanks for the response. I hope you’re correct. I have an encrypted USB with a keypad but I also have it LUKS encrypted as well so the hacker would have to crack the hardware based key and then, they would have to brute force the LUKS key once it’s activated. I run a company they works with peoples private information including private banking information since we deal with peoples home loans and mortgages so keeping our clients information encrypted is extremely important. If I or one of my employees were to ever lose our USB’s and it fell into the wrong hands, it would could lead to some serious consequences for a lot of people so we have to be exceptionally careful. I have to make sure nobody can ever crack the first layer (the hardware based key) let alone the second (LUKS). Thanks for the response. Here is the DEFCON presentation I was referring to. Their findings were really interesting. I’m trying to look into which encrypted USB”s they found to be most secure since they examined and pen tested several of them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIeunWZ9qsate9U

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

I wonder what happens when the built-in rechargeable batteries reach the end of their life. Can the drive still be accessed by entering the key while the device is plugged in, or is the data lost?

[@AbsurdJosh]

Great stuff! The DataShur was clearly the winner.

[@wondertwins2222]

I see you are using a more modern looking operating system skin. What made you decide to switch?

[@ExplainingComputers]

wondertwins2222 I got fed up of the "Windows XP" comments I always get, so recorded the screen grabs from an MS Surface running Windows 8.1. My main desktop is still runnkng Windows 7 with a classic skin. :)

[@ZadakLeader]

I had a non-waterproof USB drive survive 2 wash machine cycles and still functioning. Just make sure you let it dry out before you plug in.

[@johnmichael7323]

iStorage datAshur, probably the best flash drive in the market, in fact it is the best flash drive in the market.

[@bobby9858]

+John Michael I agree - great drive

[@MrDave1502]

is there no 'TKIP' encryption for flash drives? if there is, then why didn't you mention it? i think 'TKIP' is for wireless connections only, because from wireless connection settings, is from where i heard of it

[@MrJason005]

2:57 That looks just like an optical illusion

[@michnicholas1]

Where an I get these drives in New Zealand?

[@RachelWolfe]

Switched to Windows 8.1 have we, Chris?

[@PeterEdin]

This was posted in 2015. Are these or similar still available. I have never seen keypad drives, certainly not in my local PCWorld.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, these are still available, including USB3 versions of the Datashur.

[@PeterEdin]

Thanks Christopher :-)

[@markblake4584]

Great video . Could you make a tutorial on how to use veracrypt software

[@ExplainingComputers]

Mark Blake A good idea -- added to my list.

[@vanderslagmulders]

Hopefully they come with more compact secured USBs with something like fingerprint scan. But would obviously be very expensive at the start.

[@mrlloydval2887]

why? scratch your finger on anything by accident and the $500+ flash drive is completely useless. remembering a password is much more optimal.

[@okaro6595]

You can always wipe it and install it again. Remember these are to protect against loss. But I have not found finger print scanners so reliable as at least on my phone they have trouble with wet fingers. Also one could pick the print from the drive and use it.

[@cortexedge]

I still don't know what people would use such USB drives. I don't know what kind of data you can store, that's so sensitive it has to have a padlock on the drive.

[@cortexedge]

OhNoNotMyPenis I don't have such sensitive data to keep hidden. ID docs are all on paper, bank password is generated randomly using a token and the username I keep it in my mind. Of course, there are lots and lots of different people out there with different types of data to store securely. :-)

[@okaro6595]

I once thought I had lost a drive that had backup of my browser profile. That is all my passwords to over 100 sites. Since then I have routinely encrypted the backups.

[@siliconstate]

Very interesting video, thank you! I'm wondering, will you be getting yourself one of the new Raspberry pi 2's?

[@ExplainingComputers]

siliconstate A Raspberry Pi 2 was sent out to me a couple of days ago -- I hope to get it this week and put up a video at the weekend. :)

[@siliconstate]

That's great! Looking forward to it, thanks for your great videos. :)

[@AK-mb4cv]

Why is the first option the least secure? And if you had to choose which would you go for?

[@okaro6595]

If you are just normal fires, you can copy them and use unlimited resources to break them, Sure with good passwords they should still hold but it is still less secure than having a limited number of tries. Also if the data has been copied it is beyond your reach if the password is later somehow leaked. This is what happened to the Wikileaks archive.

[@ethanchang7740]

What os do you use?

[@JCRMatos]

In the old days I had some USB drives that had a read-only/write physical switch, which was a great way to use it in any computer without fear of virus infection. Do you know of any brand that still has those kind of USB drives?

[@ExplainingComputers]

+João Matos I have not seen a drive like that for years -- even SD cards used to have such a write-protect switch (like old 3.5" floppy disks!).

[@JCRMatos]

Thanks for the quick response. Keep those videos coming.

[@joemann7971]

Full-size SD cards still have the write protection switch but it's useless without a card reader that actually supports the write protection. The switch itself is just a piece of plastic, much like on the switch on 3.5" floppies. It's up to the drive( or card reader, in this case) to determine if the card is write protected. The two USB card readers I tried didn't do anything when I put it in write protection, though a laptop with a built in card reader seemed like it detected the write protection.

[@jesperhammarlund300]

could you do a explain usb type c video pls :)

[@hellomoto123ish]

The Kingston Data DT2000 is the same as the third one except its made by a trusted manufacturer. So if you are worried about the claims just remember Kingston.

[@ExplainingComputers]

The Kingston Data DT2000 is actually a rebranded Datashur device that is made by iStorage. :)

[@hellomoto123ish]

ExplainingComputers Wow. Didn't know that. Thank you

[@memememegaming]

The FP2 is the best.

[@sterlingh9586]

How much do these cost? On Amazon.

[@lesgoddam1949]

This should help: bit.ly/1wgpPPW

[@NicholasCoulter]

After 3 unsuccessful tries I would not wanna have all of my files wiped I would just wanna have it lock for 1 hour

[@okaro6595]

Such a drive should never be the sole storage of data. If you lose it you really want it wiped. Note also that they allow more attempts like 10. Locking out for an hour is same as wiping the data if you need to do a presentation based on the data on the drive.

[@bandname]

Depends what's on it, if you got CP on there you'll be glad it's wiped.

[@tokewemad6820]

If I wanted to software-encrypt my USB, what would I need to do? If anyone has a link to a guide of some sort, please share! :)

[@ExplainingComputers]

Toke WeMAD Use VeraCrypt. You can access a free download and a guide (under "Documentation" from: veracrypt.codeplex.com/

[@tokewemad6820]

ExplainingComputers Thanks for the quick answer, this looks great!

[@TheArtIsFart]

useless.Its no problem to crack the password,the key is safed on the drive->

[@aresiel]

I dont like when flashdrives whipes my files!

[@davidcouzens]

This guy needs a decent hairdresser.

[@Patrick-tf1ri]

If Chris changed anything about himself, I would be deeply saddened.

[@AliRaza-gy9zz]

i dont like ur voice , even its hard to understand some of your words , i suggest you to do not make video in your voice again .

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

I wonder what happens when the built-in rechargeable batteries reach the end of their life. Can the drive still be accessed by entering the key while the device is plugged in, or is the data lost?

[@ExplainingComputers]

Yes, you can access the drive if the battery goes (I have not experienced that) by plugging it into a USB port.